Posting as a future reference for anyone installing an aftermarket clutch quadrant. All the videos and instructions online show a later SN95 mustang. My 1988 GT mustang had much less space under the dash to move around. The shaft for the Pawl gear is right up against a piece of the unibody and there isn't enough space for the gear to slide off the shaft before it hits the body piece. This is no matter where you position the clutch pedal in its travel. I had already removed the spring. All pictures are after I removed the stock quadrant.

My solution was to use a 1 foot long drill bit to drill holes in the plastic pawl gear in one spot to weaken it so I could break it and it would rotate past another metal piece and have enough clearance to slide off the shaft.




Above you can see the part that extends from the pawl has 2 holes that I drilled. I put the drill bit back in the hole and while holding the drill trigger, angled the bit so it cut all the way through. I first tried using a low clearance plumbing hack saw but this was taking too much time. After I broke this piece off the pawl gear will rotate all the way around and will slide off (above the car body piece) with the clutch pedal depressed to the floor.


the pawl gear after removal. You'll notice I tried drilling holes all over in effort to break the gear.


You can see the new quadrant I installed (Maximum Motorsports) has a recessed part where it connects to the back shaft so clearance isn't an issue.