Is my clutch shot?

flipper35 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-09-2006, 09:09 PM

Everything has been working pretty good until last Monday when I took the Cobra to class to give my instructor a ride. More about that later. Anyway, the car has about 8000 miles on it and on the way up is seemed to work OK but after I went to his office to get him we got in the car and it wouldn't go into gear unless I turned the engine off and it didn't up or downshift unless I matched revs. Then it started to work OK a couple stop signs later. Then it stopped working so well again. It was about 100* that day. Tonight I had my wife depress the pedal while I looked underneath thinking the adjustment was off with wear. The pedal goes down and I can see the clutch fork start to bend and it still isn't releasing the clutch. I can't rotate the tires by hand when jacked up in gear with the pedal all the way down. It looks and feels like something is not letting the fork push the TO bearing all the way in to release the clutch. It does need adjusting, the TO has no free play right now. I can still move the clutch fork by hand a little, but it is right up against the TO. I thought when the clutch wears it would start slipping.

flipper35 · #2 (**permalink**) 06-10-2006, 12:42 AM

OK, I just tried it all a bit ago and it works. Looks like I might have to disassemble a bit and see if something is binding. Oh bother.

sharpe 1 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-10-2006, 06:03 AM

It sounds like the hydraulic slave cyl. is going bad or needs to be bleed out.

flipper35 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-10-2006, 02:28 PM

I can push the clutch far enough that the clutch fork will start to bend. Wouldn't that suggest there is enough pressure and travel left in the slave to operate the clutch. I have about 1/2" travel left in the slave by the way.

392cobra · #5 (**permalink**) 06-10-2006, 02:35 PM

I could easily be way off here.

If you are putting enough pressure on the fork to start bending it,won't that tend to bend the pressure plate levers,diaphram as well ?

jarendall · #6 (**permalink**) 06-11-2006, 07:33 AM

the clutch plate will slip when worn out, you seem to have a problem with the TO bearing or the slave cylinder, also you might want to check your fluid level for the master cylinder, sharpe 1 suggested, that you may have air in the system, that could come from a low level in the master cylinder, check for leaks

flipper35 · #7 (**permalink**) 06-13-2006, 01:16 PM

Maybe flex is a better word. What I found out after disconnecting the slave from the fork is the ball doesn't have enough pivot angle and the rod is binding when it get's near full throw. I need to move the mount for a better angle when it pulls. I guess as it wore the angle changed a bit. It wasn't putting any more pressure on the levers on the diaphram since it was binding on the slave end. This might explain why it never worked as free as I thought it should. I'll let you know after we move the mount.

(edit for spelling stupidity)

bkozlow · #8 (**permalink**) 06-13-2006, 03:25 PM

You might consider putting in a heim joint at the end of the slave. Even if you have to re-enforce the throwout bearing arm. By using the female heim you solve the angle and missalignment problem.

Bill K

392cobra · #9 (**permalink**) 06-13-2006, 04:24 PM

As Bill suggested,I too have a female heim on the slave.

Brent I had a very similiar problem.My slave would develope a leak at the front o ring.After repairing it three times and snapping a grade 8 bolt that runs thru the pivot ball and threads into a female/female adapter to the slave shaft.

The pocket/hole in the fork was too small.When the clutch was depressed it couldn't pivot freely so it ends up putting sideways pressure on the slave shaft,thus the o ring.The fork was hittng the slave shaft.

I slightly opened up the far side of the pivotball pocket with a dremel until it wouldn't touch when at total travel.

No further problems in 2.5 years.

flipper35 · #10 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 11:03 PM

Fred, they sound like very simlar problems. My ball socket is plenty large enough, it just is aligned off to the side enough that it binds. If I move the anchor end in where it lines up better I think everything will be fine.

I think it would take a lot more than a little flex to ruin the fork. It is a Hayes Street/Strip clutch.

http://www.moparsupercenter.com/Prod...845_26911.html

My fork