Manual Transmission / Clutch Problems
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Joined: Dec 2000
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From: Hoffman Estates, IL
Manual Transmission / Clutch Problems
Car is a 97 C5 with 19k miles. I had a McLeod twin-disk clutch professionally installed along with the adjustable master cylinder and a new Z06 slave cylinder back in March. I have since put about 5k miles on in the past five months, along with a few days of autocross and a weekend road-racing. Nothing too extreme at all.
A few days ago all of a sudden, while putting around in rush hour traffic, the clutch/trans went wacko. The clutch pedal got very soft, it used to have a very firm feel. The clutch engagement point shifted VERY low in the pedal travel. In fact, with the clutch completely depressed, I don't think it was fully disengaging. If I have the clutch pedal all the way down, and the car in first gear, the car would still creep from a stop. This tells me the clutch is not fully disengaging. Plus, shifting got really notchy. Hard time shifting between gears. It would NOT shift into reverse with te car running, unless I pushed obsurdly hard. With the engine off, I could shift into reverse effortlessly, start the motor, and then back up. But once I shifted out of reverse, it would not go back in without crazy pressure.
I find it odd that the adjustable master cylinder kept the clutch engagement point the same for 5 months, through break-in and all, and then all of a sudden goes out of wack. But I adjusted it anyways, to bring the clutch engagement point from on the floor, to mid-way pedal travel. I had to adjust it significantly which tells me something went wacko. This improved things a lot, but something is still wrong. Now I can shift between gears fine, and it does not creep in gear from a dead stop. BUT, I smell burning clutch from time to time while driving normally, I still have the reverse issue (btw, it's NOT the reverse lockout solenoid... I can get past the solenoid lockout fine, its the actual gear engagement that's the problem). Plus the clutch pedal still feels 1/2 as firm as it was 2 days ago.
Comments? I took the car into Speed Inc., and they test drove it and really couldn't tell me much at all. They want to tear into the clutch and trans, but can't fit me in right now. I was wondering if by my detailed description anyone has encountered something similar, or has an idea what this might be. Does it sound more clutch related? Hydraulics? Internal trans?
A few days ago all of a sudden, while putting around in rush hour traffic, the clutch/trans went wacko. The clutch pedal got very soft, it used to have a very firm feel. The clutch engagement point shifted VERY low in the pedal travel. In fact, with the clutch completely depressed, I don't think it was fully disengaging. If I have the clutch pedal all the way down, and the car in first gear, the car would still creep from a stop. This tells me the clutch is not fully disengaging. Plus, shifting got really notchy. Hard time shifting between gears. It would NOT shift into reverse with te car running, unless I pushed obsurdly hard. With the engine off, I could shift into reverse effortlessly, start the motor, and then back up. But once I shifted out of reverse, it would not go back in without crazy pressure.
I find it odd that the adjustable master cylinder kept the clutch engagement point the same for 5 months, through break-in and all, and then all of a sudden goes out of wack. But I adjusted it anyways, to bring the clutch engagement point from on the floor, to mid-way pedal travel. I had to adjust it significantly which tells me something went wacko. This improved things a lot, but something is still wrong. Now I can shift between gears fine, and it does not creep in gear from a dead stop. BUT, I smell burning clutch from time to time while driving normally, I still have the reverse issue (btw, it's NOT the reverse lockout solenoid... I can get past the solenoid lockout fine, its the actual gear engagement that's the problem). Plus the clutch pedal still feels 1/2 as firm as it was 2 days ago.
Comments? I took the car into Speed Inc., and they test drove it and really couldn't tell me much at all. They want to tear into the clutch and trans, but can't fit me in right now. I was wondering if by my detailed description anyone has encountered something similar, or has an idea what this might be. Does it sound more clutch related? Hydraulics? Internal trans?
