A 12year gap from the GT and help needed

[Flight666]

First post!

Hi Guys just bought a tidy 89 GT Turbo for a weekend car bit of fun.The car is running everything as standard has been previously restored but has been sat for a while.Nothing appears to be missing/butchered/melted etc.It does however have some little gremlins that need fixing any help very much appreciated I`ve had several of these cars 10-12yrs ago do fancied a last blast down memory lane,thanks again in advance. :) .Nick

1..The clutch doesn`t slip in any way but does struggle to engage gear from time to time reverse also seems to graunch sometimes as well.It almost feels as though there isnt quite enough travel in the pedal as the clutch seems to operate right at the very bottom of the pedal travel.It has a brand new genuine cable on it.

2..I seem to have no dash lights where is the first place to start looking here?

3..I have no windscreen wipers front/rear.You can hear the rear wiper intertmitent click I asume from the relay.when you press the button for that,again where is the first port of call to check?

4..A bit random I guess but the steering does seem very heavy when parking very slow speed etc,but is fine when driving lovely feeback no juddering..Again a bit random but just seems heavier than I remember but could be 12yrs of being used to power steering..(Tyres are at the correct psi standard 13" Alloys correct tyre size.Is this normal or is there anything that can sieze in the system somewhere due to age?

5..Had the car a few days and the fuel gauge has stopped working any ideas of where to start looking?

Well I think thats it for now thanks a lot for any ideas on where to start looking..Nick

[Sparkie]

First post!

1..The clutch doesn`t slip in any way but does struggle to engage gear from time to time reverse also seems to graunch sometimes as well.It almost feels as though there isnt quite enough travel in the pedal as the clutch seems to operate right at the very bottom of the pedal travel.It has a brand new genuine cable on it.

you need to adjust the self adjust mechanism. it sounds like there is a volvo clutch in it. if you cannot adjust it, then, you may need a new clutch pedal (inc ratchet)

2..I seem to have no dash lights where is the first place to start looking here?

fiddle with the rheostat under the dash first - the thing that dims the dash lights can go funny and stop the lights totally.- easiest to just join both the wires going into it. if not, itll be the fuse

3..I have no windscreen wipers front/rear.You can hear the rear wiper intertmitent click I asume from the relay.when you press the button for that,again where is the first port of call to check?

are you saying none of the windscreen wipers work, or that you have literally no wipers?

4..A bit random I guess but the steering does seem very heavy when parking very slow speed etc,but is fine when driving lovely feeback no juddering..Again a bit random but just seems heavier than I remember but could be 12yrs of being used to power steering..(Tyres are at the correct psi standard 13" Alloys correct tyre size.Is this normal or is there anything that can sieze in the system somewhere due to age?

its normal, you need to grow some 1980's style arm muscles. - just follow Brigsy's example, but without the fake tan.

5..Had the car a few days and the fuel gauge has stopped working any ideas of where to start looking?

pop the top of the dash off and fiddle with the connector at the back of the clocks.- failing that fiddle with the connector ontop of the tank - under the black cover under the rear seats.

Well I think thats it for now thanks a lot for any ideas on where to start looking..Nick

:)

[Flight666]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Hi Thanks a lot for the thorough reply thats great.Is the self adjust mechanism a ballache to fiddle with? Had a look last night and I noticed it has the white plastic gubbins on it but could see no way of altering anything.
No I have no wipers at all neither front nor rear.
How do I go about taking the dash top off dont want to go pulling on bits and breaking plastic lugs/tags etc..
Other than that thanks again for taking the time to reply to everything on the list..
It`s sods law I kept all the original renault workshop maunals from back in the day and only sold them 5 months ago on E.bay thinking I`ll never have another 5...

[Tony Walker]

the top of the dash should just pull upwards out.
The clutch ratchet is two white gears one held tight on to the other via a spring, you should be able to move the top ratchet to open a gap and adjust it.

[Sparkie]

also make sure the clutch cable goes under the white loop at the top of the ratchet mechanism.

[Flight666]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Thanks for the help Tony/Sparkie I will give the jobs a go tommorow,could it be as simple as the wiper stalk itself playing up or could it be a bad earth somewhere for the wipers...

[Tony Walker]

Never had a problem with my wipers so not looked in to how there wired :( does it do anything pulling it towards you(washer jets)

[Flight666]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Hi Tony they are as dead as a dodo no matter what you do with the stalk.The fuse appears ok.If you press the button for the rear wipe you can hear the relay click but again no action with the wiper..

[Tony Walker]

ahhhhh i remember my wipers not working when i popped the cigarette lighter fuse. check all your fuses, some do more than one thing.

