Mathew Koskoski

So I have spent a lot of time reading up on whats going on with my clutch release and why it's not working as it should.

Some quick history of the issue. Car purchased used, 2001, 84,000 kms. Car shifted beautifully since the weekend, took it out for a spirited drive, around 40 km's of pushing the car and driving hard. Right at the end of the drive I was decelerating and couldnt go into any gear at all. Parked in neutral, went under the car to take a look for anything amiss, no issues down there. Could go into first (and all gears) with the car off, started it in first, clutch depressed. Car walked a bit from the dragging clutch, managed to drive home shifting carefully.

Initially I thought I overheated the fluid but after taking a look, the clutch hydraulics are fairly removed from anything that gets hot down there. First course of action, gravity bleeding the clutch. Did this, minor improvement. Still cant change gears easily, only at perfect re-match will I be able to select a gear, or at idle rpm. After this I did a bleed with someone pumping the clutch. I thought this would be the silver bullet, but no improvement to shifting from this.

Is it possible I still have air in there? Or am I looking at another issue that I dont see? The clutch 'disengages' at the same place it used to, and it feels the same. It just feels like it's not fully disengaged when I'm driving and every shift that isnt matched wont go in at all.

No leak in the master or the slave, from what I saw. Fluid was never low (but very old and dirty). Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

Mathew Koskoski

Extra note, I also adjusted the clutch free play slightly, just in case that was the issue. No change there either!

Slowcrash_101

When you gravity bleed, remove the slave, and point bleeder straight up in the air. Also when was the last time the transmission fluid was changed? I hope you don't have an aftermarket clutch.

Mathew Koskoski

MTF was changed when I bought the car, I did that and it was a noticeable improvement right off the bat.

Stock clutch, as far as I am aware (new car, havent needed to split the tranny off).

I should have tried that out, I also had only the front two wheels jacked up, which may have helped air stay trapped in.

Car is at the shop now, havent spoken with my guy yet but if he cant get to it for a couple days I will try a 3rd bleed, properly with everything leveled and the slave unbolted this time.

Mathew Koskoski

Should have mentioned this as well: I wanted to use a vaccum system to bleed it, that will probably be my best bet, yeah?

Car Analogy

My bet, due to sudden onset and severity, your clutch disk dropped a spring. The spring is now jamming things up, tending to cause drag as it binds up between pp and flywheel.

The only fix is new clutch. Make sure to use only oem parts (NOT the exedy part they call oem,its not the oem part, and ots junk). Make sure shop thoroughly cleans splines, and uses only Honda urea grease, and greases everything needed according to manual. This clutch is not like other Hondas. What the shop has had success doing with othercars isn't enough here. If hey don't get this right, a few months after new clutch and you will have problems shifting. This is a do it right the first time repair.

Mathew Koskoski

Thanks for your thoughts!

While I'm hoping it's not that (which it may be), what about how it went from no ability to shift at all to semi-normal shifting, which just feels draggy, after a period of 10/15 minutes? And that the clutch pedal feel is the same afterwards? Would you notice a dropped/popped out spring in the clutch plate through the pedal?

Car Analogy

If the symptoms get really bad, then recede back to almost ok again, then get worse again, that is what happens with dropped spring, as spring gets jammed, unjams, jams again.

Mathew Koskoski

Did a vacuum bleed with the slave cylinder removed from the car, pointed up. I'm sure that is not the issue now. I also adjusted my clutch pedal for maximum Master Cylinder stroke, which also did not solve the issue. While it did shift better after these 'fixes', the issue is alive and well!

It's at my mechanic now, so he will update me when he knows whats going on in there! Based on the modification I bought the car with, wouldnt be much of a stretch to find an aftermarket clutch hiding out in my transmission! The PO had no idea what had been done to the car and no paperwork as well. Good thing I got it for a low price!

Will update with the findings. Thanks for the input!

Billman250

I think you will find a broken spring cage on the disc. The broken piece drags on the PP due to centrifugal force, resulting in non-disengagement.