Clutch Problems!!!

bartsau · 18-07-2011, 08:10 PM

Well had a fun experience so far tonight. Was heading out for indoor cricket and taking off at a set of lights. Grabbed 1st, then 2nd and then went to grab 3rd! Only I couldn't disengage 2nd. On top of this the clutch pedal gained a whole lot of resistance. I then went to grab neutral and head into the service station only to find that it wouldn't move out of 2nd. So pulled into the servo in 2nd and then slammed it into neutral. Pulled up and had a play with the cable with no luck.

I suspect the clutch has had a little destructive episode and will be out for the count. Just wondering if anyone can confirm this?

The clutch is the heaviest on offer from excedy for the AU 6's and is only about 7months old so rather surprised it has gone. Also, I have not detected any slip at all with this clutch.

I am hoping just something simple has gone and is fixable without having to fork out for a new clutch again.

Rhys

ratter · 18-07-2011, 08:26 PM

the clutch pedal can break or bend making the pull hard, the firewall normally cracks also which will lead to pedal failure as well.

bartsau · 18-07-2011, 08:39 PM

Yeah checked for the firewall and clutch pedal and they both look fine. Can't see any signs anywhere around there.

Will get it home later tonight when there is less traffic on the roads. Will be fun getting going without the use of the clutch. I think a little bit of rolling and hopefully not too much grinding getting into first. After that all will be ok so long as I don't have to stop.

Once I will have a good look at it over the next few days and start pulling it apart to find the source.

falconhell74 · 18-07-2011, 09:30 PM

could be a split/ broken clutch fork have fun driving it home .....I had a simmilar eppisode in my worked xc gs 250 I snapped a selector fork and was stuck in first gear , luckily it was 600am Sunday morning and the clutch still worked ,I floord it to 80klicks in first and put the clutch in .......o what lovely memmories from my youth

FGII-XR6 · 18-07-2011, 10:03 PM

I've had to drive a car in this situation before put it in first then crank the starter it will kangaroo a few times , lurch then take off once you're going you don't need a clutch to change gears you just need to syncronise the revs. hills are best avoided for obvious reasons

bartsau · 18-07-2011, 11:57 PM

Well the beast is at home sitting outside the shed ready for me to start pulling it apart.

Thanks au3xr6 for the tip on getting started

Worked a treat. As for changing gears...no chance in hell even matching revs. (I have done that before out of curiosity) however, with the amount of force required to even get it out of gear there was no hope of getting it back in gear again. Matched revs or not.

From this I hope it is simply a clutch fork. My fingers are crossed!!

robbyj · 19-07-2011, 12:29 AM

too many burnouts? :P

XRGhia · 19-07-2011, 12:46 AM

i was gonna say too much 9" not enough weight reduction, but that works...

haha....

FS5 · 19-07-2011, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bartsau

Well the beast is at home sitting outside the shed ready for me to start pulling it apart.

Thanks au3xr6 for the tip on getting started

Worked a treat. As for changing gears...no chance in hell even matching revs. (I have done that before out of curiosity) however, with the amount of force required to even get it out of gear there was no hope of getting it back in gear again. Matched revs or not.

From this I hope it is simply a clutch fork. My fingers are crossed!!

hi mate,i've got an exedy sports tuff clutch in my falc. 99% of the dramas i've ever had with my car are clutch related ,i've snapped 3 cables and pulled the pin out of the original throw arm, cracked the fire wall and bent the pedal box!
another prob i had is that i melted the plastic around the inside cable and it bound up in there making it real hard to push down ,pull your clutch cable off and pull the inside cable out as much as you can on the end that goes through the fire wall and look for any wear/melted crap.

bartsau · 19-07-2011, 10:46 PM

Well guys didn't get much time to have a look at it today although I have started to get at pulling the gearbox out.

I don't believe it is too many burnouts as I have only ever pulled a couple! Lol Does it beautifully I may add ;)

This clutch has lasted for a total of 28 1/4 mile runs and only just 8months life.

The clutch cable is only 6months old and I have pulled it out and other than some signs of wear is in good condition.

Should all going to plan have the gearbox and everything out tomorrow and have sourced the problem.

I know one thing I sure as hell hate having no car to drive around :(

falconhell74 · 20-07-2011, 01:02 PM

Better to walk than drive a holden

superroo · 20-07-2011, 01:25 PM

Check the damper in the clutch fork (gearbox end).
It's what goes between the cable and the fork.

I've pulled one in half before.

Cheers

FS5 · 20-07-2011, 08:50 PM

[QUOTE=bartsau]

This clutch has lasted for a total of 28 1/4 mile runs and only just 8months life.

The clutch cable is only 6months old and I have pulled it out and other than some signs of wear is in good condition.

[QUOTE]

mate,your clutch plate and pressure plate should be fine.i can't remember how many runs i done with mine + plus it pulls a trailer every day for work and i don't mind getting up it..you must have something else going on on ,i've dumped the standard falc clutch at the drags at 4000rpm and smoked the guts out of it (clutch not wheels)let it cool down ,and hit the track for some more fun.
like i said the only drama i've had with a heavy pedal was when i melted the cable,i fitted a new cable and rapped it it that heat proof stuff ,no dramas.
keep us posted on whats causing it mate

bartsau · 20-07-2011, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superroo

Check the damper in the clutch fork (gearbox end).
It's what goes between the cable and the fork.

I've pulled one in half before.

Cheers

Yeah I had dad operate the clutch and I noticed there was a fair amount of movement here. I will see tomorrow if I can't get myself a new one to replace it with.

