Clutch Pedal Woes on a 2010 GT500

Hi all,

I've been experiencing issues with the feel of my clutch pedal as of late. I did replace the clutch with a McLeod RST (800HP version) and of course changed out the clutch master, clutch slave cylinder, pilot bearing, all the good stuff. Now, I've been noticing that when I get in the car in the morning the clutch pedal is quiet, smooth and the effort feels just about right. When I drive for a while the clutch pedal starts to feel notchy on the upwards travel, creaky, noisy and above all it becomes much harder to push the clutch in. I have tried bleeding the system several times and I would think that if the clutch fluid was boiling due to heat, if anything the clutch pedal would feel very soft to the point of non operation. I'm thinking maybe the throwout bearing/slave cylinder has gone bad?

Im wondering if any of you with GT500s have experienced this and I am really trying to get back to having a good feeling clutch pedal. Any suggestions welcome!

Thanks!

So you did not replace the TOB when the clutch work was done? How recent was the clutch work done?

barspen said:

So you did not replace the TOB when the clutch work was done? How recent was the clutch work done?

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So I did replace the Throwout Bearing (more of a slave cylinder), and it was all done about 10,000 miles ago.

OK. Sounds like the TOB, although it's not very old. Since you replaced the clutch master cylinder too, you might want to make sure its moving smoothly when depressing the clutch.

Very odd that the clutch would feel 'heavier'/'sticky' as the car heats up. Was originally thinking air might be in the system too (leaking seal, etc), but that wouldn't cause the symptoms you are describing.

barspen said:

OK. Sounds like the TOB, although it's not very old. Since you replaced the clutch master cylinder too, you might want to make sure its moving smoothly when depressing the clutch.

Very odd that the clutch would feel 'heavier'/'sticky' as the car heats up. Was originally thinking air might be in the system too (leaking seal, etc), but that wouldn't cause the symptoms you are describing.

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I have always felt like maybe it was the TOB, I wanted to change it and the slave cylinder (pedal box area) just to see if it would help. The issue is that the clutch pedal is one of the few contact areas you have with the car and if it doesn't feel right, it just absolutely blows. I will say that the slave cylinder was replaced with kind of a cheaper generic version of what came on the car, so maybe I will try the actual Ford replacement next and see if it smoothens things out in terms of feel.

Instead of the regular clutch master cylinder, get one the one for the 13-14. It has a slightly larger diameter so it moves a little more fluid for the same stroke. You may need to limit travel at the stop. There's a thread on this in this forum. Have you upgraded your clutch line? It helps, but I'm not sure it would do much for the condition you describe.

Catmonkey said:

...get one the one for the 13-14. It has a slightly larger diameter...

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+1

Here's one of the threads for reference...https://www.svtperformance.com/forums/threads/hydraulics-makeover.1149154/

Catmonkey said:

Instead of the regular clutch master cylinder, get one the one for the 13-14. It has a slightly larger diameter so it moves a little more fluid for the same stroke. You may need to limit travel at the stop. There's a thread on this in this forum. Have you upgraded your clutch line? It helps, but I'm not sure it would do much for the condition you describe.

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That sounds very intriguing. I did read the article that was linked by barspen. Have you done this yourself? If so, is it a fairly direct bolt on being a 13/14 into a 2010? yes, I do have a stainless steel clutch line installed.

Would a throwout bearing that was potentially going bad send a fluid signal to the pedals that would make the clutch require more effort? Generally when a TOB goes out, the pedal travel starts to diminish. I wonder if maybe the clutch master cylinder will help me with this, since I really noticed the issues when I replaced my stock one.

Yes, I have installed the 13-14 on my car and it's a direct bolt on but I added some comments on travel in that thread. I added a washer under the clutch stop button because I had contact between the clevis and body of the cylinder when the clutch pedal was all the way to the floor. The washer just provides enough clearance to where there is no contact. If you see a photo of the 13-14 clutch stop button, you can see it's thicker than the earlier model. I have read that pedal effort is supposed to be higher, but I can't say I notice it.

There is a plastic dust cover on the slave cylinder. If it was torn, it may be grabbing to a give a clean release. Other than that, I'm stumped.

