I drove my car home from my softball games tonight and had to rush in and change to go into work. So when I hop back in the car to go to work I push in the clutch and as I let it out the car just shook violently. After that I noticed there was no noticable pressure in the clutch at all. I could push it freely and when it would release again, vilolent shakes. The R only has 75000 miles on it. When the clutch went out in my GS-R years ago, it just gradually got worse. Not good one second, bad the next. Any ideas on what my problem is? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

 

75000 miles on the clutch too?
Sounds like it a simple Replace job, but check your fluid and look for any leaks if not then most likely its either a pressure plate failure or friction plate is toast.

 

I have no idea who you are, but I recently put an Exedy clutch in my car and still have this used ACT stage 2 laying around. There is still plenty of meat on it and the diaphram is still in great shape. Sounds like you need a replacement. If your strapped for cash, just pay the shipping on it and you can have it.

 

Sounds like more of a pressure issue than a friction issue.

 

Thats what I'm thinking. I'm tranny illiterate though. Where should I start looking first?

 

For what it's worth, my clutch on my GSR went out just like that once. The warning signs were about...ohhh...one block before it went, no joke. I remember thinking, "hey, this thing feels weird all of a sudden" and then...BAM...stranded at 1:30 am w/bum clutch. Pedal pressure went to ****, and getting it in gear was a joke.

It turns out that the one of the springs on the disk popped out.

Good luck...back to not posting for me. I think I decided to because I saw the Cardinals link in your sig.

 

UPDATE I just got home from work so I've had more time to mess with it and give more details.

I'm fairly certain the clutch isnt out because I've found that if I "pump" the clutch a few time it will feel nmormal again and take off just fine, but if I let it set for a few seconds its like the clutch loses pressure again, and when I depress it and release I hear a slight squeaking noise followed by the jerky take off. Then again I just pump the clutch in a few times and it works like normal.

I hope this is a little better help to those that want to attempt to diagnose my problem. Thanks again for your input so far.


Modified by Chris_R at 11:50 PM 9/13/2005

 

Bleed the clutch master for starters.

The clutch master could just need to be cleaned out, or it may be bad.

 

faulty master cylinder?
http://www.omnipowerusa.com/Pr...r.asp

 

check for leaks while you at it and check hoses for heat expansion, it is most likely your master cylinder but check your hoses just in case

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cheezthis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It turns out that the one of the springs on the disk popped out.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Bingo! From what you described I'd be about 90% sure it was this. Integras are prone to disk spring failure. I've replaced two clutches on both of my R's at around 50k for this same reason. (and I don't sidestep the clutch or do any jackassery because it's not a Mustang)

Coincidentally, my master cylinder started leaking on the second car at the same time, so take a peak under the dash at the back of the clutch pedal to see if any fluid is dripping onto the firewall.

If you aren't upgrading to a stronger clutch, I'd say go with a factory clutch.

-Matt

 

You can possibly have a multiple failure on your hands.

For starters spring goes out, and then pressure increases to apply the clutch (if spring does not wedge somewhere), in short period of time your master cyl will die prematurely. Usually people replace master cyl and kill new one in short order.
@75000 miles you most likely need a new clutch. If that spring did not fall out by now it will soon.
I had cars some in with 80K miles come in with spring fallen out and clutch disk lining material looking brand new, good for another 100Kmiles.

I use ACT street disk for replacement, it has 6 spring that are smaller than 4 stockers but better secured and no tangs that break. It will give you 100000 miles. Just replaced one (ACT) after 110000 miles (engine rebuild) and spring was ready to fall out, again disc friction material was almost brand new.
Do master cyl at the same time (it is not major money).

Nino


Modified by ninor at 11:55 AM 9/13/2005

 

The spring retainer on mine blew at 42k



I also thought it was a hydrolic issue, because the car would shift "okay" sometimes (I replaced the MC and SC just to be sure and the problem was still there - pulled off the clutch and this thing fell out ).

Action 1KS in picture - you can see it's much more solid of a design than the Exedy POS.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tweakmeister &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The spring retainer on mine blew at 42k

I also thought it was a hydrolic issue, because the car would shift "okay" sometimes (I replaced the MC and SC just to be sure and the problem was still there - pulled off the clutch and this thing fell out ).

Action 1KS in picture - you can see it's much more solid of a design than the Exedy POS.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats exactly how mine broke at 45K. It worked like a Champ one second, then the next, I could hardly find gears.

