Just finished replacing clutch. Drove car, no problems. Son drove car and called and said it quit pulling. Got it back home and with engine running, can shift into any gear without mashing clutch. No movement. Slave cylinder looks like it is moving full stroke.All the cables are fine and linkage moves with each shift. I have only owned manual cars and this is a first. Has anyone ever had this happen ?

Originally posted by morrissmck
Just finished replacing clutch. Drove car, no problems. Son drove car and called and said it quit pulling. Got it back home and with engine running, can shift into any gear without mashing clutch. No movement. Slave cylinder looks like it is moving full stroke.All the cables are fine and linkage moves with each shift. I have only owned manual cars and this is a first. Has anyone ever had this happen ?

If you can run the car and get gears then the clutch and tranny are probably working (unless you broke the input shaft and then there's no transfer of power to the tranny). If the hydraulics weren't working, you would not be able to shift into gears. This makes me suspect that son probably did a few holeshots and threw a pin or just busted the diff.

Put her up and take a look to see if, by any chance, an axle is broken. Otherwise, you're looking at pulling the tranny and cracking the case.

I pulled the trans again and the bellhousing was full of clutch lining material. Looking at the clutch where the lining should be is only steel that looks like a spring. I am new to the modular clutch and have never seen a clutch destroyed like this. Any ideas what caused this? There might be 6 miles on it.

Originally posted by morrissmck
I pulled the trans again and the bellhousing was full of clutch lining material. Looking at the clutch where the lining should be is only steel that looks like a spring. I am new to the modular clutch and have never seen a clutch destroyed like this. Any ideas what caused this? There might be 6 miles on it.

Hmm, not sure how this could happen if you could still do this;

Originally posted by bullettdsm
Got it back home and with engine running, can shift into any gear without mashing clutch. No movement.

Hmm, wait, now that I think of it maybe the clutch got stuck collapsed.

Anyway, yeah, that's unusual, lol. What brand clutch was it? I'm guessing that something foreign got in there or possibly just assembly error.

Got the clutch from Advance Auto Parts. Took it back in today and the guy could not believe it. Ordered another one. I will put it tommorrow night. I hope it does not destroy itself again. Let me explain a little better. With the engine running, I could shift gears with or without mashing the clutch and car would not move.

Originally posted by morrissmck
With the engine running, I could shift gears with or without mashing the clutch and car would not move.

Ah, that makes sense now.

Hmm, Advance Auto huh? Well, your into it now so we'll see what happens. When I say "into it", I mean they replaced your burnt up one for free correct?

Yes they did. It came in today. I just finished putting the trans back in the car. I'll put the cv axles in tommorrow evening and give it a try again.

Okay, got it all put together. Took it for a drive and all felt good. Drove it again about thirty minutes later and the clutch would slip in every gear. I could ease off the gas and feel it lock. Give it gas again and it would slip. It feels like the pressure plate springs are too soft. Has anyone ever had this. So far, I am not impressed with this import.

Originally posted by morrissmck
Okay, got it all put together. Took it for a drive and all felt good. Drove it again about thirty minutes later and the clutch would slip in every gear. I could ease off the gas and feel it lock. Give it gas again and it would slip. It feels like the pressure plate springs are too soft. Has anyone ever had this. So far, I am not impressed with this import.

Well, doesn't that make you question using an Advance Auto clutch? I have never used one, so I can't say. But with the other tried and true choices out there, I wouldn't have a reason.

Unless, something is binding up in your hydraulic system (or your clutch arm is somehow geting stuck pressed up against the pressure plate) that is not allowing a full return, then it appears that you got another defective clutch (unless of course, you oiled your clutch, lol).

For stock set-up, we generally like to use the E-bay F1 clutch, the PT Cruiser non turbo clutch or OEM.

Doesn't the clutch have a break in period? Pretty sure you cant just get out there and romp on it without giving it at least 500 miles of easy driving...

Originally posted by Ebster1085
Doesn't the clutch have a break in period? Pretty sure you cant just get out there and romp on it without giving it at least 500 miles of easy driving...

Yup, good point Jesse, but from his description;

Originally posted by morrissmck
Okay, got it all put together. Took it for a drive and all felt good. Drove it again about thirty minutes later and the clutch would slip in every gear. I could ease off the gas and feel it lock. Give it gas again and it would slip.

I presume he's not beating on it.