Clutch not fully disengaging - slave has good movement

[rhodes2010]

We can put the car in gear and start it and take off and shift.
If we start the car in neutral we cannot put it in any gear.
It is like the clutch is not releasing all the way.

96 GSX 5 speed manual. Basically stock.
Stock clutch and flywheel.

When we press the clutch pedal after about one small inch of play the slave
starts pushing on the fork. Continuing to press on the clutch pedal produces a lot
of movement and the slave extends out very far.
We bled the clutch system about 2 or maybe 3 master cylinders worth of fluid.

Clutch disk and presure plate are recently new (less than 4,000 miles).
The flywheel is a replacement that I put on Saturday.
Our ring gear was bad so we got a "rebuilt" flywheel from a local auto parts store.
106 tooth like the original. I did not measure the depth from pressure plate steps to the clutch disk surface - I should have.
This flywheel actually looks new as there were no grind marks on it from a resurfacing machine.

I am aware that a ground flywheel can cause the pressure plate to be too far from the fork
and the fulcruim ball of the fork has to be turned out to get the fork closer to the pressure plate.

Man, am I bummed. I am thinking I have to pull it all apart again just to get at that ball/stud behind the fork.
But even if I do, how do I know how much to adjust ?

Any advice or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

I also replaced the starter plate. I mention this as it is one of the variables.
If the starter plate had been thicker it too would move the trans and the fork
further away from the pressure plate. I am sure it is the same thickness.
But I did not measure it.

I read a lot about replacing slave and master clutch cylinders, but mine moves and responds to the pedal so I am not convinced I have a bad slave or master cylinder.

 

[TurboATM]

have you tried simply adjusting the clutch petal itself?

 

[gofer]

+1. Heres a good write-up for it. Clutch Pedal Adjustment

 

[ShadowRS99]

I know that the throughout bearing on mine RS was going bad it caused my transmission to have problems going into gear (many times it wouldn't) and I wouldn't fully disengage a lot of times too... I would check that along with the other thing these others guys mention.

 

[rhodes2010]

Shadowrs99 - the throwout bearing was replaced with the pressure plate and clutch disc. New and working very well.

to gofer and tsi23 thanks for the pedal adjust and explanation.
I am going out now to inspect this part.

I moved the stop out to give the pedal more travel as in the article.
I feel the clevis and bushing are in good shape (this car is really clean under there).

I did not adjust the rod yet. Can I just spin the rod with a pliers ?
I hope I do not have to undo the clevis. This would be a pain.

At first I felt just moving out the stop to give the pedal more travel was enough.
But after thinking about it, I realize that maybe the rod needs to be adjusted out of the pedal (deeper into the master cylinder) to let it travel deeper
in to the master cylinder. Do I have this right ?
It is difficult to sense the master cylinder free play. It is so effortless to use this clutch. Hard to tell when the free play ends and resistence begins.

If I start in gear the cars rolls easily backwards out the driveway.
Which tells me there is very little drag, like I am so close.
At the end of the test drive I can put the car into 2nd gear from neutral
with engine running, but not in to first gear. Taking off from second is ok.

I also tried pumping clutch to see if it mattered. It did not appear so,
maybe I am air free in the lines.

I keep thinking about that fulcrum adjustement. Not liking it.
Tomorrow I will attempt to see it the fork hits the bell housing.
If it does then I know I am at the end of travel.

Comments on adjusting the rod at the pedal ?
Safe to do with a pliers by just twisting ?
Important enough to make a difference ?

 

[ShadowRS99]

Ah alright... well I don't know a whole lot about clutches (obvioulsy haha) so I am not entirely sure but I know my clutch pedal is adjusted pretty far out because of another problem with it disengaging that I was having and now it's fine... I don't remember how we adusted it though, sorry.

 

[dsm8883]

your (rebuilt) flywheel may have the wrong step...

 

[rhodes2010]

dsm8883 - i agree. That step must be maintained or this happens.

Should have measured/compared to my original flywheel before I turned it in for a core.

Well, Interesteing that when I have the clutch on the floor, in gear, start the car.
It feels like a few inches of travel before the clutch engages and starts to pull the car. I can go to the floor and coast to a stop with no pull and have to move off the floor quite a bit before it grabs. Wierd.
I took it out, ran it through the gears, and when warm it started behaving
like it should. After a while I could even get in to 1st and reverse while
idling from a stop. I found out that I can also get in to 2nd and take off from a stop.

I will keep testing to see if it gets better.

 

[Gregorical]

Did you ever find out what it was?

 

[PsYcHoMaNtYsS]

on the gsx the rod for the master cylinder can be adjusted further than the gs, giving you more throw in the clutch release, i also have purchased an extended pushrod for the slave cylinder.

 

[Gsxster]

Wrong tourqe on pressure plate? I had the same problem once and it was not disengaging because the PP wasn't tourqed correct