[FC] clutch cable question

[Wild8bill at aol.com]

I know we had the recent discussion concerning clutch cables and  assemblies, 
but I don't recall information on this particular problem:
 
My rampside isn't engaging the clutch very well, even with all the slack in  
the cable taken up, and I can visibly see that the cable is pulling the  
fork/pin/rod/whatever out of the tranny. On inspection, I noticed that there are  a 
few stranded wires at the front of the cable that bunch up and prevent the  
last 1/8th inch of exposed cable from entering the sheathing. Someone mentioned 
 that the cable needs to travel 3/4" at the rear to actuate the clutch, and I 
 measured my travel to be about 1/2" (not with calipers, but an assistant and 
a  measuring tape, so I could be off 1/16th either way).
 
So, even though the cable has been adjusted to the end of the adjustment  
capability, with slack removed PLUS another 1/2" or more, pulling the  
fork/pin/rod/whatever out of the tranny more before clutch pedal is  even depressed; is 
there some floating point in the clutch that requires  3/4" of travel, 
regardless of starting point? I would have thought that  adjusting the starting point 
of the travel would have corrected the problem. An  old-car mechanic friend 
said it might be the throwout bearing? We had Mel's  Vairmart put in a new 
clutch about 15,000 miles / 3-4 years ago. Shifting  ability wasn't instantly bad, 
but it was a rapid decline over the  last few months and 1000 miles.
 
Any thoughts?
 
Bill
Richmond CA
61 rampside
63 greenbrier
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