Also, I think I will fit a short throw shifter to the gearbox while it is out along with a new bush for the shifter which I have had lying around since the start of the year.

FS5 - I spoke to my mechanic today and he was actually at the AFF Nats on the Saturday when I did a few runs and he reckoned that I was actually driving it very well and not really abusing the clutch too much at all. Having said that they did point out that the clutch is not meant to cop that kind of work along with a lot of spirited driving.

So far I have only got to here! Lol I work slowly but with a bit of luck tomorrow I will have the bell housing and clutch and everything out and have sourced the problem!

superroo · 21-07-2011, 04:32 PM

See how you go with a new damper.
I tried a new one and didn't like it at all. So now mine runs a m8 bolt through the entire thing to stop any movement, and the new one is a spare.

Cheers

mik · 21-07-2011, 06:01 PM

while you have the car in bits give the clutch cable a lube, the less stress you put on the firewall and pedal box the better, if the the rubber boot on the end will allow it put some grease in it, on occasions when i `ve had cables out i`ve even let oil run down the inner, you can get quite a bit of friction from a dry cable at times.

bartsau · 21-07-2011, 09:14 PM

Well the new dampener from ford is $52.90 (P/N XFL7L588A?)

I will get one of these tomorrow probably. I will also see if I can buy the following item separately as it certainly seems to have a lot of play in it and it is not centralized.

Further more I found where abouts the clutch pedal broke. Apparently not a common issue and not one my mechanic has seen before. The little flanges that hold the springs in. One of these broke and jammed itself in the pressure plate. The spring also has signs of rubbing on the fingers. Broken void is visible in the first photo and the second shows the amount of wear.

Getting a price on a button clutch tomorrow as I think this may be the only way I can go in order to stop breaking things. (No doubt I will then break something else.

The pile of parts which need to go back in before I drive anywhere.

falconhell74 · 21-07-2011, 10:08 PM

Alls well that ends well relitively cheep considering

XRGhia · 21-07-2011, 10:22 PM

Have you thought of going for a Mal Wood Auto Option 3+ Kit? Little bit exxy, but well worth it going by people's opinions on here....

http://www.malwoodauto.com.au/clutches.htm

bartsau · 21-07-2011, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xrghiawagon

Have you thought of going for a Mal Wood Auto Option 3+ Kit? Little bit exxy, but well worth it going by people's opinions on here....

http://www.malwoodauto.com.au/clutches.htm

Yeah looked at that but for now seeing as I am going V8 at christmas and will be putting a new bellhousing/gearbox in I will stick to the current setup for now. Down the track it will end up hydraulic with either a rebuilt 5spd or a 6spd.

Plus I want to make sure I have enough money to do the v8 conversion at christmas.

bartsau · 22-07-2011, 11:06 AM

I have another question. Has anyone driven a falcon running a button clutch?? They are not meant for everyday driving but I am definitely considering it but not sure if it will be undrivable on a daily basis.

Anyone have any experience?? Any info is welcome.

mik · 22-07-2011, 11:59 AM

does ford do a heavy duty clutch for au? my self i like the old twin plate, my xc v8 had one, it was hydraulic too from memory, the twin plate was a bit of an agricultural bloody thing but it would still take a fair hiding and had the pedal feel of a corolla, not a fan of these after market hair trigger clutches.

bartsau · 22-07-2011, 12:14 PM

Scrapped the idea of the button clutch for now. Just going to put the same style HD organic clutch back in again. According to excedy tech support my car is on the boarder line of the clutches limits.

bartsau · 26-07-2011, 10:25 PM

Ok so, I have picked up the new clutch. Just a heavy duty Organic from Excedy.
I also, have had the flywheel machined and picked up an aligning tool while I was there.

So clutch kit $500
Flywheel machined $45
Aligning tool $15
Clutch cable bush $52.90
Total cost will be $612.90

So far I have gotten a little way to getting it all back together.

Still waiting on Mal Wood to get back to me so I can pay for the short shifter I want to get. So looking like I will be waiting on this before I put the gearbox back in.

Is the clutch plate the correct way around?? 99% sure it is but can't remember for sure.

How it currently sits

CRAIGAU3220 · 26-07-2011, 11:38 PM

Looks correct to me............The clutch plate should have ''flywheel this side'' stamped on it, but as i said, looks correct the way you have it sitting.

ebxr82nv · 27-07-2011, 12:02 PM

I run a heavy duty cusioned button ceramic from extreme in my sedan, bumper to bumper traffic is a ***** but appart from that its ok.Looks like this,

cant slip it, its either on or off. 70% more clamp than standard apparently

bartsau · 27-07-2011, 05:01 PM

While the clutch plate had something written on it. But I couldn't ready it. In hindsight this probably was saying flywheel this side. So looks as though I got that right.

ebxr82nv - I looked into going this way but due to the extra cost and compromised drivability I decided to stick with the ceramic for now. The main reason that come Christmas time the motor and gearbox will part way for the V8, plus new clutch to suit the V8. Therefore this only has to last me 6 months.

After which the 6 and gearbox will be put aside until my sister sells who series 1 forte sedan in which case I will transplant my 6 and manual into that setting it up for circuit (Stripped out and not Roadworthy). At this point I would expect that i will be changing a lot of parts over and will definitely be going with a button clutch, probably without the cushion.

bartsau · 04-08-2011, 09:28 PM

Well Finally got it all finished and back on the road. Clutch feels a lot lighter than it did before it let go which surprised me.

I also, discovered that my clutch cable although only 6 months old is already starting to wear significantly on the end which goes through the firewall. Same problem as the last one as the inner starts to eat through the outer. Rather annoying but then that is life.