Just thought I would pass along my experience in case it happens to anyone in the future. I just installed a new clutch and lightweight flywheel and driving the car a day later I am in a drive thru for lunch and I notice it is starting to be hard to get my car into gear to move up in the drive thru line (putting it into neutral to wait each time the line stops moving). Then having to move up in line once more, my car won't go into gear from neutral. I push my car out of line into a parking spot (thank heavens an FD is light and easy to push).

Symptom-wise, the car would go into the gears fine when the car is off (key out of the ignition or in the off position). When you would turn the key (to ignition "on"), you could no longer put the car into gear.

I replaced my clutch master cylinder and slave master cylinder to repair the problem (and since my car has 130K+ miles I didn't want to replace one and not the other - lazy man's approach I suppose). Also, I know I could have possibly taken a cheaper route and rebuilt the cylinders, but I didn't want to spend the time.

Anyway, just figured I would pass along this problem and what worked to fix it for me, should anyone have the same problem in the future.

 

I had a similair problem , but it was my pilot bearing that seized.

 

This is typical, especially when installing a heavier pressure plate. It puts more load on the hydraulics, and if you have weak hydraulics, they'll fail in short order.

Glad you did it the right way. I've tried rebuilding clutch hydraulics, and have NEVER had luck - it always fails in a month or so. New is the way to go, period. This is one of those things you don't cheap out on - hydraulics don't work, the car doesn't go places.

Dale

 

Yep, mine also (another car). Mine would actually keep pulling even with the clutch pedal pressed and in neutral.

 

Did you happen to repalce the clutch fork at the same time? I had the same issues when my clutch fork broke.

 

If the clutch fork is broken or bent, the key position won't matter.

But I'm not clear on why the clutch master/slave would function different with the ignition on vs. off - can anyone explain that? I thought it was a 100% mechanical system.

Dave

 

I agree. Did he really mean running vs not running? That's the only thing that makes sense to me.

 

nm. but yea he must mean running versus not running

 

^^ that is the way i read it.

 

To answer a few questions

1) Yes, I meant car running vs. not running (my mistake)

2) fastrx7r1-rotary, I thought it could be the clutch fork after reading some of the other threads regarding similar type sypmtoms, but that wasn't the case (or at least not yet)

If I can find a nice low mileage or rebuilt tranny, I am definitely in the market, since this one has 130K miles, but it's running now.

 

You need to replace the clutch fork for sure if you go back in there. After 60k I would replace any clutch fork no matter what it looks like. It is likely that if you didnt and you have upgraded to a higher rate pressure plate your fork will fail in the next 3 months. It is very common....Good Luck!

 

Typically a tranny is easy to row through the gears with the engine off and your foot off the clutch pedal. Nothing is spinning, so the selector can move right through the gears. Whole 'nuther case when the transmission is spinning due to the motor running.

Dale

 

gotcha.

search on a thread from John Magnuson for a local Cali source on JDM trannys. a few guys on here have had good luck with that guy.