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vtluu
10-31-2005, 03:30 AM
As I was leaving today's autocross I experienced a strange problem I've never seen before. While the car was sitting (off) I had it in 1st gear, and when I clutched in (pedal all the way down) and started the car, it lurched forward a few times and then stalled, as if the clutch was still engaged. That was strange, but I figured maybe there was a bubble in the clutch line or something that had allowed the clutch to become engaged again even with the pedal down. I put the car in neutral, started it again and drove away without further problems.

Later tonight, I was leaving a friend's place. The car had been parked in front of his house for a few hours. I had the car in neutral; after I started it, I found I couldn't engage any of the gears--I'd try to shift to a gear and it felt "blocked". With the car off, I could change gears just fine... so it became obvious that I couldn't shift with the car started because the clutch was still engaged. We looked under the hood and verified I was getting good movement on the clutch cylinder and the clutch release fork lever. Clutch pedal feel was normal so it didn't look like it was a problem with air in the clutch line, and the physical linkage between the pedal and springs in the clutch was intact. But try as I might, I couldn't get the clutch "open"--pumped the clutch pedal many times, etc.

Finally, I was able to "unstick" the clutch by putting the car into 1st gear, and starting the car. As had happened earlier, the car lurched a few times and stalled, and the lurching seemed to be enough to cause the clutch to release properly, because I started the car again and then the clutch seemed to engage and disengage just fine. I drove home and stopped for gas along the way. Leaving the gas station, the clutch worked just fine--so it seems that the problem only happens if the car has been sitting for a couple hours or more.

Anybody know what the problem might be (more specifically than "my clutch is hosed")? :?

EVO GRIM
10-31-2005, 07:59 AM
Sounds like the clutch is staying ingaged when the pedal is disengaged. What sort of spring disengages the clutch? Is it part of the clutch?

Off topic how was the xede?

MarkSAE
10-31-2005, 08:33 AM
When was the last time you bled your clutch? It definitely sounds like a clutch hydraulic issue. Perhaps your clutch needs a little adjustment too.

vtluu
10-31-2005, 09:50 AM
When was the last time you bled your clutch? It definitely sounds like a clutch hydraulic issue. Perhaps your clutch needs a little adjustment too.
I'll try bleeding the clutch line; I had a friend look at the clutch cylinder and the movement of the shaft to the clutch release fork while I pushed the clutch pedal in and out and the movement looked normal, but anyway it's easy enough to do. (I hope it's that simple.) As for adjustment, I think it's okay because once the clutch is "unstuck" then it behaves very normally--there's no sign that it's partially engaged (slipped) when the pedal is pushed in.

earlyapex
10-31-2005, 11:50 AM
I'm with Mark, sounds like a the master or slave cylinder might be leaking or introducing air into the system, hence the reason it does that after sitting for awhile.

Bleed the system and see if it helps.

vtluu
10-31-2005, 01:26 PM
Thanks. Bled the clutch thoroughly this morning and it seems to be behaving normally now. I hope it stays that way... Don't really feel like dropping $2k+ on a new clutch/install.

MitsuMan
10-31-2005, 02:13 PM
2k for a clutch install shit man I wish I could afford that......Do it yourself...... You might of been experiencing a sticking disc to the flywheel. It is posible to get the clutch and flywheel hot enough to stick to eachother and since you shut it down and left it in gear then maybe thats what happend. did you feel resistance in the pedal when you pushed it? then you felt the pressure plate and the clutch hydraulic system was functioning because you were moving the relaese fork enough to feel it.......just a thought 8)

vtluu
10-31-2005, 02:43 PM
$1600 or so for the Exedy twin-plate. I don't expect to pay $400 for the install either, I said $2k as round number; probably closer to $2400. Anyway it seems to be okay now, hopefully it'll stay that way.

vtluu
11-30-2005, 01:18 PM
This started happening again Monday. I bled the clutch line thoroughly yesterday morning and I think it still happened, a little, last night.

I didn't see any leaks in the slave cylinder while I was bleeding the line. Haven't checked the master cylinder yet though I will. I'll try adjusting the pedal as well... Any other ideas?

zyounker
11-30-2005, 01:29 PM
Has nothing to do with your clutch.. Did you install a SS clutch line? Check it for leaks.. if it does loose pressure again.. If not the clutch line, your master or slave cyl are leaking.. You can rebuild them on older cars.. on the evo you might have to replace them.


Also check inside the car behind the carpet.. i had an RX7 that leaked inside so it was not visible from the outside.


-Zach

ZK
11-30-2005, 02:47 PM
Sounds like a hydrolic problem. Maybe a bad master or slave clutch cylinder.

I had a problem with my clutch pedal disengaging and engaging the clutch too slowly and I was grinding gears on my previous car. Turns out the slave was leaking. Even though the slave was new at the time, I had a Exedy stage 2 and the stock slave couldn't handle the higher pressure of the aftermarket clutch and it popped.

turbotiger
11-30-2005, 03:34 PM
If you're gettin enough movement at the slave rod (look up to see what is within specs), it could be your clutch disc. Something may have broken off the disc and is lodged in there somewhere.

Although you said it's better after you bleed, it sounds more like a hydraulic issue. Are you losing clutch fluid?