napper90

Hi Guys,

I Wonder if anyone can shed some light on what could be the problem with my 03 s2000 90k, Lately whilst sitting in traffic when i try to engage first gear its sometimes is quite difficult so i sometimes then have to release clutch and re-engage it to then get it to shift into gear, i also find reverse gear troublesome at times. On-top of this when my clutch is fully depressed then i lift my foot slightly i have some resistance almost like it is sticking then it releases (it also feels slightly gritty in the middle). All other gears seem to be fine and my bite point is normal. With engine off it slots into gear okay. I have bled the clutch and flushed the system. I have polished up the little rod within the slave cylinder that pushes onto the fork arm and greased it up. I did not however try and get into grease the fork arm legs inside the transmission. Should i do this?

Yesterday i decided to look in under my footwell at the CMC and noticed it to be very gunky with grease and almost like a drip was collecting under the gunk. I cleaned this up and then noticed just under the pedal i have a circular plastic bit that is behind the carpet that has been cut away... it was slightly wet. I cleaned this up and pumped the pedal a few times and it had another wet streak, the fluid Was slightly brown in colour so i presume its brake fluid.

I changed out my clutch fluid last week and already its starting to get black so should i really go under the assumption that the CMC is on its way out and the seals are corroding causing the fluid to be contaminated? would this be the cause of the notchy gears / sticky clutch situation? or would it solve only the notchy gears with getting a new CMC and sticky clutch could be solved with greasing the fork arms.

Sorry for the long winded post but really trying to get to the bottom of this. I really don't think its the clutch itself as my bite point etc is fine.

Cheers

steelers743

I am guessing you also tried changing the tranny fluid? Maybe give a shot adjusting the clutch play.

Also check out the TSB DIY on shifter regreasing. It came out from honda for early model s2k's that had problems shifting into reverse and 6th or something.
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/772...e-shifter-diy/

Soviet

You should replace the CMC regardless and start doing more regular clutch fluid changes as per Billman's guidance to avoid leaky CMCs. This can certainly fix notchy gears.

Not sure about the stickiness.

napper90

Ok thanks, I have ordered a new CMC after discovering that leak. I think the stickiness may be down to the fork release arm, as i say i never managed to grease up into the fork, only got the fork end that's sticking out. From what i have been reading pulling fork out (think will only come out a few inches) then get something long to dab grease onto it has solved the problem. To me it sounds about right as its like half an inch of stick at the bottom. If i can try that and it doesn't work only thing i can think of is its not releasing from the pressure plate.

Ill swap CMC and try greasing my gear-stick also.

Car Analogy

Your issue sounds exactly like a clutch that is not fully releasing. Often this is air in the lines, or contaminated fluid. If left too long, MC can go bad, which itself can also cause the issue. So your first course of action (new MC) is correct.

While lubing clutch fork might help, if its not MC, its probably something more difficult to access, like clutch disk splines not lubed.

My car never shifted well from day I got it. I bled and changed fluid, it got a little better, but got worse again. I adjusted clutch rod play, pedal height, I changed MC, it always got a little better, but then always got worse again. Finally clutch went bad. Pulled trans, and it had a crap exedy type clutch (which was destroyed, along with bad TO bearing), and splines (and everything else) dry as a bone.

You may see some improvement just lubing what you can reach, but you may never get it to be really right until its new clutch time and you can get someone that knows what they are doing and knows what to lube with what grease and how much (too much can be as bad as not enough).

Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup

napper90

Cheers, I am just trying everything i can think of at the moment that could sort it before i go throw money at buying a new clutch. But if all this fails it will probably need done .

Mach Rider

Any news on this? My AP1 feels exactly the same and it sat for a very long time- CMC seemed very likely to me.

napper90

I replaced the CMC, it was leaking. I also got into the fork arm and greased it up internally as best as i could with a long paintbrush. The clutch feels alot lighter and doesnt spring back up and gear changes are much smoother (I re-greased my gear stick shaft.) I still get minimal binding at bottom of clutch but only after a long drive and car is hot. But the difference with doing all this is night and day from before.