Diagnosing a clutch problem
 

Basically, the clutch isn't disengaging. If you push the clutch pedal to the floor, you can see the slave cyl move about an inch, pressing against and moving the bit of the clutch fork thats exposed. However, the clutch does not disengage, so driving the car requires you to start it in 1st gear, get it to catch as it jerks forward, and then a whole bunch of rev-matching to change up and down. A random whirring from the transmission also seems to have disappeared, although I've really only been able to notice it since I fixed a very loud, annoying rattle a few days ago.

So, is approx one inch of slave travel normal, or should it be longer?

If so, then does that leaves either a bent clutch fork or a destroyed throw-out bearing as the culprit? Am I missing anything that could be broken?

You're looking in the wrong places.

Your pilot bearing took a dump.

Happy New Year! :)

I had a similar thing. First I thought it was the pilot bearing. Took the old one out and put the new one in. Old one looked fine to me. SO. I did something most ppl wouldnt do. I put a washer inbetween the PP and Flywheel at each bolt from under the car (it took time but easy). Then my car worked fine! After a while though my clutch started burning so I took the washer out. After that my cars been doing fine!

there is an adjustment pin on your clutch pedal, if you make the pin longer, you decrease play and the slave is pushed much harder.

other possibility is that your clutch slave is worn, this is also a common failure. you can get a rebuild kit for about $15

I've seen the slave move about an inch when the clutch is pushed, should it move farther than that?

+1

Get out your cold weather clothes and bust out that tranny!

No, not much more than an inch or so, that distance is exaggerated by the length of the clutch fork. It could very well be the pilot bearing, but if it is in fact getting into gear at all, then my vote changes to pressure plate. Regardless, you're pulling the tranny; and since a new pilot bearing and seal is around $15, you may as well replace that too!

^ He can switch gears, but has to revmatch. Symptoms of a busted pilot bearing.

^ you are correct, I just remembered that I speed shifted mine into 1st to get home when my pilot went kaput...

EDIT: NVM. Now time to find a place to rip the damn thing apart. Separating the engine and transmission seems to be becoming a yearly event...

Well, tearing it apart in a few days, and I wanted to make an expandable collet that would fit inside the pilot bearing and be used to pull it out, but I dont have the dimensions of it (its still in the mail). Does anyone know or can look up the ID and OD of the bearing? Thanks a lot!

Well, I pulled the transmission earlier today (it was finally warm enough here in MI to do so), and it definitely was the pilot bearing. It fell out in many, many pieces.

Now I just need to machine a collet that will fit the pilot bearing, rent a slide hammer, and get the remains of it out. Then the new trans goes in, and all is right with the world again