Hello everyone,
I think its time for a new clutch, im just not sure if its the clutch of something else. hopefully someone here can help me outtt.
The symptoms:
Sometimes will not go into 1st or Reverse without either putting it into a different gear first or letting off the clutch pedal a tiny bit.
is this normal for a worn clutch? car has 140k on what i think is the original clutch.

this is my first manual car ive owned and never done a clutch, are they easy? im going to look up diy.

It does not slip or slip out of gear, just those two issues. It also is normally only when its got a cold transmission at 6am haha.

thanks for your help!
-Bill

 

Yes it's time.

Your pressure plate and/or flywheel may be burnished/scorched with clutch disc material (clutch discs wear just like brake pads do). This can greatly affect clutch performance. When cold the clutch cannot stop the spline in tranny from spinning thus giving you a harder time to engage into gear. As soon as the disc, pressure plate and flywheel all heat up, you now have that "bite" where engagement is easier. What I do is pump the clutch several times before I start to drive. This will allow it to "warm" up. You should notice your clutch will now engage into first.

A clutch job is a lot of work, so having a friend to help out will make life a little easier during the install. Good luck

 

That is right. At your milage you clutch might need to be replaced. In cold starts mine feels somewhat stiff to engage in first but not that as you described. I'll do most DIY to my car but I have no carriage to replace the clutch as the Transmission has to come off completely. You need a lift and lots of tools. Most Indy can do it for around $ 1k.+ parts While you have your tranny off it is good time to replace rear crank shaft seal. Cooling seal, flax disk, transmission mounts, Drive train center bearings. As all this parts will cost you &150 and no labor cost as well as transmission oil.

 

Either the clutch disc is slightly warped causing it to maintain contact when the pressure plate is released (the gap only opens up so wide), or the splines it rides on are gummed up with old grease (or rust) which keeps the disc pressed toward the flywheel.

Or your release mechanism might not be fully actuating the throw-out bearing. Do you have more 'dead zone' at the top of the clutch pedal than seems normal? You say it's worse in the morning. Tried pumping the clutch pedal a few times to see if that makes any difference?

Clutch replacement is not a fun job on a modern car - they don't leave you much room to work and there are dozens of things that have to come off first.

 

any chance it could be the slave cylinder? i was talking to a friend who's a mechanic and they thought it sounded more like a slave cylinder than a clutch since it doesnt slip at all..

 

I replaced mine as a preventative maintanane while I did the clutch at 95k miles. If you are not planning to keep that car for a while. I would do it first, it only costs $60.