nguybao

iTrader: (6)

Symptoms:

1. Clutch feels as if it has hit a hard stop when depressed and doesn't depress as far as it normally could before this probelm.

2. Will not shift into ANY gear from the neutral position with clutch depressed fully, or as fully depressed as I can get it against the hard stop.

3. After opening the hydraulic bleeder valve from the clutch master cylinder in the main engine, clutch can get depressed to it's normal reach and doesn't hit a hard stop.

4. Once in gear, engine will start without depressing clutch AND no engine lurch (i.e. starting the car in gear without depressing the clutch).

5. After closing the bleeder valve on the clutch master cylinder, the same problem occurs (hard stop and can't get into gear from neutral).

I figure it's one of the following:
1. Hydraulics-hydraulic cylinders (a low failure rate item???)
2. Mechanical - linkage (a low failure rate item???)
3. Mechanical - Worn clutch (common)

I've got the shop manual but haven't read it or touched the car in over a year since my initial troubleshooting. Thanks for the help.

Howard Coleman

iTrader: (6)

i will get this started.

rule out the clutch pedal and associated mechanical linkage up to the slave cylinder since when you open the hydraulic system the clutch can be depressed to the floor.

when you close the system you are pressing say 60 pounds on a 4.5 to one pedal so you are creating over 200 pounds pressure on the clutch actuating arm. and it is resisting the 200 pounds.

think mechanical. did your clutch work before the problem? or did this problem surface after an install? my guess is the throwout bearing is in backwards.

hc

nguybao

iTrader: (6)

My dad was driving in stop and go freeway traffic when it seized. The clutch was replaced 40K miles ago and no work on it since. No other problems with the clutch until now.

Oh I forgot one more symptom:

-If I depress the clutch against the hard stop and turn the ignition (gear in neutral), the pedal pulses back against my foot.

nguybao

iTrader: (6)

I guess I should at least follow up with my own threads! Thanks for the help Howard. It turned out to be a broken arm on the clutch release fork. If I had access to a lift I probably would've figured it out myself. I guess this is a fairly common problem...