Clutch pedal issue- please help

[mpb87]

I just bought a 96 Talon TSI AWD with 65k on it. Ive noticed that the clutch pedal acts a little bit strange somethimes. It is very hard to explain but it feels like a clicking feel or added ressistance when I press the clutch down like 3/4's or the way. It only does this after it has been driving for a little while too. Maybe it is just something that needs to be lubed or adjusted, but when I searched for some possibilities I saw the word crankwalk come up more than once. I really hope that is not what is going on here. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JCMDSM]

Have someone sit inside the car and press the clutch in while you observe the harmonic balancer on the end of the crank. If you get lateral motion then you could have crank walk. Crankwalk is basically the wearing of the thrust bearing in the engine. When it wears it allows the crank to move back and forth in the engine (that is front of the engine to the back). Also people with crankwalk typically experience issues while turning left ; such as stalling, difficulty shifting etc. Good luck and let us know what you find. --Jon

 

[mpb87]

Please bare with me because I truly am a newb when it comes to this. I checked an online diagram of my engine and it didnt have anything on the harmonic balancer on the end of the crank. Is this something that can be seen by just looking into the engine, or do I need to remove parts to see it?

 

[mpb87]

Alright, I think I might have some idea as to what is happening. When I start my car up in the morning and drive to school the clutch feels perfectly normal. However, around 3 o'clock on the ride home, a little bit after I start driving it, I get that stiffness feeling again. I think that this might be due to the warmer temprature (its about a 30 degree difference). Has anyone else experienced anything like this, or has any info on what could be happening?

 

[mopardwh]

I have driven an ungodly amount of cars and never seen temperature affect a hydraulic system using that type of fluid like the brakes or clutch.

Like previously stated, I would check the "harmonic balancer" for movement. (Although not really a harmonic balancer, because thats what the balance shafts are for). It is the biggest pulley on the front of your engine centered on bottom. Bolts directly to the crank.

 

[keymaster]

You'll have to remove the lower timing cover to see it. You can remove the splash shield on the left front tire to access it too. It's actually called the harmonic DAMPENER, not balancer, FYI.

 

[mpb87]

I had someone one depress the clutch a couple of times while I was looking under the hood and I didn't see any movement in any of the belts. But after reading the above post I dont think I was looking at the right thing. Tomorrow I'll try to look again. If I do see lateral movement does mean crankwalk for sure?

 

[JCMDSM]

My bad. Thanks keymaster. If it is visible then most likely. The tolerances are a couple thousandths of an inch so anything that you can measure with your eyes is bound to be more than that.

 

[DSMjrv]

im experiencing extra load when depressing the clutch too... at idle my load is 15% but when i press the clutch in it ranges from 21-29%.... and its a 6bolt too : (

there are a few other things it could be but i was wondering if there is a for sure way to tell whethere ## cranking is walking or not... but unlike most people with c-walk i dont see the clutch pedal move at all during left hand turns...

 

[No_Skillz]

Temperature might have an affect on the pedal if he has air or water in the lines. Does your clutch point change at all(cold to warm, pump up)? Try a bleed.

 

[Attack Eagle]

Ditto on skillz...
PLus 2gs have to have the pedal properly adjusted for the master to bleed back to the reservoir, they have that silly reservoir/accumulator etc.

I've had temp sensative problems before.... mine was a failing slave... after 2-3 hours on the highway I'd hit the clutch to exit and it would hit the floor...
Finally figured it outa couple of weeks later when it finished blowing up. It would leak only when it got hot, get an airbubble, and give you a heartattack (CWALK! CWALK!).

As long as I was playing with it I'd give the clutch switch /upper stop one turn up to ensure it is not a pedal pump up problem too and gravity bleed the line, using a long length of hose into a jar of fluid... I always seem to get ONe little bubble doing it under pressure.

You might consider simply replacing the lower hard line with an SS one that would let you by pass the accumulator at some point, or if you ever need to change the slave that would be a good time to do so. it makes a huge difference in feel, and there is a lot less fluid in the lines.

 

[president95]

When i was looking for a gsx, i drove about 200 miles to go look at one with about 68K miles. It had the exact same clutch feeling problem that you're explaining, where it seems to have more tension the further down it went. The guy had replaced the clutch and the slave and still the problem persisted. I don't want to throw the C word out there but maybe...

 

[No_Skillz]

Maybe but maybe not. Nothing lost in spending a mere 200 bucks on maintainence (something necessary anyway) to find out.

