L-Spec

I did a search on these issues and I found that the symptoms are kind of a mix of several problems, so I'm hoping you guys can help me determine where I should start..
......
Rolling through an intersection, I shifted into 3rd gear and it was a little difficult getting through the gate. I tried three times before I was able to shift into third. I didn't force it, I just figured I just had to find the gate, as sometimes at higher rpms, I can't shift right into third either (I just have to take my time).

After shifting into third, I rest my foot on the clutch pedal getting ready to shift into fourth and I notice a heavier than normal vibration from the clutch pedal while it is depressed, not pushed in. I then shift into fourth and keep my hand on the shifter and notice a new vibration from my shifter now.

Now, I'm, at a red light and it goes green. It fights against me when I try to get it into first gear, but as I let off the clutch, the car jutters and almost stalls out. I realize I have to give it a bit more gas than normal to keep it from stalling. It almost feels like as I depress the pedal, my clutch grips and ungrips in quick succession until I'm fully depressed on the clutch pedal. It happens slightly in second gear and doesn't really happen in third.
......

- I did a few WOT pulls and didn't notice any clutch slip, so I think I've ruled that out.
- The car starts up fine and the engine response/power is normal
- No leaks under the car this morning and no noticeable smells and the clutch reservoir is full.
- I checked the Power Plant Frame and didn't see any cracks or anything peculiar

The clutch/flywheel have less than 15,000 miles on it. I also haven't raced it during it those 15,000 miles; no drag races, no time attacks, etc. The only time I push the car is on the highways when I'm already at speed, so it's difficult for me to see any premature failures due to abuse.

Any ideas?

Gorilla RE

iTrader: (1)

Look through inspection cover and examine the condition of your clutch fork.

Also, what type/brand clutch do you have? And do you feel like it happened "all of a sudden"?
-J

L-Spec

I'm honestly not too sure about the brand as it was seven years ago when I got everything installed. I want to say the clutch is a six puck, however, looking at my work order, all he put in was "stage 2 clutch".

..and yes, this does seem very all of a sudden, aside from it being a little tough to put my shifter through the gate whenever I'm near redline. I was just going to add bracing to help it out more, but I feel that it is unrelated (?) to this problem right now. I thought I would just mention this info "just in case", but aside from that, I have had no issues leading up to this, other than maybe a *little* clutch chatter.

Banzai-Racing

iTrader: (11)

You will need to inspect the clutch while the car is running, with a helper depressing the pedal. This really should be done on a lift for safety.

It could be the release bearing is at an angle in the wedge collar, or a bent clutch fork.

You could also have lost a puck (or portion of) from your clutch disc.

L-Spec

Thanks for the replies, guys. After moving the car out of the garage, I noticed a little oil on the bottom of my Nikes. I took a look near the pedal and it's wet with what I'm guessing is brake/clutch fluid.

After thinking about it, it would make sense. Since there isn't enough pressure, the clutch is probably only half-engaging, and that's what's causing it to jutter. The pressure probably isn't enough to keep the friction together, so that's why it jumps a bit. A long with that, since it's only partially engaged, it would make sense that the shifter wouldn't want to pass through the gate. The reservoir is full because it only pushes fluid out when I push in the clutch -- which wasn't much since the night I started having issues.

Why would I feel heavy vibration through my clutch pedal, though?

Either way, it looks like I'll just be making a purchase from Banzai soon for the master and slave cylinder and a steel clutch line while I'm there. I won't call this solved until it is fixed, as I do still plan on inspecting the rest of the clutch pedal assembly since the weekend is almost here, but hopefully this information will help anyone in the future who might come across these symptoms.

Gorilla RE

iTrader: (1)

I still think your clutch fork is broken... the reason for the fluid being present on the ground is because the slave piston was over extended. I've been wrong twice before so its possible this time too
The fluid has nothing to do with your clutch "slipping", causing it to not "fully engaged". If your clutch is really "slipping", you may have another issue too. A leaky cylinder like that may cause an issue with disengaging but not the other way around (unless the fluid is getting all over the friction surfaces. Or in the case of a bleed valve for engagement etc.).

-J

L-Spec

That would make a lot of sense, and I was thinking the same thing considering the vibration from the pedal.