Shane

I didn't really understand it either, I'm just glad it happened at Sharktoberfest where I had of ton of really smart 928 guru's who love a good puzzle to help me get it going.

Niels Jørgensen

Hm... I just took the car out for a quick spin, and it was not at all as difficult to shift as it was yesterday. Not great, but better. I parked the car for maybe 10 minutes before I went back home, and now it's almost back to its old self.

How much play is normal? I can move it maybe 20mm both sideways and back/forward when in gear.

When difficult, it feels like trying to lift something heavy with a pry bar (I.e. resistance, but not stuck), then when I pull/push harder it "slips" into place with a sound like moving metal touching non moving metal (not a grinding noise). The sound goes away quickly. This is Reverse, 1st and 2nd - maybe a little in 3rd. Nothing in 4th and 5th as far as I can tell.

But like I said, it appears to have gone away again for the moment.

Imo000

Can you shift ok when the engine is not running?

Niels Jørgensen

Yes.

Vilhuer

Can you shift ok when the engine is not running? = Yes = Clutch

sharkmeister85

Maybe a little Optimoly on the short central shaft is in order.
Glenn

karl ruiter

You almost certainly have air in your clutch master cylinder. When I have had this problem I have sometimes had it get better or worse depending on temperature or other unknown factors. You can try to bleed it with a partner or a power bleeder, but often the only solution is to burp it. Details of how to do this can be found on the list here. It is relatively easy, take only one person, no parts, and no special tool (other than a circlip plyer).

Imo000

That's what I was trying ot get to.

Also if you pump the clutch a few times, does it get better for a few seconds? If it does then its more likely air in the line.

Niels Jørgensen

Ok, had the car in for its second part of the $3K service a while ago and asked about the clutch issue. Response was: 99% sure it's the release bearing.

Thing is, it was replaced about 3 years (50KKm) ago along with the folowing parts:

92811608508 Release Bearing
92811601323 Clutch Disk
92811614503 Ball cup
92810211102 Pilot Bearing

Does that sound right?

It cost $1K when I had it done in 2003 - $800 of which was parts. I can get the parts for around $400 at vertexauto.com (any good?) - Is this a DIY job?

WallyP

Nils,

The description of the problem is not too clear...

If the shifter movement feels normal, the problem is probably not in the shift linkage. This is further reinforced by your statement that you could shift OK if the engine is not running.

It sounds as if the clutch is not fully releasing. While it is possible that the problem is the release bearing, or the clutch disk hanging up on the central shaft, the most likely cause by far is air in the clutch hydraulic system.

Before you spend large amounts of money on the problem, PLEASE try bleeding the hydraulics!

This is definitely a DIY job. It can be frustrating the first time that you do it, but it can be done. The job will be much easier with a helper.

Get brake fluid.

Support the car so that you can easily and safely work underneath.

First - bleed the clutch by opening the slave bleed screw and having the helper push the pedal to the floor and hold it there until the bleed screw is closed. The helper then pulls the pedal up, pushes it down and releases it completely. Repeat this three or four times.

Then unbolt the slave cylinder (do NOT disconnect the line!) and push the operating rod all the way in. Have the helper slowly and gently push the pedal using his hand. Refit the slave cylinder.

Fill the brake fluid reservoir. Repeat the bleeding sequence above. Fill the brake reservoir.

Drive the car, and see if the problem is solved, or just better, or not changed, and let us know in great detail what the results are.

There is an additional bleeding procedure at the master cylinder that can be done if the procedure above doesn't solve the problem.

Niels Jørgensen

Thx. Wally. I'll do...

I know I should have done this when you guys brought it up, but the guy at the shop sounded so convinced it was the bearing, that I didn't bother.

I guess what you are saying is what I'm also thinking: Clutch and bearing is unlikely to wear down in 50KKm...

Niels Jørgensen

It took a while, but I finally got some time to look at the car (I've avoided driving it for the past couple of weeks to prevent further damage)...

First I unbolted the slave and pulled/released the rod as described in the workshop manual (I assume I'm not supposed to remove it completely, and that the ~2" I can free it from the clutch housing is sufficient?), then remounted it.

I then pressurized the resovoir to ~15PSI (The cap I had was not sufficiently tight to allow a higher pressure) and bled the clutch slave (I used a one-way valve, so I am quite sure no air was let back in). I did see a small air bubble come out.

I then bled the master just to be sure, but didn't see any air come out.

All of this did nothing to improve the clutch feel. Nothing at all...

However, when down under the car I noticed that the plug for the inspection hole in the clutch housing was missing. As i recall it's been gone for a long long time, I never knew there had to be one until I read the workshop manual today.

Is it possible that dirt/water etc, made it's way in here and that this is the reason the clutch is acting up. (BTW: The arm is just visible in the inspection hole, so according to the manual, it still has some life left in it)...

Imo000

I don't beleive any dirt going throught the inpseciton hole will make a difference. The cetrifugal force of the spinning clutch would clean off any dirt or watter is an instant. The only thing that would have a great effect on it is engine oil dripping from the top of the bellhosing. Can you see throught hte inpsection hole if the clutch is disengaging?

Shark Attack

well the good thing is, You cant drive it off a cliff until you can get it in gear. after you can get it in gear... you will be so happy and want to drive it; you will no longer have the impulse to drive it off a cliff!

Niels Jørgensen

Maybe I should clarify a bit:

With the engine running and the clutch in as far as it goes, I can get it in gear, grudingly. However, with the rear of the car raised, the rear wheels spin as I do this.

There is not enough force to make the car roll, but with the car off the ground it is obvious that the clutch is not fully disengaged. It also sounds like the clutch is dragging (If I keep the clutch pedal down, and put it in neutral, there's a sandpaper-on-metal kind of sound until I let go of the pedal) .

I re-did the "loosen slave, push/release rod, re-fit, bleed" procedure, just to be sure, but got the same result as before. No air at all this time though (and I sealed the cap to allow 20PSI this time).