Clutch will not disengage

[MITCHM]

I just finished replacing all the clutch components in a 99 Boxster with 106,000 miles.

The flywheel, clutch disk, pressure plate and all the clutch parts in the bell housing have been replaced. After 106k the clutch was starting to slip at 60 MPH.

With the car on jack stands and the clutch depressed I can slip the transmission into first gear with a little resistance but the wheels start turning and continue to turn with the clutch pedal up or down. The clutch pedal also do not fully return to the up position without pulling it up by hand.

I spent many hours and over a quart of brake fluid pressure bleeding the master and slave cylinder to no effect. To eliminate the hydraulic system I pulled the slave cylinder out of the transmission housing and blocked the push rod so that it could not move. When I pressed on the clutch pedal it moved less than a 1/4" and no further. That says to me that there is no air in the system and the hydraulics are working correctly.

Is there anything else that I can look at before I remove the transmission and look for what may be wrong.

The way I see it. One of three things could have happened. I could have installed something wrong which does not seem likely since the 1999 Boxster clutch disk can only be installed one way. One of the new parts has broken or one of the new parts is the incorrect part.

Any other suggestions?

[harryrcb]

I would say you are correct in your diagnosis. However it's possible the release bearing arm come off its socket or was not pushed all the way on or your pushrod missed the mark when installing it on the housing (almost impossible) so most likely you will have to drop the tranny again.

[986ron]

As a suggestion, what happens when you are on stands with the engine running and not in gear and you put the emergency brake on?
Ron

[MITCHM]

Originally Posted by harryrcb

I would say you are correct in your diagnosis. However it's possible the release bearing arm come off its socket or was not pushed all the way on or your pushrod missed the mark when installing it on the housing (almost impossible) so most likely you will have to drop the tranny again.

Initially I tried to install the spring clip incorrectly but after looking at one of Wayne's very helpful pictures I was able to get the spring clip to snap into place so I'll be surprised if that is the problem.

I'll do some measurements to make sure the pushrod hit the mark.

[MITCHM]

Originally Posted by 986ron

As a suggestion, what happens when you are on stands with the engine running and not in gear and you put the emergency brake on?
Ron

The car continues to run.

The car stops running when I pull the emergency brake with the car in first gear and the clutch depressed.

[B.A.M.]

I know you think it's bled, but it still has air from the sounds of your problems. Keep bleeding with a pressure fed bleeder if you can. If the pedal is not returning to the top, you still have air in the system. Keep bleeding, keep bleeding.....
Tom
Bamsport

[MITCHM]

The reason that the clutch will not disengage is because I put the clutch disk in backward. On one side of the disk in small gold print were the words to install the this side facing the transmission. I turned the disk around and the clutch works.