doood

iTrader: (1)

this only started happening a few days ago. when the engine is running and i have the clutch pressed all the way down it's really hard if not impossible to get into gear. i feel like im gonna break the damn shifter if i force it any harder. on ocassion after driving a bit it'll go back to normal. the clutch pedal itself has also gotten very soft and the engagement point has gotten lower. at a stop if i have the car in gear and the clutch pedal all the way to the floor the car will slowly creep forward if i take my foot off the brake. this tells me obviously the clutch isnt disengaging fully.

at first i thought maybe a bad throwout bearing. but after checking the fluid in the clutch reservoir there's none in there. it's not leaking anywhere so where'd it go?

any suggestions? im gonna try bleeding the clutch and adding new fluid tomorrow.

slowcivic2k

When your clutch material wears out just like your brakes do, the fluid level will go down, because now the piston much travel further before it makes contact. This is why many choose not to add brake fluid when its low, because many cars have a fluid level sensor that is at the right height that when the pads wear down, and consume most of the brake fluid in reserve, the brake light comes on.

As for the creeping, is your clutch disc worn out, and do you have a full face disc? If so, there are a few things that can cause the clutch disc to not release properly. (besides hydraulic failure) These are more likely:

Hydraulic failure could be an issue here, have to tried pump up the pedal? Does this help move the clutch release point in the pedal?

Vents/slots in the disc are gone, because the clutch is worn down to nothing, causing vacuum created by rotation of the flywheel/clutch to pull the disc towards the flywheel and cause a harsh grind.

The cushion spring between the two friction discs is worn out, or stuck, and is not kicking the disc off the flywheel, resulting in the same grind.

The clutch disc is stuck on the input shaft because of corrosion or a bind on the splines, resulting in a grind.

Let me know what happens with the bleeding portion of it.

doood

iTrader: (1)

ok i bled and refilled the system earlier. seems to have done the trick...for now. pedal pressure and engagement point is back to normal. i'll keep checking it to see if it goes back to ****.

doood

iTrader: (1)

it's been two days and it seems to be holding up fine so far. also, i noticed the engagement point is now a little higher. before, it was almost 3/4 to the floor. now it's almost 1/2. took me by surprise and i nearly stalled the car a few times.

slowcivic2k

Good stuff. For reference, how many miles are on that clutch?

doood

iTrader: (1)

no idea. bought the car with the swap done. i've put about 6-7k miles on it since i bought it. doesnt slip though.