I just talked to Kevin on the phone about all of our discussions here. His response was that I don't pay enough attention to what he says, because he told me he has already adjusted the clutch as much as is possible, that it is to specs, and that any further adjustments will likely affect clutching in unwanted ways. He also said that it's one of the easiest clutches he's ever driven, and he has no idea why I'm complaining. Men!

However, he did promise to go under the dash one more time to see what, if anything, more could be done. I'm not holding my breath at this point. Guess I'll be trying the cushion thing.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I forgot one other thing he mentioned....I need new master and slave clutch cylinders, and he said that would probably help me.

Thanks to all of you for your attention and advice. I'm really most obliged....even if it wasn't quite the answer I was wanting.
Best to everyone,
Leslie

 

Since you don't have the parcel shelf under the dash it's probably not an issue.

I'm not describing very well here. Lemme try again. Your knee wants to be a hinge. It only wants to bend in one plane - when your hip, knee and foot are in a straight line with the pedal.

If your hip, knee, and foot are not all in a straight line when straighten out your left (exert force through your knee) you are putting pressure on the joint from the side.

Try pressing down the gas pedal with your left foot and you'll see what I mean.

 

Dave, Ok, will check that for sure tonight. Thanks again!

 

What 48 posts and not one word from Roger?

 

LOL...tell me about it. But then again, won't he just yell at me for not converting the 5 speed to an AT?

 

Is Roger ALLOWED to post on 5 speed threads?

 

 

Totally. It's just that everytime Rog types a sentence he accidentally slips out of "D" and into "R", erasing the whole dang thing.

 

Hasn't stopped him before

 

Hi Heinrich
Should not be...
Mine was like this as it was coming up to replacement time.

After the new clutch was put in then the action became very easy.
Now i can drive all day anywhere without any leg stress; mind you I am a massive 5ft 4in...

Marton

 

Always has been Marton, and i checked it is in great shape...

 

You are writing about your clutch?

Marton
My clutch was a real leg trembler before I replaced the whole pack. Sorry out of ideas...

 

You should see an orthopedist, but your knee pain description brings to mind two injuries related to over-use:

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runners Knee) and Condromalacia Patellae:

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome is the term used to describe pain in or around the kneecap (patella). It is also known as PFJ (patellofemoral joint) syndrome and anterior knee pain. Pain results from the abnormal movement of the patella on the femur (thigh bone) during bending of the knee joint.

Chondromalacia is sometimes used to describe this injury. However this is a common misconception as chondromalacia refers specifically to the softening of the articular cartilage on the underside of the patella.
There are a number of causes that can lead to abnormal movement of the patella:

Causes include:

Overloading - Bending the knee increases the pressure between the patella and the femur. Thus sports such as running, where repeated weight-bearing occurs, may result in PFJ syndrome.

Pronating Feet - Pronating or 'flat' feet lead to an increased biomechanical stress on the knee joint. This may affect the alignment of the patella particularly during movement.

Muscle imbalance - The quadriceps muscle group are responsible for the movement of the patella itself. If the lateral (outer) fibres are stronger or tighter than the medial fibres, or if the iliotibial band (ITB) is very tight this can lead to problematic patella tracking.

Q-angle - Some people have a larger than normal femoral normal angle and may have knock-kneed appearance (genu valgum). When the person straightens their leg, the patella will be forced to the outside of the knee. With repeated bending and loading, this motion may lead to damage of the underlying structures and cause pain.

Symptoms Include:

Aching pain occurs in the knee joint, particularly at the front, around and under the patella.
Pain under the patella when bending and straightening the knee.
Tenderness along the inside border of the kneecap.
Usually swelling is present.
Is often worse when walking up or down hills or stairs.
A clicking or cracking sound may be present on bending the knee.
Sitting for long periods may be uncomfortable. This is known as the theatre sign.
What other signs may be present with patellofemoral syndrome?
Temporary loss of function.
Wasting (atrophy) of the quadriceps muscles.
A Q-angle greater than 18 to 20 degrees.
Tight muscles including calf muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps (especially vastus lateralis on the outside) and iliotibial band.

You are prone to this if:

You are more prone to this if you have a small kneecap or one that sticks out
If your feet roll in or pronate.
If you have weak quadriceps muscles.
Athletes who do a lot of long distance running or hill running.
Those who have had a previous knee dislocation

 

Or you could be hyperextending your knees.

 

That's all we ever kneeded to know. Nice explanation Hupp