 

[mpb87]

I just got back from our mechanic and he gave some good and bad news. He said that it looked like the transmission had been out of the car before and there was a rubber boot or something that wasn't put back. He said it was where the slave cylinder went into the transmission, and since that peice wasn't there all kinds of crap has been getting up in there. He sprayed some grease on it and it seems to be ok for now, but i was told that eventually I will need a new clutch.

 

[No_Skillz]

Don't listen to mechanics and stop going to them. Learn how to do things yourself.

If the boot is missing off the piston of the slave cylinder, chances are there is junk in there. All you need to do, barest minimum, is drain the hydraulic system, replace the slave and the boot. You do not need a new clutch.

I would suggest that you change the master cylinder as well, perhaps change to an SS clutch line. Whever you order your slave cylinder from; if they ship you 2 different length pistons, use the shorter one.

 

[Attack Eagle]

I think you are refering to the shift fork boot... no biggie, I don't even have the lower piece that covers the flywheel in place. When one day your clutch dies a natural death, you are going to want to replace the fork and pivot ball, and you can replace the boot at that same time.

 

[mpb87]

How difficult is draining the hydralic system? I really am trying to force myself to do things myself more because i am tired of being mechanically challenged, however, there is a certian level of comfort knowing that a profesional did something. But, if you guys really are possitive that this is the problem and it is a reasonable project for a COMPLETE dsm newbie then i guess i might give it a go

 

[No_Skillz]

Buy a manual (or several different ones, as some have info others do not), introduce yourself to http://www.vfaq.com, and say hello to DSMs, headaches, and plenty of bonding time with your car.

 

[MrBoxx]

Ive noticed that the clutch pedal acts a little bit strange somethimes. It is very hard to explain but it feels like a clicking feel or added ressistance when I press the clutch down like 3/4's or the way. It only does this after it has been driving for a little while too.

Just a thought, and this may not even apply, but the "click" caught my attention and I haven't been very active in the tech forums lately. I miss answering interesting questions. Is there an audible clicking noise near the clutch pedal when you press it down or let it back up? If so, the spring assembly that brings the pedal back up may need to be replaced or removed and reassembled. A few years ago, my clutch pedal would "click" loudly enough that I took it into the dealership and they replaced the spring assembly. I don't remember if pedal pressure increased or not. Like I said, if you're not hearing an audible clicking noise, then it's probably not this, but just in case, I thought I'd offer it. Good luck.

 

[Denji]

Just a thought, and this may not even apply, but the "click" caught my attention and I haven't been very active in the tech forums lately. I miss answering interesting questions. Is there an audible clicking noise near the clutch pedal when you press it down or let it back up? If so, the spring assembly that brings the pedal back up may need to be replaced or removed and reassembled. A few years ago, my clutch pedal would "click" loudly enough that I took it into the dealership and they replaced the spring assembly. I don't remember if pedal pressure increased or not. Like I said, if you're not hearing an audible clicking noise, then it's probably not this, but just in case, I thought I'd offer it. Good luck.

my pedal assembly used to click somewhere, i just greased it up real well and it went away.

 

[mpb87]

It isn't as much of an audible noise as it is a clicking that i can feel with my foot. The pedal pressure does increase. I tried greasing the whole pedal assembly inside the car, and where the slave cylinder goes into the transmission. I just used WD-40, not sure if thats the right stuff or not, but it didnt make a difference

 

[v2ner]

Before you greased anything, did you ever notice if there was fluid dripping from clutch master cylinder (above the clutch pedal)?

 

[Strm Trpr]

Like previously stated, I would check the "harmonic balancer" for movement. (Although not really a harmonic balancer, because thats what the balance shafts are for).

The crankshaft pulley is a harmonic dampener.
It is there to help balance the rotating assembly.

Balance Shafts on the other hand are not there to balance the rotating assembly.
Balance Shafts are in our engines to help cancel out the harmonic movements of the motor in the motor mounts.
Thus with your balance shafts in, you won't feel the wobble of the motor in the motor mounts, take them out like everyone should, and you will notice a little more in cab vibrations from the natural harmonic motion of a 4 cylinder engine.
In short, balance shafts have absolutely nothing to do with balancing the rotating assembly......

 

[oldman]

In short, balance shafts have absolutely nothing to do with balancing the rotating assembly......

Nor does a harmonic dampener/balance. In short, its function is to reduce the twisting motion of the crank, un-cranking the crank if you will. The rotating assembly should have been balanced right out of the box.

 

[Strm Trpr]

Agreed ^^^