I have an '88 Samurai Hardtop. It's pretty much stock. The clutch is really stiff to push, and I can't see a reason why.  I disconnected the cable at both ends and it moves freely, the pedal moves freely, and clutch fork doesn't seem to bind through it's travel, but when it's all hooked up, it's very difficult to disengage the clutch. Any Suggestions? Does anyone make a hydraulic conversion for the old Zuks?
Thanks!

Take a look at what I did for my Geo Tracker.

http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=23322.0

I was thinking about something like that...But I was hoping someone would chime in and say " a master cylinder from a 19xx whatever bolts right in and the slave is an easy mod" or something like that.....

I have an '88 Samurai Hardtop. It's pretty much stock. The clutch is really stiff to push, and I can't see a reason why.  I disconnected the cable at both ends and it moves freely, the pedal moves freely, and clutch fork doesn't seem to bind through it's travel, but when it's all hooked up, it's very difficult to disengage the clutch. Any Suggestions? Does anyone make a hydraulic conversion for the old Zuks?
Thanks!

Probably the clutch cable is bad.  I had the exact same scenario with a guys sidekick I was working on.....unhook the cable from the tranny arm and the clutch and cable was smooth and pushed easy....hook the cable back up and you couldn't hardly push the pedal (matter of fact, it pushed hard enough that it actually twisted the clutch pedal shaft.

I had that happen when the throwout bearing didn't have any grease to slide on. When I replaced the clutch, I put new grease on the throwout bearing carrier with the new throwout bearing, and it made the clutch pedal feel like it was a hydraulic one...until the grease dried up after driving it for a week, then it was back to being stiff again.

My clutch was brutal to push in, so much so that the strands were breaking right at the petal. When I removed it, it slid easily not under load so I was skeptical that a new cable was going to be any better. Wrong, new cable works perfect. pushes in easy.
 I dont think you can tell if the cable is ok when its not under load.

quite often its not the cable, but the cable housing that goes bad.  it splits and binds the cable

My clutch was brutal to push in, so much so that the strands were breaking right at the petal. When I removed it, it slid easily not under load so I was skeptical that a new cable was going to be any better. Wrong, new cable works perfect. pushes in easy.
 I dont think you can tell if the cable is ok when its not under load.

You are right.
I have seen brand new cables be bad....best bet is to use a known good cable...but if you don't have access to one buy one and hope it solves the problem.

Yep, and for $40 bucks? i ts good preventative maintenance even if you dont have a problem. Takes 20 minutes to change.