[Excaliber]

Personally I prefer to leave the spring inside the slave cylinder myself. Then install a clutch fork return spring to withdraw the slave cylinder piston all the way back in it's bore. THEN adjust as required. When it's right, you will have 1/2 inch, more or less, of play at the top of the stroke of the brake pedal.

Some cable type systems can be adjusted, some can't. By the way, there is plenty of evidence that those "millions of Mustangs" with zero clearance have had a BUNCH of throw out bearings replaced. Rumor has it right now, the current throw out bearings from Ford maybe defective because there are a high number of recent failures.