I have searched and read about clutches for the past week; all the problems, the symptoms, the experiences etc. I am still at a loss and need some help.

01 S2000 w/35xxx miles on it. Recently has become a DD.
I can barely get into 1st. It has progressively gotten worse. It has nothing to do with tranny fluid temp cause it does it consistently. The worst is from a dead stop. Stop lights are becoming a source of agony for me Sometimes a double clutch helps-but not really. Sometimes I add some revs in there and sometimes I can get it into 3d and then go to 1st. The other gears are ok-not butter smooth but ok. The occasional "notchy" shift into 2nd or 3d. But it has always been like this. About 7 months ago, I tried synchromesh. No difference and went back to oem fluid.
Today, I took the day off to try and get to the bottom of it.
I changed the tranny fluid (fluid was as caramel as when I put it in) and replaced with the "new" Honda MTF.
I changed my diff fluid.
I bled and flushed out the ATE Super Blue out of my cluth and replaced it with new fluid. I did a bleed the other day to eliminate the possibility of air in the line. No difference except that the other gears seemed to shift a lot smoother. Today I went ahead and bled the whole system.
So I finished and created a "benchmark" for myself. The only thing I haven't done is adjust the clutch pedal which has about 1/2 inch of play or more. I know my clutch slips a little under hard acceleration. This too has been pointed out by a tech at Alan Cox in Atlanta.
What else do I need to check/adjust/test. Syncros-I know nothing about them beside what they do. But I don't think there is a test or visual check for this.
Do I need to schedule a clutch replacement for my next trip back to Atlanta?
Any help at this point would be greatly appreciated.

 

I dont think its a clutch issue, although i cant be any more help

 

Sounds like the synchro or the pressure plate. I had a similar problem.

Find my thread, its called "ACT PP Issues"

 

Thanks-I know it gets old reading and aiding the same posts dealing with clutch problems-I'll read ur post. I just dont know what else to try at this point. I would just hate to pay all that money for a new clutch and labor and not solve the problem.

 

sounds like the same as me

 

shifter fork issue?

 

well when you put your foot on the clutch, a piston in the master cylinder pushes fluid thru your lines and into your slave cylinder. It then pulls the clutch disc to disengage it. (the S2000 has a pull type clutch release)

Have you checked your clutch fluid reservior? Your slave cylinder in good condtion? Master cylinder in good condition? Any puddles under your car?

Have you opened up that system for any reason? If so, it needs to be bled just like brakes. It's hydraulic.


Has the clutch pedal been feeling different?

You might just need to do a clutch pedal adjustment. Where does the clutch "grab" in relation to pedal position?

If it grabs too low, it's a sign that your clutch is adjusted for too much free play and that your foot is not traveling enough to pull the clutch enough to totally disengage it. Adjust for less freeplay. See if that helps before you do anything else.


Could also be bad synchros, etc. But...only if the stuff listed above doesn't work.

 

I bought the car with 10K on it. The clutch pedal feels the same as when I bought it. Clutch system/fluid has been completely bled and changed out-TWICE. No leaks on the driveway whatsoever. It looks brand new under the car-seriously, I get accused of cleaning under the car. System has never been opened.
This is why I am at a loss. And the fact that it is 1st gear-makes diagnosis even harder.

The way I understand the mechanism- a worn clutch that is not disengaging enough will greatly affect going into 1st gear especially due to the difference in rotational speeds. To my understanding, the same symptom also applies to a bad synchro.

2 things I have left to do/test.
- jack up the rear, car in first gear, clutch to the floor and have someone spin the rear wheels-if they drag or there is resistance = clutch dragging

- clutch pedal adjustment

 

my car is going up on friday to check all of the above again and try to sort this out before i go to honda....

 

I havent driven the car in 3 days. Went to work today and decided to push the clutch to the floor as hard as I could every time I went into first and every shift actually...oddly enough-it made a difference.
The car shifted into first with no problems and the rest of the gears seemed to go into the gate a lot smoother. Not really a scientific or mechanical test-but hey, it felt different. I will try again tomorrow to drive/shift in the same manner.
Is it possible that a misadjusted clutch pedal is the cause for all of my symptoms?