Clutch problems....I suck

[onlytrueromeo]

So I've found lots of roadblocks on this car rebuild journey. The latest of which, and I hope the last (of major ones) is that I don't believe my clutch is working correctly/maybe I didn't install it correctly...


I carefully examined how my old clutch was when I took it off, and have read/watched lots of "how to's" but maybe I screwed something up?

My tranny shifts fine when the car is not on, albeit it's alittle stiff, but I thought that was from the short shifter, and bronze bushings. Clutch is NOT MUSHY. I replaced all fluid with DOT 4, and bought a rebuilt slave cylinder (just had to swap my "pin" thingy, which just required pushing it into the slave) I bled the clutch and brakes, and believed it was all in working order. I have the car up on jackstands, and now that everything else is installed, I wanted to make sure the wheels would spin and that my tranny/axles etc were all in order before I lowered the car to the ground...

Well, I could not get it into gear while it was running. It didn't grind or anything, it just refused to let me shift. I managed to get it into first, WITHOUT the clutch, and the wheels started to spin...but VERY slowly for 2000 rpms (my idle is off)

Is my throwout bearing installed incorrectly? With the engine off, when I spin one wheel, the other spins in the opposite direction (which is normal). I am going to try to bleed my clutch line again tomorrow, but what else could cause this? I torqued everything to spec, greased the parts and was very careful when putting it back together. Have good tranny fluid in, new axles, new seals (its not leaking). Could there be any reason my master clutch cylinder is not working correctly? I also have a corksport SS clutch line.

I have not adjusted the pedal at all, I left it as it was...maybe I'm a noob, and was supposed to adjust it?

[Stablo87]

Wow, I didn't have problem at all. How was your flywheel when you replaced the clutch?

I would suggest trying to bleed the system a little more, but I don't think that would be the culporate. Did you use the alightment tool or did you just eyeball it?

[onlytrueromeo]

Yep, I used the alignment tool, and I believe my tranny "spindle" (what's it called) went right through it correctly, as I had the engine on a stand and was able to get the tranny on with just a few twists.

Had the flywheel resurfaced. New bearings, new disk and faceplate.

Should I take out the starter motor and see if I can see inside the tranny at all, if my clutch is trying to engage?

Is there some way my clutch pedal not being adjusted would do this? I didn't think it was required to adjust? How do I check if my master cylinder is working right? (my slave moves when I push in the clutch)

Could my slave not be moving enough? I didn't think there were adjustments for it.

I will try to bleed it more and then adjust the pedal to see if anything is different.

One more thing, when I got it in first, and the wheels were slowly spinning (too slowly for the rpms), I did not hear any grinding, and pushing in the clutch had NO effect on the wheel movement.

[Mooneggs]

are you sure your master cylinder is good? have you had someone in the engine bay when you pressed the clutch pedal to make sure it is acutating?

[onlytrueromeo]

I know for sure my slave at least moves a little, I've watched when the car was off. How can I check if the master is good? I can have someone pushing the clutch tomorrow while I'm looking, but what should I be looking for besides the slave moving the little arm thingy? And how much should it move it? Should I be able to feel the resistance from the pressure plate? What I'm thinking is pushing the arm thingy as far as I can, then seeing how much more the slave pushes it...

[Stablo87]

The pedal could be a prob, it could mean that the clutch isn't engaging all the way.

But same could be said with the clutch master cylinder.

[Daninski]

Did you put oil back in your tranny? I measured my arm and it moves about 1/2 to 5/8 of an inch at the end closest to the rad.

[Stablo87]

Did you put oil back in your tranny? I measured my arm and it moves about 1/2 to 5/8 of an inch at the end closest to the rad.

It should still run the tires even without oil in the tranny. I once replaced my clutch in my crx and like a stupid head forgot to put oil in the tranny, i didn't find out it was empty until i changed the axles 6 months later.

[Daninski]

Thats a good tranny right there, yup. 6 months.

[onlytrueromeo]

Yup, I put oil in my tranny. Thanks for the replys so far, I'll be able to measure tomorrow.

[onlytrueromeo]

I was reading off of google search, and some people on the 3000GT boards said to disconnect the line from the master to the slave, and just try bleeding the master only. The workshop manual does not state to do this, and I fail to see how this is any different than bleeding it w/ the lines attached?

They also recommended looking for fluid leaks inside and outside the car on the master cylinder (by the carpet behind the clutch pedal and where it sticks out by the engine bay)

I don't think I have a leak, and if I do it's very small because I havn't noticed my brake fluid dropping. Not having a cap on the brake reservoir wouldn't affect the clutch though, would it? (The guy I had the car from had saran wrap over it...getting a new cap tomorrow or wednesday )

[Stablo87]

I heard somewhere that having the cap off would. Just like when you are changing your breaks the first thing you do is take off the cap.

[onlytrueromeo]

So...I seem to have found something interesting...

Bled the clutch again, no change. I also watched to make sure the clutch was moving the slave, which is it. I didn't see/hear any fluid leaking from anywhere obvious, and it was moving the throwout bearing arm about 1/2 inch or so. (didn't exactly measure.)

Upon inspection of the clutch pedal I found a wad YES A WAD of electrical tape wound around one of the adjustment points. It's the piece thats attached to the pedal itself, that pushes against parts C and D of the manual.
http://mx-3.com/manuals/photo.php?file= ... _H-006.gif" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


There is only a small rubber piece thingy there now, I think I'm missing a part...can someone take a picture of what it's supposed to look like under there?

[wytbishop]

You couldn't find a big picture?

[onlytrueromeo]

OK Here are some more pictures. If anyone could help with this, that'd help me eliminate more problems. These are all taken w/ clutch pedal in the rest position.

First Picture. The electrical tape was wrapped around the metal and plastic piece w/ the yellow smudge on it. It was about 1/4" thick.



Second picture. See that white rod? Thats what the tape was pushing against when the clutch pedal was pushed in. Its the same rod as in the 1st picture, just at a different angle.



Also with that second picture, (because I don't quite understand from the manual) what the clutch supposed to feel like/look like with the proper settings? I understand the height (which is a separate screw from ones shown) but how to I set the engadgement?

This third picture shows the blue rubber piece by the height adjustment screw. Does anything look out of whack in these? What should I be looking for?