soon2bdropped

hello there i have an 97 ls 5spd.. very hard to go into gear. would go innto gear with car off. remove transmission inspected clutch found one of the clutch spring damaged/broken. theres 4 and one is broken. i dont understand,the spring is there for smooth engagement. how does it affect not being able to shift into other gears.. someone help me i dont understand.

Dc4LsTeG

iTrader: (7)

What don't you understand? Change your clutch

soon2bdropped

i did. i want to know the mechanical part of how it causes it

Dc4LsTeG

iTrader: (7)

I believe its usually from just getting old

TheRealTegger

When the spring is broken, or wears through its retaining lips, it can get jammed between the flywheel and the friction disc. This prevents the friction disc from losing contact with the flywheel and the pressure plate; the effect is exactly as though you didn't push the pedal down when changing gears.

TheRealTegger

When it comes to Genuine Honda clutch parts, broken springs or ones that have worn through their retaining lips are a result of poor clutch technique.

Poor clutch technique involves bumpy, jerky, or harsh engagement. Each bump or jerk compresses the springs more than a smooth engagement would. Each excessive compression weakens the springs a little, and wears away the retaining lips a little. Eventually, a spring will either break or escape from its little jail.

Aftermarket clutches may not be as well-made as OE, so broken or escaped springs may be due to poor materials or construction, instead.

An OE clutch, properly used, will last over 250,000 miles. I know, I've done it. My original clutch was replaced at 255,800 miles. I now have 131,200 on the replacement.
See here for details: http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/clutch/index.html

soon2bdropped

so basicially as your pressing the clutch.. the disc move away from the flywheel but the spring pops out and slightly touches the flywheel which will spin the clutch the same speed as the engine and not cause it to go into gear is this correct?

TheRealTegger

That's correct. The jumped spring may not necessarily cause the clutch disc to turn at the exact-same speed as the engine, but the effect will be the same.

What can also happen is the spring may come out of its recess momentarily, then fall back in again. This can cause the confusing situation where shifting problems are intermittent, with shifting being normal at other times.

oneday

i know this is an old thread but i just ran into the same problem
i am seriously pressed on time to get my prelude running and am considering putting in the old disc with the missing spring, is it possible?
all i can think of is it being unbalanced or having a huge weak spot where the spring used to be