[Flight666]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

:) Ok thanks.oh the fun of the 5 hope I dont regret getting it I sold an Audi S3 which was my 2nd car to get something with "a bit about it" because the S3 sure was lame as a drivers car other than the bits mentioned the 5 is fantastic to drive..thanks again Tony

[Tony Walker]

Np. Theres nothing you cant fix on these cars.
Theres lots you cant fix on the s3 ;)

[Flight666]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Yep too true thats why I got rid of the S3 didn`t gel with it 100%, looked good drove quite poorly and wasn`t overly impressed with the quality of it tbh. had it 2 yrs sold it whist it was still good.Funny thing is I remember looking under the bonnet on an R5 15yrs when I got my 1st one and thinking wtf.And now it looks more or less straightforward (ish) although still crammed in and tight probably after all these years with modern cars with covers all over the place and sensors for this and sensors for that,and thanks to you guys makes the GT a tad easier to understand/follow (I hope)..thanks again will start the tinkering tommorrow.

[Tony Walker]

Np, good luck:)

[Flight666]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Thanks guys sorted all the gremlins apart from clutch.Dash lights was one of wires had come off the dim/dip switch.Fuel sender was the under the rear seat connector needing a little clean up WD-40 etc.Cheers Tony you were spot on re the wipers cig lighter fuse had blown now appears all ok.Steering feels pretty much ok now I have got used to it a bit,feels great once on the move,but I just cant do anything with the clutch cable/ratchet affair,by looking at the mechanism it appears to be at it furthest away/tightest position alreaady so I just cant see how to adjust anything.Any more ideas here or am I missing something simple,could the clutch be duff as I mentioned it doesnt slip just the biting point is right at the bottom of the pedal travel which makes operating it not the best feel..thanks again Nick

[Ian S]

Hi and welcome to the RTOC :)

Have you see the articles section?

One here about the clutch release arm:
http://www.rtoc.org/boards/showthread.php?t=4732

A general one about buying a 5GTT and what to look out for:
http://www.rtoc.org/boards/showthread.php?t=22002

[Flight666]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Hi Ian thanks for the welcome I read the buying guide yesterday thanks. I will have another go tommorrow.This mechanism is the same as the one I have 390119858403 mine appears free enough with the cable routed properly I must be doing something wrong thanks again..Nick

[Tony Walker]

its quite strange to get the mechanism to work correctly( my spring broke years ago so i have to reset it everytime i get in it) lol i should of fixed it but the way i see it is, if they cant work the clutch they cant steal it very easily :D no clutch and the way my 5 starts they'll barely get it 10 yards. :D
you basically have to push the top mechanism backwards. difficult to explain, failing that im sure theres a repair kit available from someone for not very much money, other than that it sounds like maybe a stretched cable, dont get a super dooper uprated one tho, they last 2 mins. std cable ftw :D if your clutch was worn it would be slipping and or struggling to bite(pedal at the top)

[Flight666]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Cheers Tony thanks for rundown and being patient :) I have been pushing and pulling .You can push the ratchet affair backwards to the slackest point then it clicks itself to where it wants to be.The clutch cable is a new genuine one..Thanks again I must sound like a right numpty over this but just want to have a proper blast in my 5 knowing everything is pukka..

[Tony Walker]

Np, theres two ratchets, the top one with the cable attached needs to go backwards to pull the cable through further, the bottom one can also move.

[Tony Walker]

if the ratchet is slipping then it could be worn, in which case you may need to do what i do. remove the spring that tensions the top part, and locate the two ratchets yourself, then you need to keep your foot on the pedal slightly, if you dont the ratchet resets itself and the pedal drops to the floor :D

[Ian S]

appears free enough with the cable routed properly I must be doing something wrong thanks again..NickAre the teeth actually apart? Or jammed together? They should be apart when the pedal is at rest, then engage when the pedal is pressed a few mm. That's how it self adjusts. As the clutch wears it adjusts so the bite point remains about the same.

[Tony Walker]

Are the teeth actually apart? Or jammed together? They should be apart when the pedal is at rest, then engage when the pedal is pressed a few mm. That's how it self adjusts. As the clutch wears it adjusts so the bite point remains about the same.


Thanks for clarifying, mines not worked correctly in a few years lol.

[Ian S]

Maybe if the clutch cover or centre plate is different or the flywheel is worn, it would take more pedal travel to disengage?

I presume that spring in the pedal mechanism tensions the cable and pulls the clutch release arm so the release bearing is kept on the teeth of the cover plate. The position of those is set by the centre plate thickness and flywheel wear.

So the self adjuster should allow for the first paragraph?

Some clutch cover plates do take more movement to release them and also the longer arm does cause a longer pedal travel (and consequently less pedal effort).

[Sparkie]

most important:

make sure the car mat isnt under the clutch pedal....

[Woznaldo]

For anything electrical check out the files section (blue bar at the top of the screen) and then head for the technical section. In there you will find 'wiring diagrams' that will come in very handy! ;)

[Flight666]

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

Thanks again for more info guys I will have another play around at the weekend see what happens.Cheers for that Woznaldo I will check out that section next time its needed..:)

[Flight666]

Well still struggling with my gear selection/clutch pedal probelm if anyone has any other suggestions please feel free to give my any help as I dont want to start delving deeper than I have to.I bought another pedal/ratchet mechanism of Mike at GT-turbo spares and tried the little trick he told me about to help the ratchet system but I still have the same trouble ie the biting point right at the bottom of the travel and occasional trouble selecting gears.Could I have the wrong length clutch cable albeit it is a brand new genuine one.Also could the gear linkage need adjustment? Thanks again for any last tips before I pull the gearbox apart...

