car is stranded! clutch problem

[PieEyedPiper]

My car is stranded and I think it's a clutch problem.

I was driving in first gear, shifted at 3800rpm under boost, into second and when I put the clutch in again ( to shift into 2nd gear), the clutch felt really funny, there was half as much pedal weight as there usually was. The only force being applied to the pedal was my foot, and the spring attached to the pedal's base.

Please help! My car is stranded out of my home town.
Thanks for reading.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Small Update:

Do not worry about hijacking, the point is to solve the problem!
Yesterday I went to a tranny shop and the guy thinks, from what I've told him, that the pressure plate has fallen/come apart. Sounds reasonable and makes perfect sense considering the symptoms.
I"m taking the car in next week to have the mechanic check to see if that is the problme and then he will replace the clutch (can't decide between 2600 or spec stage 3).
Just curious if you've made any advances in your own car.

oh, and I'm REALLY not looking forward to $450 for the clutch and whatever else for labor..eug.. do you have a money tree location near you? haha i hate those comercials with the giant catapillar!

 

[RampageSTi]

Actually, I did finally find out my problem. I took it into work and messed with it for a while, and found the shift fork that rides on the throwout bearing and slave cylinder was broken. Not visible through the rubber boot on the trans, but one of the sides snapped off completely, so it was just moving back and forth without moving the throwout bearing. I would be willing to bet that is your problem too. The part was like $50 through Mitsu, but I saw someone else sells a stronger version for about $80, which might not be a bad idea. I have an ACT 2600, and I think that is what took out my shift fork, the extra strain on it... Good luck with your car, let me know what happens.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Hey guys! it's like what 90 days later or something?

Well I just took my car for a spin around the block! Feels so great to be back on the road!

Turns out my problem was with the pressure plate and TOB. The TOB was shredded and the pressure plate...just like..fell apart. I'm looking at it as I type this and I swear gremlins are responsible for the disaster that took place in my tranny!

I replaced my clutch with a Spec Stage 2+ clutch, my mechanic warned me he found it quite aggressive and noticed a lot of chatter.
I, however, find it to be a prefect balance. Stock feel, strong bite, NO chatter so far. I've only driven her 6miles but I've not noticed any chatter at all.

But this info is also coming from a guy who took 9.5 hours to do my clutch job. Yeah... I know. he refused to dismantle any part of the frame or supports making the job just hellish. Two men spent 9.5 hours doing this. Not once was a single man working on it. I guess this is the first GSX they'd ever done. Good guys, really. They're just used to hondas and trucks.

The car shifts rough, first gear is awful. I figure maybe it was the "sure-lube" tranny oil he used in combination with the idea that no tranny will feel the same after being disassembled and reassembled. so I'll do some half syncromesh and half redline in it and see if it shifts any smoother - cause right now it's like Tetris to get it into first gear.

Conclusion:
-PP failed
-TOB was roasted

-Replaced Cutch
-Replaced Fork

Labor $788
Clutch $370
Fork $Negligable

Thanks to everyone who helped!!!!

 

[ihaterice]

shit 788 in labor. do all places to charge this much?

 

[eclipsegsx1736]

Glad to see you got it working. $788 in labor . I payed $240 for clutch kit/flywheel/ resurface/new fork and ball/new TOB/fluid install. And this guy has 3 DSMs of his own. But hey, I got ripped off on my timing belt install...It was around $750

 

[PieEyedPiper]

yeah in my area every shop i checked wanted a similar amount. Even Aamco. It sucks.

small update.

after driving 60 hwy miles and 7 stop and go miles last night my car is back in the shop. I limped her back to the shop at around 9pm last night when my clutch went soft and mushy.

I guess the slave went after the install of a heavier clutch? Who knows. We'll see.

 

[ihaterice]

wow sorry to hear about these problems. sucks you just spent all that money to just have it back in the shop. hope it gets better for you.

 

[airmail96]

I just wanted to say, i know your pain about the TOB mine crapped on me awhile back, car wouldn't start at all. When they took it out haha it had left a circle alll the way around the pressure plate that was awesome haha not. But hope things turn out well.

 

[oldman]

At least it wasn't you know what. Glade you got it back on the road.