Clutch help please

[dalepmay]

Okay, I have absolutely no experience with clutches, so bear with me. Here is how the problem started...

Last night I was stopped at a red light. I pushed the clutch in, put it in first gear, and the engine stalled, while the clutch was still in all the way. I tried restarting it, and it wouldn't start. I stopped for a second, put in in neutral, started it fine in neutral, and when i tried to put in first, it would not go into first at all, totally impossible. Then the engine stalled again. I put it in first with the engine not running, went in just fine. Then I was able to get it started this time, but i could tell it was about to stall again, but since i was only about a mile from home, i kept my foot on the gas to keep it from stalling and went on my way. When i shifted into second and third, pushing in the clutch felt like something was stopping it from being engaged all the way, i could tell there was ALOT of resistance, then it was extremely hard to get it into each gear. I ended up making it home.

Then this morning, same thing on the way to work (about 2 miles). But this morning, every time I pushed the clutch in, in addition to all the resistance, it was making a loud high pitch squealing whenever the clutch pedal was pressed. Almost the type of squeal that belts make, but just a bit louder and higher pitch. I noticed that with the engine running, even stopped, it was absolutely impossible to put it in first. It would go into every other gear, but with some difficulty. I got to work and started making calls about getting it towed, clutch prices, etc. Then a few hours later I took one of my coworkers out so he could feel what it was doing, and when i tried to start it, we could hear the loud squealing again while it was trying to turn over, and my coworker said he could smell the clutch burning, although i didn't smell it.

So now, I am not even touching it until I get it towed. I am planning on doing whatever work is required myself with the help of my father in law who is much more experienced than me with cars in general, although he doesn't have experience with "half motor cars".

I was just wondering if anyone would have any idea based on my description what the problem might be. If it helps it is a 1G TSi AWD, Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch that is less than 2 years old. A few people I have talked to seem to think it might be either the throwout bearing, clutch plate, or a bent fork (I had a bent fork on my first talon, not fun).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks guys.

 

[deusxmachina]

"Half-motor cars." Hah! Pretty funny.

Sounds like a clutch disc spring or something broke off the clutch disc and is caught between the disc and the pressure plate. Been there, done that, once or twice.

 

[Illicit TSi]

"Half-motor cars." Hah! Pretty funny.

Sounds like a clutch disc spring or something broke off the clutch disc and is caught between the disc and the pressure plate. Been there, done that, once or twice.

I concure.. Something is definately broke.Could be clutch fork could be a spring which would explain the squealing noise.. But you are gonna need to either:
1. get a new clutch and rpessure plate(given)
2.resurface the flywheel if the flywheel is ok and not heat marked or Scratched/cracked.If it is then the Flywheel has to be replaced.

 

[dalepmay]

Okay, tranny is now out, clutch has ben out, and the only thing bad is the throw out bearing, believe it or not. It was in about 4 pieces.... I'll post pics in a couple days. The clutch plate, pressure plate and flywheel are all fine. The only thing I am wondering is how would a destroyed throw out bearing prevent it from going into first gear but not any others? I am wondering if something inside the tranny might be bad......

 

[deusxmachina]

You said it went into first with the car off. This suggests the tranny is most likely fine. You also said it was hard to shift into the higher gears, so the problem was still there on those, just not as bad, probably just due to the car moving and the engine being at higher rpms when you shifted and everything rev-matched a little easier.

I've had to limp the car a couple times due to similar things breaking. The trans was fine. And if yours happens to not be fine, just pull the trans out again later. After you do it once, it just becomes more of an annoyance than anything else. I'd rather put a most-likely-good trans back in to then find out it's broken than to take a good trans apart.

What kind of throw-out bearing is that? Stock OEM, or one of the aftermarket ones?

 

[dalepmay]

The throw out bearing is the one that came with the centerforce dual friction clutch. I am ordering one that is suppose to be the same size from schucks. It should be in sometime today....so we will see.....