Quote:
Originally Posted by HunterGreene
I have my guess, but what does removing the spring do? I mean what is the physical difference, not just "it improves the feel."
Based on what I am reading, the spring makes the pedal come all the way up, whereas without the spring, the pedal only comes back as far as the clutch spring itself would force it. Only downside is that it could "flop" around at the top of the stroke. Am I close?
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The
assist spring is a compression spring that is part of an overcenter mechanism. Think of any old toggle switch. When you flip the switch slowly it first resists the motion. At some point, when the spring is at maximum compression the mechanism rolls "over center" and then the spring forces the switch the opposite direction.
At factory height adjustment, the clutch assist spring is ever so slightly over center so it pushes the clutch pedal away from the floor.
When the clutch pedal is depressed, very early in the arc, the mode changes so the spring, as it decompresses, applies force in the direction of pressing the clutch pedal. It pushes the same direction as your foot.
This is why some people who have aggressively lowered their clutch pedals without removing the spring report having to sometimes pull back on the pedal to raise it completely. The device never gets to that neutral point where it no longer applies downward force on the pedal.
edit: No. My above statement is BS. The mode does change early in the arc but the motion profile is shallow until well into the pedal arc. The assist spring doesn't do much until the pedal is about halfway depressed.
I believe this may also be the cause of some of these premature throwout bearing failures but have no hard evidence to support the theory.
edit: Nope. Nevermind. I was wrong.