On many vehicles with manual transmissions, a steel cable connected from the clutch pedal lever to the clutch itself is what disengages the clutch when the pedal is depressed. Pushing in the pedal pulls the steel cable, which is covered by a heavy sheath, and the cable extends to disengage the clutch and let the driver smoothly shift gears. Hydraulic clutches don’t have cables. Instead, pushing in the clutch pedal forces fluid to flow from a master cylinder to a “slave cylinder” that moves the pressure plate and disengages the clutch. Some older clutches have mechanical linkage with rods and levers instead of a cable. Clutch cables usually last for years, but they can fray or break. Signs of wear include the clutch pedal becoming harder to push down or not springing back up when released (which could also be caused by a worn or broken return spring). Cables can also loosen or stretch from use so that the clutch doesn’t fully release when the pedal is pushed all the way in. Loose cables can often be adjusted, but some may need to be replaced.
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