Thank you for the support Billman. January 06 I came in for a once over. We didn't bleed the clutch but you sucked out the reservoir and replaced with fresh fluid and adjusted.

Billman, Xviper: Is there any chance the clutch will 'give out' because I do not want to get stuck between my house and Bill's; it would be quite a rescue mission.

I drove the car for a few miles yesterday to confirm some information. If I granny shift under 4K the car is fine. I can even revmatch downshifts smoothly. Its over 5K that the clutch 'drags'

bottomline: is it ok to drive the car out to Bill's ~60 miles one-way

 

IMO, insofar as "getting stranded", a dragging clutch may be better than a slipping one. You can usually still shift even without clutch use if you rev match perfectly, so long as you can get it into first when stopped. In that case, just don't go to neutral if you're worried, till you get there. Or if you do and it can't go into 1st, you can always shut the engine off, get it into 1st, then start the engine and proceed.

 

I had the same problem with an old Ford a few years ago. It got really bad, and i had to rev-match each gear to have any hope of getting it in gear. Starting had to be done in first gear, clutch down, and you could tell the starter was having a tough time with it. The car would even creep forward while starting. I drove quite a ways with it in that condition... It was a pain in the ass, but I didn't get stranded with it.

In my case it was the clutch cable auto-tensioner that was screwed up. My roommate totalled that old Ford before I replaced the tensioner, though

I know the S has a hydraulic clutch, so maybe a bleed will take care of it?

 

I am hoping it is as easy as a bleed. The car is sitting until i have time to work on it. Thanks for the basics on 'how not to get stranded'

 

10 says the spring retainer broke on the FD.



The previous owner probably had now clue how to revmatch when downshifting.

My FD broke at the track on my 2nd session