A little clutch help

sjepps · 08-10-2005, 07:16 AM

Clutch failed completely on my way to work. Pedal to the floor, clutch won't dis-engage. Tricky shifting without one. 1981 SC w/915 transmission.

Background:
Initial symptoms several months ago were stiff clutch pedal with ever increasing pedal throw to get clutch to disengage.

Replaced clutch with new power Clutch assembly (pressure plate. disk and throwout bearing). Helped some but symptoms returned.

Replaced clutch cable and re-adjusted. Helped some but symptoms returned quicker.

Replaced helper spring and removed clutch pedal assembly and re-pinned the pedal to the shaft. Readjusted the clutch cable, had trouble getting 25mm travel but managed to adjust to about 20mm travel. Had to remove floor board to get enough pedal movement to activate clutch. Noticed just before complete failure the pedal would have to be pushed all the way to the floor to disengage the clutch but would not re-engage until the pedal was almost all the way back up.

After complete failure now have a high pitch but not overly loud metallic squeal from transmission area when engine is running.

Transmission and engine both re-built within the last 5 k miles.

What other parts could cause these symptoms and failure?

Sorry for length but trying to give complete symptoms for diagnosis.

Early_S_Man · 08-11-2005, 09:30 AM

sjepps,

Could be that the actuating arm for the throwout bearing has fractured ... it is a fairly rare event, but not unheard of.

sjepps · 08-11-2005, 11:07 AM

Thanks for the reply Early S, You were correct. I removed the engine last night to inspect the clutch and discovered the upper prong of the fork cracked about 3/4 the way through. It had been pulling unevenly on the throwout bearing causing the bearing to drag on the guide tube which destroyed both the bearing and my one month old, $$$. power clutch pressure plate. Replaced it with another one I had along with the fork and reinstalled the engine. Clutch operates smoothly now but naturally the car is now running poorly. Must have altered something during removal/installation. Its always something.