Odd clutch problem
 

Got the engine back in the car today and fired up. When i went to push down the clutch pedal, it went about 3/4ths of the way to the floor then it was rock solid, i couldn't move it another inch...

I can pull the pedal back up to its normal place and push it back down, it's not moving any fluid, and it won't go past the exact same spot...

Occasionally i can get it past, but its not disengaging the clutch just like there isn't any fluid in it at all.....

What's is going on with it/????/

I've been looking and will continue to search but any tips or insight from anybody?

Still got a rubber center clutch?

nope.
its a hydraulic issue somewhere...

you seem sure of this, in that case no need for me to keep posting here. keep us updated on what you find. im betting on something seized, most likely the clutch fork or throwout bearing. but hey, you're sure of what it is why ask us.

I was in a bit of a rush earlier which is why i didn't spell it out for you.

Get in the car, push the clutch in, it will catch. You can tell your moving fluid, but the clutch doesn't disengage... Let it up, this time when you push it down it will go half way to the floor before you get any pressure from the fluid.

This time you have to pull the clutch pedal up as it stays down....

The third time when you push it down, straight to the floor...

After a time or two of that it will hit a hard spot about 2" above the floor that you can not physically push past... Atleast i can't i don't want to break anything or bend anything.

So please tell me how i am going to fix this issue by having a rubber clutch????

When you get all snappy like that you drive people away from the board. No need to do that.

Did you remove the clutch slave cylinder when you took the engine out? I would get under and make sure the rod on the slave cylinder is straight. And while you are there you can try and bleed the system to see if you are moving fluid. If you removed the clutch tube that is in the back of your motor that connects to the slave you may have kinked it. Look straight up with the starter out above your slave cylinder and it should be attatched to the motor with a bracket and 2 screws

+1.

Yeah, have someone push the pedal as you look in through the inspection port on the bellhousing and see if anything's moving.

If nothing is moving, then open the bleeder and see if the pedal travels normally then - without obstructions (it should just go to the floor with little effort).

That oughta tell you if it's a problem with the clutch internals, or a hydraulic problem.

slave was not removed... but looks straight.

ill try bleeding again...

ill report with my findings

Bad seal in one of the cylinders. Check for leaks after working the pedal back and forth a dozen times.

Are the slave and master original? My 86 had a leaky brake master which I replaced, then the following summer I ended up replacing the clutch master and slave because of leaks. As I understand it both should be replaced at the same time.

When you reinstalled the clutch assembly (pressure plate, disk, throwout bearing with appropriate spacers) did you make sure the whole assembly was straight with the "proper" alignment tool? If it was the wrong one or slightly askew when you installed the clutch or the pilot bearing was not installed straight you'll have binding problems. Also was the disk installed with the proper face going forward? Did the clutch fork install go smoothly and are U sure that it is slid around the collar on the throwout bearing? Just a list of things that can cause problems if missed. Good luck and don't be reluctant to share. That's what this forum is all about.....sharing.

I will do this and double check, i can bleed the system all day long. But im getting no where, it moves fluid but when you don't have the bleeder open. It usually hits the hard spot and after a second it will quickly sink to the floor.

I've looked for leaks and im having a hard time finding any...


The clutch can only go together one way, which was pretty smart. Other wise it will not actually go together. I am unsure of what your asking as far as the clutch fork... It was never off, when the engine went back in the car eveything slipped together with ease.
Did i miss something here?

I am going to go see if i can watch the rod move at all, but im fairly sure its not going to. I have no clutch movement at all.

The rod is stuck out and is not moving... Clutch has no resistance till it hits the hard place, then it usually will leak down....


Bad slave cylinder?

Is the "hard place" there when you have the bleeder open? I'm wondering if it's just the spring on the pedal.

If after bleeding, the pedal sticks to the floor when depressed, it sounds like you have air in the system - easy to do the way the pickup tube fits onto the brake fluid resevoir.

Is air always coming out when you bleed the clutch? You never quite get all the air out (where you can go more than 30 seconds with no air spurts)?

Due to the design, it's really tough to bleed the clutch pumping the pedal, and not suck air. I had problem after problem. Finally I broke down and got a Motive Power Bleeder. Now it takes 5 minutes or less.

Nope, if you open the bleeder, the clutch goes straight to the floor.

I got a little bit of air out the first couple of times, but after that it was almost all fluid...

I'm begining to wonder if the slave went bad?

It's hard to believe it went bad just like that. Clutch worked just fine 2 months ago when the engine went pop. Now i've got nothing at all...

2 months ago i had a good clutch and bad engine.
Now ive got a good engine and bad clutch?

Have someone else pump the pedal as you're laying under the car watching the action through the inspection port in the bellhousing.

What is the clutch doing guring each of these three-four times the pedal is depressed? Is the rod from the slave pushing the clutch arm at all? If it does push, does it stop at a certain point? What's going on at the slave when the pedal hits the hard spot?

The rod is stuck out, it never moves no matter what you do.

I am having a hard time understanding how this works. When you depress the clutch, shouldn't the rod push out then?

If so what pushes the rod back into the slave cylinder?

The rod probably isn't out irl. Its supposed to fit into the "cup" on the clutch fork and the pressure of the srping loaded pressure plate is supposed to push the pin back into the slave to return the pedal. At this point it might be best to seek professional assistance if you aren't familiar enough to really carry out these troubleshooting steps because its going to be very difficult for anyone to teach you as you go along. Try visiting Clark's garage - IM on my phone so I cant get the link.

i have seen this exact problem. and repaired it. the clutch assembly was put together wrong and the spacers on the throwout bearing finally gave way. thus, the slave pushrod was fully extended, along with the clutch fork, but wasn't actually depressing the pressure plate. the fix was to disassemble the whole thing and replace the clutch.

I can pull an engine, tear it down completely rebuild it and put it back in the car have it crank and fire on the first go. I think i can handle figureing out a clutch problem...
Thanks though.
Clarks-garage has some decent info sure. But alot of it isn't much more than a basic mechanic could figure out.

That is not what i wanted to here... I may go the TT route this time because pulling the motor again does not sound like a joyous occasion.