Catmonkey said:

Yes, I have installed the 13-14 on my car and it's a direct bolt on but I added some comments on travel in that thread. I added a washer under the clutch stop button because I had contact between the clevis and body of the cylinder when the clutch pedal was all the way to the floor. The washer just provides enough clearance to where there is no contact. If you see a photo of the 13-14 clutch stop button, you can see it's thicker than the earlier model. I have read that pedal effort is supposed to be higher, but I can't say I notice it.

There is a plastic dust cover on the slave cylinder. If it was torn, it may be grabbing to a give a clean release. Other than that, I'm stumped.

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Is the 13-14 an aluminum housing?

It looks like aluminum or some type of alloy.

Better than a plastic housing like in 10-12. hmmm

I need to have my clutch pedal modified, sounds like the perfect time to swap it out. IF its got a better feel than the 10-12, I may not have a need for the RJM Performance unit.

I think his smaller unit is the same diameter as the 13-14, although a whole lot beefier.

lexustech48 said:

I need to have my clutch pedal modified, sounds like the perfect time to swap it out. IF its got a better feel than the 10-12, I may not have a need for the RJM Performance unit.

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I looked into the RJM piece. I liked the adjustability, but it was pretty expensive compared to the '13-'14 option.

The '13-'14 MC housing seemed like a lightweight metal...probably aluminum. Much beefier than the stock, plastic unit. Install was a PITA because of access and I didn't loosen the brake booster nuts to give the pedal assembly a little more play.

I also separated my clutch fluid reservoir from the brake reservoir. It's amazing how the clutch line contaminates the fluid faster than the braking system. A few pumps of the clutch and the fluid is gray, then it quickly turns black.

On a side note, I thought it was strange that I had a firm clutch pedal after a few pumps after the new MC was installed. All the write ups I had read mention you have to pump the pedal a zillion times. Not so in my case.

barspen said:

I looked into the RJM piece. I liked the adjustability, but it was pretty expensive compared to the '13-'14 option.

The '13-'14 MC housing seemed like a lightweight metal...probably aluminum. Much beefier than the stock, plastic unit. Install was a PITA because of access and I didn't loosen the brake booster nuts to give the pedal assembly a little more play.

I also separated my clutch fluid reservoir from the brake reservoir. It's amazing how the clutch line contaminates the fluid faster than the braking system. A few pumps of the clutch and the fluid is gray, then it quickly turns black.

On a side note, I thought it was strange that I had a firm clutch pedal after a few pumps after the new MC was installed. All the write ups I had read mention you have to pump the pedal a zillion times. Not so in my case.

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Yeah, I need to install a remote clutch reservoir. There have been a few write ups that are pretty easy to follow. Hell for less than $100 shipped, Ill try the 13-14 master too.

Interestingly enough, I have a McLeod bleeder assembly, but havent installed it yet. Ive got about $600 more in parts I need to get then save for labor for my trans overhaul. Ill see if the trans shop can install it. Would make their life easier anyway lol.

lexustech48 said:

Yeah, I need to install a remote clutch reservoir. There have been a few write ups that are pretty easy to follow. Hell for less than $100 shipped, Ill try the 13-14 master too.

Interestingly enough, I have a McLeod bleeder assembly, but havent installed it yet. Ive got about $600 more in parts I need to get then save for labor for my trans overhaul. Ill see if the trans shop can install it. Would make their life easier anyway lol.

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I wanted to reply based on my experience with the 13/14 clutch master since I have since installed it and driven it in heavy traffic for the last few days. Pedal smoothness, clutch modularity, forgiveness, and consistency are miles better than the other gen of clutch masters. Granted, it turns out I bought a crappy replacement unit for my stock Ford unit when I first replaced the clutch master, however, this is a night and day difference. I no longer have the random pedal hardness, the clutch operation is predictable, the feel is so much better and the clutch never seems to feel different even after an hour in heavy traffic. So I am very happy with this install since the clutch pedal is one of your points of contacts on the car, it needs to feel right all the time.

The only differences I could notice between the 13/14 and the 10-12 unit is the grabbing point is a little higher and pedal effort has increased slightly but it is still very manageable and very consistent in travel and repeatability. Other than that, its been a great mod and one I would recommend to anyone who has issues with their 10-12 unit. So thanks everyone for their suggestions and help!