Whenever I slowly let out on the clutch, the car shakes a bit. Not only that, but the pedal feels spongy and doesn't let out as quickly as it used to. Anybody have any idea on what's going on? If I get it a little more gas while letting out on the clutch, it doesn't shake but the pedal still feels weird.

 

Sounds like flywheel needs surfaced and new clutch and pressure plate.

 

But would that account for the spongy pedal feel? It engages really low to the floor, almost like it won't engage at all.

 

Possibly broken clutch fork. Lots of threads on this...

Dave

 

Did it happen suddenly or all at once? Smells?

I'd be inclined to think pressure plate for the spongy feel. As long as the clutch engages at the top of the pedal travel i wouldn't worry too much about it- but there's no harm inspecting it if you take the assy. apart.

 

That's the thing, it doesn't engage at the top of the pedal travel, it engages pretty low to the floor. It happened suddenly today, no smells or anything. I might try to go find a transmission shop tomorrow that can take a look at it.

 

sounds like a clutch fork, that would explain the weird feeling in the pedal. Also it would screw around with the engagment of the clutch, so that would feel different as well.

 

it may not hurt to bleed out the clutch fluid.....its brake fluid and needs to be bled every year or so. it will absorb water and get spongy.
its a cheep easy shot before you jump im and buy a clutch.

Drew

 

That's what I'm starting to think. The guy in this post Click Here has the same symptoms, but he never said how he fixed the problem.

 

I had the clutch fork break when driving my bud's FD (original fork with around 130k miles on it) and I was stranded, the car wasn't even close to driveable. I couldnt even depress the clutch. Same thing happened to my dad about a year ago in his R1.

 

You know I was just thinking earlier that a lot of threads don't actually have a resolution. People start them, get a list of possible solutions from other members, come back for more answers when some don't work but in the long run never seem to update with what actually fixed their problem. The result is a bunch of threads (that we are told to search for, ironically) that don't really do anyone any good, we already know we have the problem, it's safe to assume others have had it as well, but if it doesn't say what fixed it what good is it to anyone else aside from the OP? .

I can't say i'm not guilty, I just got done fixing my car and haven't updated my old thread, but i'll get on it once I do a few more things . Hopefully you can get it figured out, fixed, and educate the rest of us as to what your symptoms were actually telling you .

- James

 

xx2 it would be nice to know if advice helps or if you need to keep your mouth shut, me included.

 

Alright, I PMed RX7__Fanatic and he said it was indeed his clutch fork. I'll probably replace the master cylinder while I'm in there too. I just wish I had enough cash to get a new clutch/flywheel as well.

 

Based on my own experience, it's a breaking clutch fork. This is what they will do when they crack but haven't completely broke apart yet. When it breaks, you will not be able to release the clutch [at all]. Don't go too far--it will not last too long like this. I would bet on it.

 

/agree

 

This just happened to me last week. Up until last week, the clutch always engaged right at the top of the pedal, just as you start to press it in...

When I went to start my car Friday I pressed on the clutch and I heard a snap and when I started it and let up the clutch it disengaged right by the floor...

So in an instant the engagement changed from far away from the floor, to right by the floor. I was able to drive to a trannyshop and $250 later they determine it's a broken "throw out bearing" or as Mazda calls it, a "release collar". Or so they say and that is the new part on order. There is also a clutch fork, but that is a very different part...atleast the pictures are different on mazdatrix.

Why does the release collar/throw out bearing break?

I have an ACT extreme pressure plate...is broken throw out bearings a normal expected results on a fairly annual basis?

I do recall, once the car warmed up, on a hot day, during clutch engagement it would make chirping sounds... Not always but sometimes. Perhaps that is a sound of a Throwout Bearing "going bad".

At this time I won't be replacing the flywheel/clutch disc/pressure plate, but when I do, I am thinking of a pressure plate no so strong, and a 6 puck instead of a 4 puck, to compensate the lesser pressure plate.

~CYD

 

That's not good. Completely same symptoms, but two different problems. How's the pedal feel close to the floor?

 

I'm not so sure about the shop's diagnosis (unless they pulled it apart)--I'd still bet on a broken clutch fork.

It's highly unusual for modern throwout bearings to fail, let alone break. (Although I've heard of some problems with the wire ring and wedge collar that secure the throwout bearing to the pressure plate; if these fail, you're not going to have any release at all.)

Hey, I'm curious as to why want to change the PP. Do you think the extreem PP is too stiff? Uncomfortable to drive? Or are you concerned about breaking parts?

 

The pedal feels really stiff close to the floor, a little springy, but still fairly stiff.

Maybe even a little stiffer than before the "break".

In terms of how much "grab" is needed for the clutch for the HP my car makes, I was recommended by an expert that I could use a 6 puck over a 4 puck to maintain the same grab strength while reducing the pressure plate strength from what I am assuming the current ACT extreme PP is "100%" over stock, to a 60% over stock PP.

~CYD