1980 Spider clutch ???

[emosfiat]

Now that I have the beast running like a top, I have a clutch question. The book states that this model does not have an adjustment on the clutch. I have a short peddle which means that the pressure plate releases to soon causing tranny to grind sometimes if you do not press clutch peddle all the way to floor. Is there a way to loosen the clutch up or is replacement the only option?

[So Cal Mark]

the adjustment is on the lower end of the cable, where it attaches to the clutch lever

[rlux4]

This just came up a week ago or so. The manual is wrong about the clutch adjustment, or being misinterpreted somehow. Your manual says the clutch is self adjusting, right? Not so. The cable has an adjusting nut at the tranny end where it attaches to the pivot arm for the throw out bearing. You should have about 1" of free pedal travel before the pivot arm starts to move. There is an acorn nut on the end of the cable and a lock nut backing it up. When you get under the car and see it, you'll see that there is no way this could be self adjusting. Unless they supplied hidden Fiat gremlins to do it.
Ron

[mbouse]

awww...geeze guys!

Gremlins? A gremlin is an English folkloric creature, commonly depicted as mischievous and mechanically oriented with a specific interest in aircraft. Although their origin is found in myths among airmen, claiming that the gremlins were responsible for sabotaging aircraft, one authority in folklore states that "some people" derive the name from the Old English word gremian, "to vex".

This is NOT a LBC forum!

Fiat supplied nothing in the way of mechanical assistants. Luigi prefers to work alone.

[rlux4]

I don't know Mike. There was something tampering with my settings when I was getting my car going after the Oregon trip. I would have something set, go to another component and then come back to find it changed. If it wasn't gremlins that had crossed international borders, I don't know what else it could have been doing it. Couldn't have been my faulty thinking. At least I don't think so. But that in itself could be faulty thinking.... I think.
Ron

[mbouse]

Right - i think.

[mdrburchette]

Mike, you'll rue the day when you finally meet up with one of those ugly critters. Mark my words. It will happen, and when it does, you will then be a believer.

[manoa matt]

Emo,

When adjusting the clutch pedal make sure the release bearing is not touching the clutch pressure plate or it will wear out prematurly, I can't remember the speck, some one correct me if I'm wrong but I think you want somewhere around 1/8" to 1/4" space between the release bearing and the pressure plate "fingers".

Of course the actual measurement will be metric, as per Luigi.

[emosfiat]

Thanks guys. Let me see, Gremlins, mischievous, mechanically oriented, sounds like they have morphed into Fiats, at least sometimes. Could explain the mysterious electrical glitches.