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Clutch Pedal and Springs
Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 10:56 pm
by cyclemichael
Hey there, so i was on my way to work and i put in the clutch, only to hear a snapping sound and all of a sudden my clutch just doesn't engage. So here is what I know, and any help would be greatly appreciated!
-There was about 12 inches of travel in the pedal, and now there is maybe 2 or 3.
-the top of the pedal that connects to the cable has bent a significant amount
- under the car, when the clutch is resting (out) the sliding metal piece is in the middle of the slot coming out of the clutch housing
-i replaced the spring on the underside but it has made no difference.
-I tried to manually manipulate the arm in the clutch housing but i wouldn't move (with my own strength)
Any help is awesome! Thanks you!
Re: Clutch Pedal and Springs
Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 11:28 pm
by azruss
the bent clutch forks is the first problem. that will snap a cable in a hurry. this is a common problem. you shouldnt be able to move the throwout bearing with your hand. now the limited travel is a mystery. 1st determine is the clutch cable is broken. It also sounds like the engagement lever ( the thing sticking out of the tranny) is not longer located at the pivot point. This can be due to the arm itself being cracked and bent at the fulcrum. you can pull thus rubber dust cover and inspect with a mirror and flashlight to see what you can see.
Re: Clutch Pedal and Springs
Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 12:27 am
by cyclemichael
Thank you! Do you think i can bend the fork by hand? The cable does work though. When I press the clutch, it will move the engagement lever, just not enough to disengage the clutch, and when its out, the clutch is not fully engaged (at least the engagement arm is not in the furthest back position. Could it be a spring problem? Basically, the clutch neither fully engages nor disengages. what should I look for in the tranny?
Re: Clutch Pedal and Springs
Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 2:19 am
by azruss
The pedal forks can be straightened. This process weakens the metal so you can expect it to bend again soon. I recommend a new one. The end of the clutch fork has a spherical socket with a spring clip. this fits on a ball stud on the bell housing. There are 2 knobs on the inside of a hole in the fork. these knobs stick in a slot on the carrier bearing. I suspect either the end is no longer nested on the ball stud, or the fork is cracked where the 2 knobs are located. In either of these cases, the throwout bearing will pinch on the slide shaft. If the fork is off the ball, it can be wiggled around and reset. If the fork is cracked, it will need to be removed, which means pulling the tranny.
Re: Clutch Pedal and Springs
Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 1:01 pm
by cyclemichael
Okay, so I'm gonna order a few new parts, just based on what I've seen poking around the car:
A new pedal, because it is obviously twisted/bent and has a fracture in it.
A new cable, because the end of this one looks as though it has partially snapped, and it probably can't hurt for like $5.
A new cable return spring (under the car) because the old one has a kink in it, i.e. it has stretched out.
Hopefully this will fix my problem, and in the meantime I'll look into the bell housing (right?) and check out the clutch fork.