[andybond]

Sounds like its not adjusted right to me?

[Flight666]

Yep its strange read a few buying guides on the old GT and and one mentions if you cant get 1st or reverse the clutch is dying which I have a lot of bother with selecting these two.Mike told me to trundle along in 3rd and apply the handbrake a tad then apply the throttle to see if the clutch slips but the car is fine turbo spools up and gradually pulls away no slipping or juddering jumping out of any gears.I have a green Haynes manual will have a look through it see if it needs adjusting at all..

[Markey Mark (BD)]

I wonder if the bushing in the gearbox that the clutch fork pivots on has worn down, that'll cause the pedal to bite low down

[Ian S]

The self adjuster should take up that wear shouldn't it?

Unless it's reached the limit of taking up any further.

Flight666:
Are there any 'experts' in your area that could look at it for you?

[Flight666]

Not sure on experts near me I`m in E.Yorks I will look into it.I dont mind having a tinker but I am more an "amateur mechanic" ok at doing stuff that is obviously duff but a bit lost when it "could be this could be that" Luckily I had no grief when I had my Gt`s when I was a lad so all this is new to me.Thanks again will more than likely give you all a shout about the best way to remove engine/box shortly.:scratch:.

[Ian S]

Well you can take the box out on it's own but I expect most of us will have found, if you have a hoist, it's quicker and easier to take them both out together. Whilst you do save some work leaving one or the other in, it's fiddly, difficult and costs more time.

I never took just the box out but I did take the engine out and leave the box in. Then re-fitted the engine. I seem to recall thinking at the time it wasn't work it. Subsequently I took out them both.

[Ian S]

Not sure on experts near me I`m in E.Yorkshttp://www.rtoc.org/boards/showthread.php?t=10872

http://www.rtoc.org/boards/showthread.php?t=22189

[Flight666]

Thanks a lot for the info Ian thats great I will have a mess around next weekend with the gearlinkages first,the car lives in one of our workshops where there is an overhead crane so probably best to remove as one lump if need be thanks again..

[GTphil]

I have the long arm conversion and since fitting that I have to have a spacer on the end of the clutch cable as otherwise the bite point is right at the bottom of the pedal, takes a bit of messing around with size of spacers to get the bite in the correct place for me.

been like this for the last 4 years with no issues. Worth a shot;)

[Brigsy]

Take the plastic block off above the clutch pedal and try it without. If that works fine you could try filing the block slightly so it doesnt adjust the ratchet all the time and set the ratchet in one place?? Not ideal but it works.

Even on a working standard setup the clutch pedal needs to be buried into the floor, thats why most gtt carpets have a hole in.

The ratchet on my van resets itself all the time even with a new pedal and quadrant, new clutch/cable, The pedal feels spongy most of the time. The whole setup is ****e, id like to change it to hydraulic eventually.

[Big Steve - Raider]

I replaced the plastic block with a bolt and a couple of nuts to lock the pedal in the right position & not keep re-setting (thanks to the plastic Block)

I've always now got a great clutch pedal & don't have to punch a hole in the bulkhead! ;)

[Brigsy]

Ive done that in the past too steve and it works well. The ratchet rarely needs resetting anyway.

[Ian S]

The rachet is designed to disengage EVERY time the clutch pedal is fully up.

If it's not doing that it's not working. It can't self adjust if it doesn't disengage.

I also have a shortened pedal stop, as detailed in the long clutch release arm article. But I had a Sachs clutch not the Valeo that the arm possibly is designed to go with. Can't remember if I fitted the cut back stop with the Valeo clutch with long arm.

[Flight666]

Thanks guys I must say your`e a helpfull friendly lot :) Cheers Brigsy thats similar to Mike at Gt-spares told me to do which I did and my old pedal did re-ratchet itself but then reverted back to its old self when I filed a bit off the block and re-fitted it.I`m not bothered about the biting point its the stubborness and occasional graunch into gear I really want to get sorted out..I will try out what you mentioned Big Steve at the weekend thanks again..

[Ian S]

When you say "re-ratcheted itself", did it make some noise?

When the pedal is up, the teeth on the pedal and on the quadrant should be apart, ie, no touching at all in any way. No noise when they engage.

Are they apart?

[Flight666]

Yes when I removed the rubber stop and the pedal was allowed to sit higher up it did click on the ratchet mechanism but when I filed off a couple of mm and refitted the stop it just felt the same again.I am pretty sure there is a very slight gap on the mechansim when the pedal is at idle position.There appears to be no missing/worn teeth on my old pedal everything appears to be free etc..Just strange that the new/old pedal mechanism from Mike is exactly the same or maybe a tad worse his is just the older all black mechanism whereas mine is the white mechanism no idea as to the benefits of the newer set up...

[Ian S]

You should change back to the white one.

Renault brought that out to fix a design problem with the black one. It breaks the clutch every few thousand miles.

It might even have been a recall. I've forgotten that detail now.