87racer

ok.... when i have my 87 n/a running and the clutch in and it in neutral, everything is fine, but when i try to put it in gear it wont go in. I try to put it in reverse but all it does is grind. they all go in like normal with the car off. So then i try starting it in 1st gear with the clutch in and it starts so i know the computer recognizes the clutch being in, but the car jumps like i popped the clutch out. So i know the actual clutch disc in the tranny is working. Also, there is a light brown liquid coming out from underneath my dash, i cant figure out where exactly it is coming from but it appears to be clutch/brake fluid. Also i started loosing a little amount of clutch fluid in the little resevoir. I filled the fluid back up thinking perhaps this would help but it didnt. Could anyone please help me!!! i have a parts car so just tell me what you think i need. Thanks in advance

Project84

There is a switch on the clutch pedal that closes a circuit to allow the car to start. If you hold the clutch in and start the car and it moves like its in gear, then you may have internal tranny problems, or something with the clutch itself like the throw out bearing or the spring plate inside the pressure plate. Have you recently installed a new clutch of have you had the tranny out of the car? Usually problems following a tranny removal are from the alignment not being correct. I've also heard of the roll pin falling out of the shift fork so when you move the stick, the collar never engages the gears.

AreExSeven

First sign there that the clutch is not engaging correctly...
When the car is off, the engine and the gears in the tranny are not spinning, so they can slide together with no problem.

That means nothing. There is a button at the top of the pedal bar that gets pushed in when the clutch pedal is at the floor. It makes no difference what is happening anywhere else.

Clutch is not engaging

My money is on the fact that the master cylinder is leaking. How it is getting into the car is kinda strange, but no doubt it is either coming from the clutch cylinder, or the brake cylinder.

Sounds like bad clutch hydraulics.

You need to replace the master cylinder, or at least rebuild it. I suggest buying a new one, and while you are at it, get a new slave and a SS braided clutch line. It will all need replacing eventually, why not do it now?

If you are on a budget though, pull out the master and slave cylinder from the parts car and use it for now.

Jimmy325i

The problem is that the clutch is not disengaging.... Its engaged right now which is why he can't shift it while the engine is running.

Joel, As we spoke about before.... Pull the master cylinder and the slave cylinder from the parts car and simply swap them into yours.

My intuition tells me that even though you've topped off the fluid there is still air in the line and that is preventing the actuation from working properly.

Clutch master cylinders are connected to the interior of the car through the actuation rod leading to the peddal. Any blow by from the piston will make its way into the car.

Replacing one bad cylinder in the clutch system will accellerate the failure of the other from increased pressure in most cases. Replacing them both is the way to go. SS line is a nice idea but not needed if you're on a budget.

87racer

thanks Matt and Jim.... i just didnt have time to exchange them last night so im doing it today.