eniac

*Fixed - See last post*

I think. I haven't had the bellhousing off but what happened is I pulled the car in my garage to install a different turbo and replace AOS seals. The clutch always slipped some at high boost when it was hot but disengaged perfectly fine. So I put everything back together, started the car and the clutch won't disengage! Similar symptoms that happened last time my clutch fork broke.

The only difference is last it happened gradually, the clutch got harder and harder to push down until it eventually just went to the floor.

I did nothing to the clutch area in changing the turbo and AOS seals. I did however jack the car up quite high on the drivers side so I was hoping some air got into the system from that. I did bleed the clutch this morning and it was air free, nothing but blue fluid came out. From the outside eveything looks fine, it looked fine last time too.

So IF it does turn out to be a clutch fork again....I'm done with it. I love these cars but I can't bear constantly replacing clutch forks before the friggen clutch disk even wears out.

Any one have any ideas what could have caused this from the car just sitting in my garage for a week? It worked perfect when I pulled it in and it's not a hydrolic problem. Everything was new when I last replaced the clutch, mc, slave, lines, clutch fork, disk, pp, bearings, etc...all the way down to a new pad on the pedal.

TRP951

might be your PP i had a diaphragm crack on my which cause the clutch not to dissengage.

KuHL 951

Any chance the fork shaft has dropped a bit and isn't in the top bearing? Does it still have the correct amount of travel at the slave? I'm wondering if having my fork cyro'ed would help any before I reassemble everything on mine?

eniac

Have it welded/reinforced. From this point on, I will not install another fork without it being strengthened.

Everything looks in place. The gaps are what they were a few weeks ago when I checked my clutch disk wear. I'm hoping it's a clutch pin issue but having had a fork break once already, I'm not being very optmistic.

The thing that bugs me the most is I have no idea how it could have happened from sitting for a week. I only jacked the car up once to check the left front suspension, everything else for changing the turbo and AOS I can do from the top on my car.

bigdeano

Are you sure nothing fell down there that could jam up the fork?

eniac

Hmm, it's something I'll double check. The only place anything could have fell into is the TDC flywheel inspection hole at the top of bellhousing. If something fell in there, I would assume I'd hear a terrible noise as it ground against the flywheel when I started the car. I let the car run for quite awhile before trying the clutch since I had to bleed the coolant and make sure nothing was leaking. I heard no odd noises nor anything unusual. The clutch pedal feels normal and returns when pushed down but the clutch simply won't disengage.

xsboost90

did you replace it w/ a new fork or a used...heavy pp?

eniac

When I replaced it a few years ago(~8,000mi. ago) everything was replaced with new parts. It's a cup clutch/PP so not heavy. I'm looking at it more now trying to figure out what is wrong before I tear it apart.

I have the starter off and can see the top half the of the clutch fork which definately is NOT broken. I'll try to get a mirror in to see the bottom half but it looks to be straight. When the clutch is depressed, it pushed the slave out plenty far enough and I can also see the fork pull the PP fins back. Also the clutch pin is fine, nothing out of place.

It's almost like the disk is stuck to the PP or flywheel as everything I can possible see looks to be working perfectly. The clutch work perfectly the last time I drove it a week ago. The clutch always disengaged easily and I never had to push the pedal down very far for it.

If the disk was stuck to the flywheel or PP, I would think it would break free without too much force. It only sat 1 week inside my garage. I can start it in gear so it doesn't seem possible.

The only thing left I can think of is that maybe my PP took a **** and isn't releasing when the fins pull back. If something on the PP broke(other then the fins), would it cause the clutch to slip or would it cause the problem I have?

bigdeano

This indicates that the clutch is disengaging.

eniac

Oops that wasn't worded correctly.

To clarify I mean it grabs in gear. If I push the pedal in and start the car in second gear it lunges forward and starts...I was saying that it's sticking or grabbing enough that there is no slipping going on at all and even starting it in gear doesn't break it loose.

eniac

Update: The clutch slave pushes the fork out far enough so that I can see the PP fins pull back. Normally the fins are pointed forward, when the clutch is pressed they pull back to where they would be flat...if that makes any sense, not sure how to describe it.

Even if it's not pulling it back far enough...which it looks like it is, it should be pulling it back enough to give some slip but it's locked solid.

Any other clues as to what's going on?

TRP951

I heard sometimes the pilot bearing can get welded to the driveshaft so that may be a problem. Although no matter what it is since the hydraulics are fine you are probably going to have to take it apart to find out for sure

2bridges

here is my best guess.

you dropped somthing in the inspection hole in the bell housing...... socket, or bolt, or somthing. It is not lodged between some of the fingers of the PP and the belhousing. When you step on the clutch it is only unloading part of the pp.

good luck!

eniac

This makes the most sense so far.

eniac

Thanks, this was suggested so I thouroughly checked the gaps and any area with a scope that could have had something fall into it. There is no sign of anything scraping or broken and all the clutch forn fingers pull out equally with the TOB.

The ideas I'm left with so far are the PP broken and even though the fingers pull back, it's not releasing...OR the welded pilot bearing theory. If it was very hot when I pulled the car in the garage it could have worked fine then welded together as it cooled. Strange though after season of hard driving it would just happen to do this the same exact time.

Tomorrow I am going to find an empty parking lot and either break it worse or break loose whatever is preventing the disk from releasing. If it has to come apart I will be replacing everything once again so it's not like I can make it any worse......uh ohhhh I shouldn't have said that.