so my clutch isn't engaging all the way

[carbed87]

last night when i was driving home it started to get really hard to get into gear, i ended up making it to a friends house and sleeping there but this morning i got in it to start it and the clutch felt funny. sure enough i go to start it and i guess the clutch was in enough to allow the engine to start, but still engaged enough to grab the flywheel every now and then. so i stop...try again and end up getting it started, try to put it in reverse and it grinds until it finally goes in and stalls the car (almost like i wasn't even pushiing the clutch in and trying to force it into gear). i know it can't be something too complicated, but im just curious what it might be. any suggestions guys

edit: mods do you think you could change the title to "DIS-engage" thanks

 

[HISSIN50]

Check the cable for slack. Chances are the quad/pawl started to let go, but you could also have an issue with the cable coming apart. If you pull up on the clutch pedal, the stock Q/P should try to self-adjust. This may or may not help you with diagnostics (if it rachets and then instantly loses its adjustment again, that's a tell for instance).

Good luck.

 

[SuperStang83]

The clutch cable probably has to much slack in it.

 

[baldy1]

Is it a stock cable or is it an adjustable cable. If its adjustable then adjust it. If its not then pull up on the pedal for the self adjuster to do its job.

 

[carbed87]

it's just a stock setup. i tried pulling up on it with my foot earlier, i dont know if it takes much more force the that, but it felt like it wasn't really going to adjust anymore.

my buddy matt who works at a tranny shop was saying the pedal felt like crap and that i need a new clutch, but he's been really depressed lately and i think he was just trying to bring me down or something lol.

 

[baldy1]

Disconnect the cable from the trans then do it. Have someone hold the end of the cable while you pull up on the pedal. If that does not work than put a clutch in it.

 

[carbed87]

what do you mean like hold the cable from going into the housing?

 

[Lyonmt]

I had a similiar problem. The clutch went from fine to horrible in minutes of driving, So I adjusted it via my FWA and it was good for a few minutes then went bad again.

It turns out the outer cable seperated from the sheathing and was pulling through the plastic piece and metal washer at the firewall. FYI, there is an inner steel cable that does the pulling, then there is an outher cable that allows the inner cable to do it's job, lastly there is an outmost sheathing that holds it all together.

Bottom line, you probably need a new cable. They are like $30 at the local parts store and shouldnt take more than an hour to put in.

 

[bullitstang1313]

Its would probably be easy to pull the cable out and inspect for damage. It may have stretched. Also look into the clutch quadrant to see if it has become damaged. It might just be a good idea to get a new cable, clutch quadrant, and a firewall adjuster. You can't be sure its the actual clutch disc / pressure plate unless you know everything linking the pedal to the clutch is good.