Can't shift into 1st or reverse

[BartusCompater]

Recently I've been having worsening clutch problems. When I first got the car maybe two months ago I noticed that in order to shift into first I had put some really serious pressure on the clutch. Maybe a week ago I began to notice that shifting into first and reverse was almost impossible without grinding unless I put all of my might into flooring the clutch. Yesterday I tried pulling out of a driveway and wasn't able to shift into 1st or reverse from a stopped position, even with the clutch pedal down as far as it can go. I ended up having to turn off the car in the middle of the road so that I could shift into first at one point. I've noticed that if I press the clutch pedal and put pressure on the stick to direct it into first gear as I'm slowing down it will fall into place though.

Nevertheless, the situation is obviously deteriorating, and I'm hoping that there's an easy fix to this problem. What are the possible causes? It feels like the clutch pedal simply isn't engaging all the way, hence me having to put the Hammer of Thor onto it before I can change gears. Is there a way to adjust it so that my clutch will engage with less compression of the pedal?

[kristoj]

The simplest, least expensive cause would be a clutch cable that is out of adjustment. Could also be a bad pressure plate or worn syncros in the transmission, but I would start with the clutch cable.

[So Cal Mark]

several possibilities; failing clutch cable, failing clutch pedal, failing firewall. Could be one of the above or any combination of the three. The adjustment is under the car at the clutch lever. I'd look closely at the firewall where the cable passes through it and also at the clutch pedal where the cable attaches

[BartusCompater]

This is an 81', so it's self-adjusting if that is relevant.

How would be able to tell if the cable is out of adjustment? What would I need to do in order to fix it? Replace the cable?

[pope]

self-adjusting?

[BartusCompater]

From my shop manual:

Pedal Adjustment
This procedure applies to 1971-1978 models only. Pedal adjustment on 1979 and later cars is automatic.

I guess this indicates that pedal adjustment isn't a possible cause.

[rlux4]

To check for adjustment, you're clutch pedal should have about 1" of free travel before you feel resistance. Any less and you may have constant pressure on the throw out bearing, any more and you may not have enough travel left to fully release the clutch disc.
Be sure to check the firewall as Mark suggested, there are major stresses involved in the leverage and it can cause the firewall to tear.
I don't understand what your manual is saying. The adjusting nut on the bell housing end of the cluch cable has a lock nut on it, no way it's going to adjust itself. I don't know what part of the pedal your manual is referring to.
Ron

[BartusCompater]

I noticed back when this whole thing was starting that there's about 2-3" of free play.

My manuals states runs through the procedure for adjusting this (making sure cable grommet isn't damaged, loosening the locknut, turning the adjusting nut, etc.) but above procedure it simply says that it only applies to 1971-1978 models because 79' and later have automatic pedal adjustment. I'm sure this is the right manual.

Can someone with a 79'+ shed some light on this?

EDIT: All of you guys have a 79'+... what's up with this manual?

[pope]

The 1986 Fiat Spider had self-adjusting trans cable

[rlux4]

The clutch cable attaches to the pivot arm with a threaded rod. The adjustment is done by turning the nut on the end of the rod until you have correct pedal travel. My clutch, replaced last Dec., needed about 1" of rod past the nut. There is a locking nut on the back of the adjustment nut (kind of acorn shaped) that will lock it in place. As the clutch plate wears out and becomes thinner, you would need to adjust this nut to get correct clutch release.
Ron

[So Cal Mark]

there is no automatic clutch freeplay adjustment on the Spider

[BartusCompater]

Incredibly fun story (for me at least):

Got under the car and adjusted the clutch pedal today. I had to tighten it up quite a bit, but I made sure to give it the 1" of free play that is suggested by my shop manual.

The clutch actually felt amazing. Since I got the car about two months ago I'd been used to fighting it to get it in gear, and with it adjusted it was as soft as butter getting in and through the gears.

I took the Spider out for a spin, really proud of myself, and then after maybe 20 minutes went to pick a friend up for some lunch. As I pulled onto his street I heard a loud ticking sound, and then all of a sudden the clutch pedal snapped to the floor. I pulled off to the side of the road.

My first thought was that I had tightened the cable too much and caused it to snap or something. It definitely wasn't connected to the pedal any more, and that's why the pedal had snapped to the floor. Then I jacked up the car on the side of the road and took a closer look. The cable underneath the car looked fine, and I couldn't pull it out, so it was still intact.

Then I inspected the cable at the pedal-end. The cable had simply come out of the hooked fork on the pedal. I got under the car again, loosened the cable, and slid it back onto the hook. Testing the pedal out with my hand, the cable snapped right back off.

It was then that I took out my shop manual, took a look at a diagram, and realized that the reason the cable had come loose was that the hooks on my pedal had been bent so far back that they no longer held onto the end of the cable when depressed.

I imagine the reason I noticed a deterioration of the effectiveness of my clutch (noted earlier in the thread) is that the pedal was bent went when I bought it, and that cable has been slowly working its way upward and out. Tightening the cable back down to compensate was probably the straw that broke the camel's back.

So I got it into gear with some of my friends pushing, and then drove it about 3 blocks and up a busy hill in 1st at 10 miles per hour to my house, infuriating many a driver.

Long story short: The problem was that my pedal is mutilated. I'm thinking I'll have to order a new one.

[So Cal Mark]

the pedals usually crack and bend when the cable starts to fail and the effort to depress the pedal increases. Cracked firewalls also occur. While the pedal is out, I'd lube the clutch cable and try it by hand. if it doesn't slide very freely, replace it. Also check the ground strap underneath on the bellhousing. A bad connection there can cause the cable to act as a ground path and cause it to fail. Once that cable gets bound up, other parts fail.

[BartusCompater]

Should I be able to just pull the cable in and out by hand, or is it supposed to be a little tough?

[So Cal Mark]

if the cable is disconnected on the bottom it should slide very easily. Any binding indicates time for a new cable