-Larkin

 

On my old car I had a clutch failure that just basically happened out of nowhere as well. I thought I felt something weird with it a few days prior but it still worked fine then it damn near left the wife and I stranded. Ends up my clutch disc had cracked and then one of the springs fell out and well kinda chewed up some stuff like the flywheel bolts all had some major damage and all had to be replaced.

My symptoms were I stopped at a stop light went to put the car back into first gear it would not go the light turned green and Im still trying to get the car into first then I got pissed and jammed it into first as hard as I could and with the clutch pressed in the tranny grinded and the car took off with the clutch in making a grinding noise. I had to drive about 6 miles back to base with no clutch at all which was rather fun hahaha. Come to a stop light pop the tranny into neutral come to a stop and turn the ignition off. When the light turned green I would already be in first and I would just turn the key and give it some gas and it would take off. Im sure people were looking at me weird because I was doing everything with no clutch at all. I made it back to base though

 

Just a couple of days ago I was having the same problem with my clutch, minus the violent shaking. I have about 57K miles on my itr. My clutch had no pressure to It, the pedal would go all the way down to the end then it would grab on. So I checked my clutch fluid it was totally out. Then I just added some more clutch fluid to it and voila, I had regained the pressure. I think I might have a leak in the system some where though .

 

I looked in the reservoir and the fluid level was right at the minimum line so I added just a little bit. It didnt seem to help though. I'm pretty confident though that this is not a problem with the springs or anything. It has to be a fluid problem with the master cyl. of some kind.

ALSO somthing I mentioned, but used the wrong word above for, is that after I pump the clutch a few times in nuetral it will make a <u>squeaking</u> noise the first time I release it in gear. Then like I said it will feel and work just fine until I let it set for a few seconds again.

 

That is exactly what happens when you drop the spring tang inside the clutch. It takes extra pressure to engage the clutch and it is hard to shift/makes noise.

But you do not have to guess, this will not go away if it is to do with clutch disk. I was able to drive another 3k miles with broken spring and leaking master cyl (result of forcing it), at the end new clutch fixed this. You might want to make sure that if it becomes hard to put/change gears do not play with this since it can damage your tranny.
If it is type r with LSD you have to be extra careful, even tire pressure that is off by 5-10 psi will cause hard shifting (5th/revers especially) and will eventually bend the shift fork.

Either way take it easy and if it gets worse do not force it...

Nino

 

This sounds a lot like what happened when my clutch disk cracked. It would sometimes engage smoothly and sometimes abruptly. It also engaged at all sorts of different points in the clutch pedal travel. It wasn't long before it didn't engage at all.

 

Same just happened to me with 50,000 on my comptech clutch. Its still in the shop, so $1,500 and a few more day and we'll see what actually broke.

By the way, I'm going to have everything thats not broke forsale. (comptech 6.7lb flywheel, comptech clutch, etc. Not sure whats good yet..)

 

Of the Clutch disks on the market today, this is why I like Action.

The disk is considerably more "built" than stuff like the OEM Exedy. The pressure plate is the same way.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Haleiwa-Brando &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have no idea who you are, but I recently put an Exedy clutch in my car and still have this used ACT stage 2 laying around. There is still plenty of meat on it and the diaphram is still in great shape. Sounds like you need a replacement. If your strapped for cash, just pay the shipping on it and you can have it.</TD></TR></TABLE>


Coincidentally, I am strapped for cash and am in need of a clutch... if the original poster doesn't take you up on the offer, I will gladly fork over the $ for shipping.....

 

UPDATE

I changed the clutch fluid today, and got back the normal feel of the clutch as far as pushing it in goes, it still lets off a short squeaky noise as I release it in gear though. BUT it takes off just fine, BUT it seems like its a little harder to shift from 1st to 2nd. It goes into the gears just fine, just seems to require a little more force. Could that be a tranny fluid problem? Hell, I just changed the tranny fluid like 8K miles ago with Honda MTL. Does it still sound like the spring?

Thanks again.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tweakmeister &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The spring retainer on mine blew at 42k



I also thought it was a hydrolic issue, because the car would shift "okay" sometimes (I replaced the MC and SC just to be sure and the problem was still there - pulled off the clutch and this thing fell out ).

Action 1KS in picture - you can see it's much more solid of a design than the Exedy POS.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats the same part that broke on my clutch at 68k miles. I also repl the clutch and master cyl first cuz its cheeper and easier to repl than a clutch. Still ended up putting an OEM clutch in the damn thing.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tweakmeister &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The spring retainer on mine blew at 42k


</TD></TR></TABLE>

put a new clutch in for chris today and his looked EXACTLY like the one pictured above. the spring retainer had broke.