Macarchie

1987 Formula 5.0 with 5-speed. Owned car for 2 years. Runs good. 78,000 miles. Clutch is very heavy. I'm in my 50's and left knee is starting to complain. Is there an easy way to reduce the clutch force? Will I need to pull the pressure plate to swap out the springs?

Thanks, Jimmy

P.S. I should add that it does not appear to be the original clutch and that, while it is hard to push, it does operate smoothly.

Matt trans am

Alot of the aftermarket heavier duty clutches are alot stiffer and in traffic quite painful on the knees

jmd

iTrader: (4)

None of the stock third gen 5.0L engines need a hugely stiff clutch. If it's a keeper, a new stock-style diaphragm clutch should be a worthwhile investment and make it more fun. And if you know how to drive, it ahould last a good long time. If it's a tall rear gear like 3.08, keeping a heavy flywheel like 25-30lbs helps takeoff. If it's more like 3.4x or higher, consider a 16-20lb flywheel.

Petes 84Z28

The hydraulic ones are a noticeably stiffer than the earlier 82-83 mechanical linkage.
You could always learn to shift without using the clutch - obviously you'd still need to use it for starting off in 1st and reverse but you can RPM match to speed and go through the other gears, both up and down.
Easiest way to reduce clutch pedal force is to swap in an automatic, lol