1985 Clutch Issue
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1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2025
Posts: 1
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1985 Clutch Issue
I was test driving a 1985 and while shifting near the end of the drive, the clutch pedal very slowly came back to my foot. After this the car would not go into gear - It was as if all 4 gears were neutral. There was no violent trans grinding or noises, but I did smell clutch. Trans felt healthy while I was driving. Btw, the car had not been driven much in recent yrs and has ~90 000 km total.
After pushing the car back I left. The owner later said they drove the car fine after letting it sit for a while. They have not diagnosed the issue so I’d like to find out if this sounds like a major issue or not. If it’s just a slave cylinder maybe it’s not so bad, but I don’t know anyone familiar with the Doug Nash and would be much more hesitant if it was a trans issue.
After pushing the car back I left. The owner later said they drove the car fine after letting it sit for a while. They have not diagnosed the issue so I’d like to find out if this sounds like a major issue or not. If it’s just a slave cylinder maybe it’s not so bad, but I don’t know anyone familiar with the Doug Nash and would be much more hesitant if it was a trans issue.
Pro
Joined: May 2025
Posts: 577
Likes: 130
From: OK
The hydraulic clutches in these seem to be an annoyance even among hydraulic clutches, and they do sit in pretty close proximity to a bunch of really hot exhaust stuff.
If it were mine I'd be buying a clutch master, slave and hose and bleeding it with a good DOT4 fluid. If it's fine when cold
that'll probably fix it. Probably. And it might be due a clutch if it's been half engaged now and then and slipping.
The fluid likely hasn't been changed in a decade and is full of moisture that boils far
sooner than brake fluid. The brakes themselves are probably in as bad a shape even if they are currently working.
And the overdrive fluid likely hasn't been changed regularly. And on, and on, and on, and on.....
If they haven't noticed an issue like that, who knows what else they haven't noticed. It better be cheap.
If it were mine I'd be buying a clutch master, slave and hose and bleeding it with a good DOT4 fluid. If it's fine when cold
that'll probably fix it. Probably. And it might be due a clutch if it's been half engaged now and then and slipping.
The fluid likely hasn't been changed in a decade and is full of moisture that boils farsooner than brake fluid. The brakes themselves are probably in as bad a shape even if they are currently working.
And the overdrive fluid likely hasn't been changed regularly. And on, and on, and on, and on.....
If they haven't noticed an issue like that, who knows what else they haven't noticed. It better be cheap.
