Darth Coupe

At our last DE event I pulled in after the last instructor session (my hottest one of the weekend) and put the car in gear. The car was on a very slight incline tilting forward and I was not resting on a wheel chaulk. After helping a friend get on a trailer that broke on his last session and cleaning/packing up I go to start my car and I go right to the floor on the clutch. Then after I bring it off the floor I get half way down and it is solid. Next pump and the entire pedal is solid.

I was able to start the car and drove home with no clutch (a nifty skill everyone should get to know). While driving there was a whine like the bearing was out.

Anyone have this experience before? What I think has happened is when I came in, my bearing was hot and dry and then seized fully engaged. Anyone have experience pulling one of these out to just swap? I have my old one that I think I will need to use as a bandaid until a new replacement can get here as I have an event in October at Mid-OH. Any help is appreciated and any experience on getting these things off would be greatly appreciated. TIA

xsboost90

im thinking the slider piece that attaches to the bellhousing that the bearing slides on, has a worn groove in it and the throw out is catching on that and wont move. Prob. need a new slider and bearing.

Darth Coupe

Maybe I should drive the car to the Board Meeting tonight with no clutch again and have everyone out there to help pull it. I am heavily leaning towards a toasted bearing as another tid bit is that I know that I did not lube the bearing enough when it went in over a year ago. I was planning on pulling it this winter and lubing everything up. Sometimes it has been hard to pull out of first when starting up.

WolfeMacleod

Yep, a skill everyone should know. I haven't done it in this my current car, but used to do it all the time in other cars.

sm

What do you do when coming to a stop? How do you get it back into 1st gear? Stop/restart the motor?

Zero10

Unfortunately, if you have to stop, the best bet is to shut the car off, then restart it. I've driven without being able to shift a couple times in my 951. It sucks, lol.

I had a very similar problem in my car, I lost the pin that the clutch fork pivots on, rather not lost, but it came about 2/3 of the way out the bottom. It allowed the clutch fork to twist something terrible, and caused the clutch pedal to be rock solid, at about the mid-point of it's travel.

Giantviper

Wait wait wait a minute.........How is that possible? Please enlighten me. that cannot be good for the car can it, but if neccissary then ok? sorry just did not think it was possible to drive a manual without the clutch working?

Campeck

sure it is.

to start. put it in gear. then crank. the car will lurch and start. give gas, when hitting about 4k. pull out of gear firmly, into neutral, and as the revs drop past 3k. pull firmly into second, repeat for all gears. when downshifting. pull out of current gear, rev the car to 4k and push firmly into the lower gear.

Campeck

I think for lower gears you dont have to rev so hihg. ive been able to clutchless shift at like 2,500rpm.
im not even sure if therers a set of rpm that you have to follow. just that for upshifting the revs will drop..and for downshifting you have to increase rev.

although some transmissions in bad shape will just grind when you try it sometimes.


anyway. next time your cruising in 3rd gear about to shift. seriousy....just pull down on the stick. and it will slip right into 4th once the revs have dropped to the point they need to be at.

(or grind loudly at you if you do it to hard/soft)

Giantviper

Intersting....thanks guys

Stan944

Enough of this show-off with clutchless shifting! Most good drivers can do it. :-)

Anyway, you might be able to see what's going on with the throw out bearing through the clutch inspection hole. Might need a helper to run the clutch pedal.

Zero10

As far as clutchless driving goes, don't do it with a car you're not familliar with. You need to know exactly the engine speed required for the next gear you want to select, or trouble will arise. When I'm doing it, I prefer to keep the revs lower, i.e. under 3500RPM, since it makes it easier to get close to the correct revs in a hurry.

Darth Coupe

I was under the car last night and was doing some inspecting of the clutch. It is weird and I am starting to think it might not be a throw-out bearing. I got the side cover off, slave and starter off and the release fork is still in tact. The slave cylinder was fully extended, that is why the pedal was firm, nothing to push back on the pedal. I hope the master is not binded. I feel a full bleed is in order there.

When I was looking at the throw-out bearing, I noticed that the fork had slide off the throw-out bearing fingers. Also, the guide tube was loose, and rattling around in there. It looks like the guide has had the retaining bolts either broken or backed off as they are gone. I plan on taking the clutch assembly off the flywheel tonight to see if I can re-assemble in the right order and get this thing working again. Anyone have any ideas what might have caused the guide tube to come off?

Stan944

If the fork slid of the throw out bearing, then either the casing of the bearing is too small, or the fork is too wide. Something is worn out.
I wonder if vibration (did your clutch vibrate upon engaging) could have loosened the bolts of the guide tube, and loose guiding tube made the parts wear off?
In any case, looks like you'll have to do the clutch job, as it's impossible to remove the bellhousing otherwise. Sorry, I know how much work it is...

Darth Coupe

Actually, the 968 clutch is much easier, I can get it out, that is not a problem as it drops right out of the side of the bell housing. The last time I did it there was some time involved in getting aquainted, but it is much easier now.

I am not sure if it is worn out, if the guide tube is loose, and kicked the throw out bearing to one side or the fork off then it could wind up the way it is. There was not any noticable vibration prior to this happening, nothing out of the ordinary. The fork also looked to be in good shape, I think I will know more when I take it out.