Can't change gears when car is running
 

I've got an '88 TII. The problem just came out of nowhere the other day. When the car is running, I can't change gears. When the car is off, the shifter moves with no problem.
I bled the system and that had no effect, as well as replaced the fluid just in case. I ended up adjusting the clutch pedal out quite a bit and that let me drive the car back home. It looks like the slave cylinder is working, but I can't figure out what's up. Anyone have any suggestions?

May be it's your clutch;)

maybe the throwout bearing, pilot bearing... check everything

throwout bearing

Should I still be able to shift and change gears after the adjustment if it's a throwout bearing?
(Thanks for the quick response. This board kicks ass)

If it's a throwout bearing it'd be screaming every time you hit the clutch. might be a pilot bearing, or the master / slave cylinder. I'd make sure it's not something hydraulic before pulling the tranny.

-Manolis

Quick question. If you have it in first, clutch depressed, start the car, does the car lurch forward as if in gear, or does it start and act normally. Can you let the cluch out, the car moves, but can't shift to second? Push it to the floor again, car stops and acts fine? Just checking the hydraulics.

Sounds like what happened to me.

The master cylinder was bad and was circumventing the slave cylinder and not pushing it very much.
That's atleast what the mechanics at the asshole shop told me.

I can vouch for the slave pushing about 3/4 inch.
Might be the same thing.

If you think about it the clutch is not disengaging because it won't shift while the engine is spinning.
Mine lurched forward if I started the car in a gear instead of neutral.

Well, I'm gonna change the maste/slave cylinders just for general purpose. If that doesn't fix it, then I'll take a look into the tranny. I'll probably put the stainless steel clutch line while I'm at it since they're so cheap. I'm hoping it's just the hydraulics, I don't really have time to go into the tranny.

definately pilot bearing
 

I had this problem when I did my auto-manual swap. Somehow I damaged the pilot bearing when installing it. One week later, I'm driving, and all of the sudden I can't put the car in gear. If your pedal feels good, and you can see your clutch fork moving when you depress the pedal, then it's for sure the pilot bearing. You would hear noise if it was the throw-out bearing. I know, I just replaced my clutch last night due to a faulty attatchement arm on the throw-out bearing. Good luck. And one more thing, before you go to replace it, make sure you get a pilot-bearing puller!

IF the slave rod is extending when the pedal is depressed, and stays extended if you hold the pedal down.......then just go buy another clutch plate and friction disk plus throwout bearing and change them out. Those parts are cheap.

It was the clutch hydraulics. I replaced the master and slave and put in a braided steel clutch line and now it shifts better than ever. I'm sure the thing has been going since I got it, but I have no comparison for how it was supposed to feel.

I just had exactly the same thing happen to me... I was driving, and decided I wanted to feel how the power band was after redline, so I took it up to 8k rpm (maybe 8500) and the and the fuel cut kicked in, and I think it was the sudden backsurge that caused it, but something in the clutch broke and now the clutch wont disengage when I press the pedal. I pulled over to check it out, before I fully realized what was wrong. My first fear (because of the fuel cut) was that I blew an apex seal and would have to rebuild the engine. I wound up having to start it in gear, shift by matching rpms, and roll all the stop signs to get home. I had to stop twice, so I restarted it in gear, and I guess I killed the battery, cuz the last time I had to stop I couldn't get it to start in gear again, so I had to push it like 8 blocks to my house. I had someone press the pedal while I looked under the hood, and the hydraulics are all working. I talked to a mechanic a few weeks ago about the problem I already had that I had to press the shifter pretty hard to get it into gear (which means slower shifts for me) and he said it my throwout bearing was going bad. It didn't squeal though, unless it was pretty quiet... how loud would a throwout bearing squeal? After thinking about it I though maybe the clutch fork broke off inside the clutch housing, or perhaps the pressure plate is worn out... I have a clutch alignment tool on order at kragen, and I already have a replacement throwout bearing, but I would really like to know if there is a way to tell exactly which part is broken before I take it apart... I work alot and go to college, so I dont really have alot of time to work on it, so I'd like to have all the parts I need before I tear it apart... Oh, btw its on an 88 vert. Thanks guys!