clutch cable

I'm getting together the parts needed to do a trans swap to a 5 speed.I don't have another car to look at so I'm stuck with this cheap repair manual. Does the clutch use a master cyclinder and slave cyclinder only. Or does it also use a clutch cable? The book shows both as if they are used together. My car is a '88 turbo coupe

The 87-88 used a hydraulic only set up, with master cylinder and slave and a line inbetween

Thanks, I guess thats why I can't find a clutch cable.

My 88 was converted from automatic to 5 speed and has a cable. Unfortunately, it was completed before I bought it, but it does mean that there is a cable system out there that fits.

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Dan S
NATO Member
84 and 88 Turbo Coupes
It's no longer a hobby, now it's an osbession!

I did swap to my car using transmission and all related items (bellhousing, pedal, clutch fork, cable etc.) from '90 2,3 Mustang. All fit straight to Tbird. There is a hole in firewall which is covered by rubber plug (if you have automatic A/C, vacuum hose to it goes through that plug). Just remove plug and reroute vacuum hose and you can install cable.

I hated the clutch cable system on 86 and before TC's. They would always start to bind after a few years use and have to be replaced. The Ford one was like $160 and an aftermarket one was like $60. Also I went through a couple of the things in the dash that the cable connects to because the increased tension from binding would break teeth off of it and it would fail(can't remember the name of that part at the moment). I am much more happier with the hydraulic setup on my 87 TC.

Thanks, I will go with the hydraulic system for sure.

Hey Ricky,

Cool, Bumpass, VA! My sister-in-law lives up in your neck-o-th-woods. If they ever fix the railroad crossing there, they could rename the place, but "bump ass" fits if you hit the tracks over 10 MPH, huh?

You may have a hard time finding the hydraulic set up. And if you, do there are inherent problems (especially at the age of our cars) with any hydraulic set up (i.e. leaks, air in lines, hose failure). I went with the cable set up out of a Mustang. You're best bet is to get rid of the stock plastic (supposedly self-adjusting) clutch quadrant and replace it with a billet aluminum unit (before you install the pedal assembly). Use a firewall cable adjuster. You can find it all on eBay pretty reasonably priced. Lube the cable periodically and you won't have a binding issue either.

I'm very happy with my cable set up and haven't had to touch the adjustment after some initial tweaking. Fox body Mustang parts are cheap and plentiful. Be sure and search the archives here for other opinions. But in this day and age of TC parts becoming increasingly more obsolete, I'd think it over very carefully before doing a T-5 conversion with a hydraulic clutch.

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87 TC, T-5 swap, billet quadrant / adj. cable, solid state IVR, fog light relay mod, PST suspension, KYB-AGX fronts, Gas-A-Just rears, K&N cone, billet alum BCV, med. red, 90's wing, polished snowflakes and centers, 186K+ Mi's., daily driver, feeding on ricers!

Bump...ass is a cool place, in the middle of nowhere. Lot's of country roads to play on and they are paved now. Stop by if you ever visit your sister in law. I found all the parts and am going to start putting thing together next week.

Howdy neighbor, from down in the southeast corner(Chesapeake).

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Three 1988 Turbo Coupes .....
yea one of em has a 5.0 And runs 13.1s......
uhhh make that [email protected] with a 90hp shot of nitrous.