Hi chaps,

I have finally come back into the fold with a Series 1 Escort RST. This one is sporting a 1.8 ZVH along with a plethora of other modifications (including possibly an RS2000 gearbox, and a Helix 220mm paddle clutch). Out of the many Escorts I have driven this certainly has a very good shift. However, the clutch biting point is on the floor of the car. For driving away from cold it is just about bearable (it will bite as soon as the pedal is taken away from the metal of the floor). As soon as things warm up fully, it becomes quite difficult to change gear in all honesty with the clutch still feeling slightly (but not massively) engaged.

I have yet to check the pedalbox on my car (which will be next;I take it being a 1985 Series 1 it will have an automatic adjuster?) but I have read somewhere that with a paddle clutch the pedal box assembly will almost certainly require modification or replacement? If this applies to the Series 1 cars as well I take it this is the Escort MkV pedal box assemly as shown in this link?:

http://www.apracing.com/Info.aspx?In...0&ProductID=34

Failing that, what else could it be?

 

It's the clutch. I had an AP clutch on mine and it wouldn't go into gear. I had to force it in and it was the clutch. The standard pedal has trouble releasing it sometimes. You need to either do the clutch quadrant mod, or go hydraulic.

 

I shall see whether mine has the quadrant modification done.

On the assumption it has not been done does anywhere else sell the alloy quadrant or were Extreme Sports Products the only peeps who did?

Hydraulic sounds interesting for sure. Prey tell .

 

It seems that I have a fresh looking quadrant already with an adjustable pedal. However, the bolt was quite a way out so I adjusted it, and thus moved the biting point.

Now the clutch on the driveway does seem to bite higher than before but with a few side effects. The first is that the pedal sits quite high; I shall take it that the teeth mod has not been done to this. Finally there is a 'notch' where the biting point of the clutch is; From further reading I understand this is a trait of Helix clutches; maybe this is why the biting point was so low and thus why the clutch was not disengaging correctly.

Does the Helix clutch require care as to where the biting point is set, or does the above sound normal?

Now to hunt out an alloy quadrant...

 

you will only get a secondhand alloy quadrant now

 

I guess it is time to put up a wanted ad or look into getting one made up somehow.

Well I thought I would report my findings. The car now goes far easier into all of the gears but it is harder work for the left leg it has to be said. Whilst I am getting used to the Helix clutch it certainly is not quite as friendly to use as even a tired clutch!

We shall see how long I can live with it for, but I may well wimp out and get a more friendlier clutch. I understand that the AP 2000-8 clutch is meant to take the power fairly well. How does a Helix HD compare? Any other clutches recommended? My car is said to be making somewhere between 220-240BHP.