clutch problem

[1994]

Hey I have a 92 gsx I'm h aveing problems with the clutch I've got to drive this car one day before it started happening at first it was good then I go out one morning and went for a drive 10 mins later the clutch started slipping so I turned around to go home on the way it got to the point it wouldn't move anymore so I got the car to my garage and swapped out my disc for my spare I had laying around went for another drive worked fine for 2 blocks and started slipping again had to pull it back to the garage again because it was up hill
I dropped the trans again and put an act 2900 pressure plate in and tried again now it wont go into gear it just grinds now.
Any ideas on what might be the problem
thanks in advanced

 

[Fullthrottle7]

So you're obviously versed in working on these things when you shrug off dropping the trans a few times a week . New flywheel, or was it resurfaced when you did the original clutch job that slipped? These things are definitely finicky, and I know the 1gs have issues with the pedal assemblies on top of things, however all of the geometry is pretty simple to get right. Check your clutch arm in reference to the bellhousing as Jack's Trans videos show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vYJxQyjIhUw

What did you change the second time around to go from slipping (clamping too little) to grinding gears (not disengaging completely)? Did you not use the 2900 pressure plate the first time, hard to understand from your post kind of. Regardless, check your flywheel step height for an exact measurement if you have it all out again to know where you're at and shim the pivot ball if the arm isn't aligned correctly. Should take care of the problem for you, I know people say shimming the pivot is a band aid, but short of buying a new one for $60+, thats a pretty easy to install and trouble free band aid to apply that works well for every higher mileage trans I've been around! Good luck!

- Tyler



*** Not 100% sure if it can happen to 1gs, but a 2g master cylinder rod can be adjusted out too far so that the clutch will work initially but slowly will pump up too much without bleeding back down and eventually add too much pressure. If none of the above gets you fixed up, adjust your master cylinder rod 4-6 full turns shorter and start fine adjustments from there to make sure this pedal pump up isn't occuring. I'm sure someone can correct me if 1gs don't suffer from this!!

 

[1994]

I changed the pressure plate with an act 2900 I've got this tranny thing down between the 2 vehicles now the original clutch was done about 7 months ago but it was in my fwd takin I recently just swapped my motor from that into the awd eclipse.
Ill have to look into it being adjusted to much ### my pedal feels amazing and everything seems to be moving as it should

 

[Fullthrottle7]

So if you swapped from a FWD to an AWD you definitely switched flywheels thats what I was talking about before. Was it a new flywheel, a resurfaced one, etc. What was the measurement of the step height, or was it not checked and just throw in assuming it was good? Definitely one of my first big mistakes in DSM land and it sucks to rip everything back apart because of. Pedal feel aside, if you're not engaging right, your geometry is off at some point. Eliminate each possible spot from the pedal side inwards and who knows maybe you won't have to even drop it again.

Did you find some pics of the clutch arm to bellhousing angle to see if yours is correct? Thats a pretty quick indicator of clutch arm/flywheel surface wear...

 

[1994]

Yea switched flywheels it was a new one from advanced I didn't check the step of it
the fork sits a little over to the driver side from the middle I spaced the pivot ball today thinking that would have been the problem but it didn't change a thing

 

[Fullthrottle7]

Well, if you got it right of center now after shimming thats awsome, at least your geometry is physically set up correctly. If the issue still persists, I have to think there is an issue in the master/slave setup which is the pedal adjustment we were talking about yesterday. Outside of that or a mechanical failure of either cylinder, the only thing I can think of would be that the face of the flywheel is stepped down too short for any adjustment to overcome. The pressure plate just can't be thrown enough to pull all the way off the friction surface somehow.

If you adjust the pedal/master cyl to the max throw it can possibly give and you still aren't getting full disengagement I guess as a cheap test/band aid fix you could try the extended slave rod briefly to gain a little more and see if it helps. I'm basing this off the fact that you mentioned "grinding gears" as a quick thought, have you actually tested for clutch drag? Put the car in 1st gear, hold the clutch to the floor while staying in gear, and rev up between 6-7k rpm. Does the car start to move forward?

If what you're thinking is the clutch not disengaging all the way, you probly won't even get to 3k rpm before it starts moving forward, however if you do find that you can make it up to the 6k without motion, its time to stop worrying about the clutch and look into the trans for that grinding! Check shifter cables to make sure they aren't getting caught up and are travelling all the way, check for worn bushings under the shift assembly and on the trans itself etc. The bushings on the trans end of the cables break down really easy and make for sloppy shifting all the time. Sorry you're having such a problem, but our clutch system is pretty straight forward it shouldn't be too hard to narrow this down quickly for you stick with it and you'll be rolling out soon!

 

[1994]

I can't do thethe clutch drag test ### it don't go into gear when the car is running but I dropped the trans again today and put my other pressure plate back in
I had a buddy of mine come up and we noticed that the half shaft bracket the bolts broke he said it has happened to him and he had the same issue of it feeling like the clutch was slipping so we fixed that i went back and forth in the garage it was shifting nice
Just have to wait till tomorrow to actually take it out for a drive its way to loud for me to take it out now and no inspection sticker

 

[Fullthrottle7]

Why would anything at all with an axle have an effect on you putting the car into gear from nuetral? Still sounds to me like a messed up master or slave cylinder not putting enough pressure to the throw out bearing. Have you had a buddy actually look at the trans while you push the clutch in and out to see if and how far the slave moves the arm? I have been assuming that since you said the pedal feels fine that its doing what its supposed to do and the hydraulic system has enough pressure to bring itself back up from the floor but what your saying isn't making much sense...

As far a the loose axle feeling, I have had that experience as well but in the rear end, and it does feel like total clutch slippage, mine was only around corners but same thing, couldn't accelerate after. I guess if you get it back together, fix the bolt and it works then great. Still concerning that the nicer pressure plate was so different than the one you're back to now. GL!



* N/M I guess you just meant you still couldn't get into gear on the old pressure plate. I guess thats cool if you put the old one back and its working, hopefully shimming that pivot makes all the difference for you, it definitely has for lots of us!

 

[95boostedmo]

That's happened to me.. it was the mater cylinder