Clutch Problem

[SyntheticBlinkerFluid]

Well I went and picked up the '86 yesterday and I have a feeling that since it had been sitting for a while, the flywheel/clutch/pressure plate has rusted together. You can't get it into gear with the engine running. I have a feeling the clutch could be blown too.

 

Well, from things I've learned in the past, I know you can put the car in gear, push in the clutch, and try to start the car. Well that didn't work considering the battery I was using had very low voltage.

 

We then decided that we'd hook it up to Vic and we'd pull it around in gear with the clutch pedal pushed in and the ignition off. Well, that didn't work either considering that the car just wanted to be a large air pump.

 

I have been told by the previous owner that the clutch did slip a little before it was done being driven.

 

Without knowing anything about this drivetrain, I have gotten the clue that the clutch is mechanical not hydraulic. I looked under the hood and had my friend push the clutch in a few times, I couldn't see anything moving, then a loud click and all of a sudden the linkage is moving.

 

I don't know if I should pull the drivetrain (though I have no time) or I could figure out if the clutch set is rusted. I wanted to have the subie for winter but it doesn't look like it.

[nkx]

correct you are, the clutch is cable actuated. try pop starting it again with the ignition on if you cant get a charge from a good battery. i dont see how pop starting the car with the ign off would do anything except wear stuff out.

[Subarian]

The clutch surface is made of friction material similar to brake pads. When you push in the clutch, the face of the pressure plate is moved away from the clutch face. I've never heard of a clutch rusting to a pressure plate, although I guess it's theoretically possible. Try moving the clutch fork manually. It's on the top of the transmission, straight back from the carb or throttle body and right behind the opening for timing your engine.

[TomRhere]

I get the part where he says that they pulled the car around with the trans in gear and clutch pedal pushed in, but the engine still turned over. It means that the clutch was not releasing, for what ever reason.

 

I don't get the part of where his friend was working the clutch pedal while he looked under the hood. He saw nothing moving until a "click" was heard then the clutch parts started moving. Don't make sense to me. If the clutch pedal was being pushed and nothing was moving under the hood, I would think of broken clutch cable. Can't see where a "click" would fix a broke cable, nor can I think of any other reason he saw nothing moving when the pedal was being moved.

 

I have seen clutch discs rust to the splines of the tranny and not want to release fully when the pedal is pushed in, but still the linkage would move as normal.

[Salty]

The clutch on an 85 I worked on would not release due to a build-up of dust.

The clutch disc is in a recess in the flywheel which has a series of small holes to allow dust to be dissipated. They do not do a very good job.

[bratsrus1]

Hey Fluid This is Jerry, i had a 78 brat that did the same thing. Well to get it unstuck you need to jack up the front end of the car just so the front wheels are off the ground. Then you need a rod about 3 feet long. Start the car in gear with the clutch pedal push in to the floor. Then rev the engine to about 2 grand with the rod, with your right foot dinamite the brakes. It will brake loose the clutch i had to do it 4 times before the clutch broke loose but after i did it everything was ok ready to drive. OH BTW make sure there is nothing in front of your car because if it falls off of the jack you won't run over anything. Thanks Jerry

[nipper]

yes this method works, but be VERY cautous. use HUGE blocks on the rear wheels, and get some real jackstands, not the 19.99 ones to do it.

 

 

nipper

[SyntheticBlinkerFluid]

I don't get the part of where his friend was working the clutch pedal while he looked under the hood. He saw nothing moving until a "click" was heard then the clutch parts started moving. Don't make sense to me. If the clutch pedal was being pushed and nothing was moving under the hood, I would think of broken clutch cable. Can't see where a "click" would fix a broke cable, nor can I think of any other reason he saw nothing moving when the pedal was being moved.

 

I have seen clutch discs rust to the splines of the tranny and not want to release fully when the pedal is pushed in, but still the linkage would move as normal.

 

When I had my friend push in the clutch repeatedly, nothing was moving. All of a sudden there was a click I heard, that he also felt in the pedal and the linkage started moving, I thought maybe the clutch/flywheel broke loose, but what I think happened was that the clutch cable was rusted or corroded and after the constant pushing on the pedal, broke that loose, but after that happened and you could see the clutch fork moving, the clutch wasn't releasing.

 

So now I'm wondering if the clutch is blown, because with the engine running, you wouldn't be able to get the trans in gear.