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Clutch/Safety Switch Issues

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Offline Drone637

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Clutch/Safety Switch Issues
« on: May 23, 2009, 09:03:58 AM »
The other day my Tracker wouldn't start.  I tracked it down to the clutch pedal no longer activating the safety switch.  The interesting thing is it no longer even reaches the safety switch. 

Now that the car starts I can't get the clutch to engage, the pedal drops about 1/3 of the way to the floor before it starts to pull the clutch cable.  Looking under the dash I have almost 1/2" of play before the cable pulls taunt and starts to try and engage the clutch.  About the same distance the bar is away from the safety switch.  It's almost like the adjustment has been thrown off somehow.

Any ideas what happened?
96 Geo Tracker, x-SJ-410,  x-White Rabbit, x-Project Trouble
Crawlers NorthWest
x-Trouble Racing

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Offline norcalwreckchaser

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Re: Clutch/Safety Switch Issues
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2009, 02:28:20 PM »
I had a similar problem, turned out the clutch cable nuts where the cable meets transmission had loosend up, it was fine one minute then did just what you described the next.
Good Luck
Norcal
86' Samurai, 5" spua lift, rear missing links, 4.57 gears, 4 to 1 Transfer Case, Lockrights F/R, ARB Front bumper, Doug Thorley Header, Rock Rails, GM alt. swap and other Misc. goodies.
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Offline mrfuelish

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Re: Clutch/Safety Switch Issues
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2009, 10:44:22 PM »
check your welds down where the cable connects to the pedal,and make sure the part that hooks to the cable is not torn.
1987,1988,1988,1990 samurai's,  1953 m38a1,  1996 x-90,blue.1996 x-90 red.1994 2 door tracker.   only Dead Fish go with the flow.                No Hairy Nosed Wombats were ran over on the trail today.       My ZUK is Xenophobic.

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Offline Drone637

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Re: Clutch/Safety Switch Issues
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2009, 09:55:50 AM »
It looks like the clutch pedal is having issues, but for some reason I have a different design then the service manuals.

All the FSM's, and other Trackers we have for reference, can be adjusted like in the attached photo.  Mine has a single square block that the number 3 attaches to and is bolted in place, and is non-adjusting.  It also allows a lot of play in the clutch pedal, something we are looking into currently.  Does anyone else have a different clutch pedal setup as well?
96 Geo Tracker, x-SJ-410,  x-White Rabbit, x-Project Trouble
Crawlers NorthWest
x-Trouble Racing

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Offline Drone637

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Re: Clutch/Safety Switch Issues
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2009, 06:43:16 PM »
Well, found the problem.  The welds broke on clutch shaft, part 11 in the previous diagram.  Clutch pedals are not fun to fix or replace unless you want to pull your dash apart.  We ended up pulling the shaft, welding a set of splines on it from another clutch pedal assembly, then welding the female end on the original clutch pedal.  That way we didn't have to drop the pedal assembly.

It looks like this has happened before, as the welds were pretty ugly and didn't have any penetration.  my guess is somebody else tried to weld everything in place, and it just happened to hold for a while.
96 Geo Tracker, x-SJ-410,  x-White Rabbit, x-Project Trouble
Crawlers NorthWest
x-Trouble Racing

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Offline bentparts

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Re: Clutch/Safety Switch Issues
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2009, 09:30:42 AM »
 ;) Just another good reason to have an Automatic!
The usual stuff, and 2nd generation Air to liquid intercooled TURBOCHARGER

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Offline jzap

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Re: Clutch/Safety Switch Issues
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2009, 08:01:25 PM »
Mine broke at Zukimelt a couple years ago.  The welds broke, and the pedal just came off the shaft.  Fortunately, Jim Mazzola was still there with his welder.  We managed to pull the shaft out of the tube, weld the pedal back onto the shaft and get it back in without tearing the dash apart.

Jim did a great job.  It has held for two years now...

As for the clutch switch, mine is jumpered.  I crimped two spade connectors onto a two inch piece of wire, unplugged the switch and plugged the connectors into each side of the switch plug.  Sometimes when you're in the mud, it helps to be able to crank the starter with the gears engaged.     
« Last Edit: May 28, 2009, 06:54:57 PM by jzap »
Jim Z.
96 Tracker
66 Apache camper

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Offline Drone637

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Re: Clutch/Safety Switch Issues
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2009, 12:19:04 AM »
My Tracker is a DD, the SJ already has the clutch switch bypassed.  I just used the fuse for the AC when I was testing it.  I'm not even sure why it has ac...
96 Geo Tracker, x-SJ-410,  x-White Rabbit, x-Project Trouble
Crawlers NorthWest
x-Trouble Racing