A high clutch engagement point is a sign of a bad clutch -- true or false

Folks, I posted about this previously, explaining my symptoms: a high grab or engagement point on the clutch pedal. It is too high to be comfortable.

I am 5'10". Anatomically, I cannot control the release of the clutch pedal as skillfully when I have to let out the pedal by bending the leg at the hip, rather than bending at the knee and ankle (if that does not make sense, say so). All can understand this analogy: We are more precise with our fingers than we are with our arms. Releasing a clutch pedal smoothly benefits tremendously from bending your knee and ankle, and not with the final, crucial movement engaging your big ass quad, which, while powerful, is less precise.

Anyway, to address the clutch engagement point, I hear folks saying to:
1. bleed the clutch pedal
2. adjust the adjustment screw on the clutch master cylinder to bring the grab point down (done this and saw some but not enough adjustment)
3. replace the clutch master cylinder
4. replace the clutch slave cylinder
5. replace the clutch
6. get used to it, this is how 2nd Gen tacomas are
7. Put some kind of spacer in there somewhere

I am out of town for several weeks. but when I get back, I will bleed the clutch system and would be willing to replace the slave and master cylinder, too. What I want folks to explain, with reasoning, is if the high engagement point is just simply because my clutch is worn out, or not. The truck has 97,000 miles, but until I got it, the clutch pedal was releasing pretty high, so dumping the clutch was perhaps more common by the previous owners (I've owned it for 4,000 miles so far).

Thanks

 

I would say yes based on my personal experience in my 5spd. The way i understand it is the hydraulic system engages it at a consistent point based on the pedal adjustment at the clutch master cylinder in the cab.

As the clutch disc wears down, it starts getting thinner, but the hydraulic system is still engaging it at that same point, so once you run out of clutch pedal adjustment, the engagement point moves up in the pedal until it gets to a point where it no longer makes enough contact when it engages to hold, and that's when the pressure plate starts slipping

 

Second gen Tacoma’s are also notorious for having a high clutch engagement point, even right off the showroom floor

 

^^ once you run out of pedal adjustment... I think that’s it.

 

That's it, meaning, the clutch is gone? Can you clarify?

 

Yes clutch is gone.

 

A hydraulic problem will usually result in a spongy pedal that engages close to the carpet down low

Barring a push rod that has been misadjusted, a high engagement usually indicates a thin clutch friction disc. The disc is so thin that as soon as the release bearing pushes against the pressure plate fingers the pressure plate is already moving back out of the way with very little travel needed. On a normal clutch with a thick disk, More Travel is needed of both the release bearing and the pressure plate fingers to relieve tension on the desk, hence the lower engagement point.

You can also tell by how the clutch pedal feels. A normal clutch pedal will start to have some tension after you push it down an inch or two but the engagement point will be further below that. In regards to your clutch, if the clutch pedal gets its tension after an inch or two of down travel but the release happens around that same time that is a characteristic of a thin disk

Make sense?

 

Great explanation! Makes more sense to me now

 

Agreed, great explanation. As you describe it, my clutch pedal starts to have some tension when pushing it down and the engagement point seems to be somewhere further down. Two things I see are:

1. Rough engagement unless RPMs are high (2.5-3K'ish)

2. Pedal must be on the carpet on ignition start

The previous owner said he had the clutch replaced just before he sold it to me. Would these be considered "normal"?

 

1- if its chattering on engagement it may have a contaminated friction disc or a worn flywheel that was not resurfaced/replaced. I wonder if the entire kit was replaced (disc, pressure plate, release bearing, etc) or just the disc. Discs are available separately for people that are trying to keep costs down.. ask the previous owner if he can show the receipt from the parts/work that was performed.

2 - normal usually. You could look under the dash at the clutch switch and make sure its mounted correctly in its bracket. Sometimes they can fall out of position. It may be adjustable too