I've been without my CRX for going on 10 days now, and I'm getting pretty damn frustrated trying to get it going. Last week I was having some other motor issues, got them all straightened out, and in the process I removed the motor (stock A6) from the car for the first time, and I opened up the tranny to inspect the clutch, I've never looked at it, it was put in before I got the car. I must have fucked up reinstalling, because when I got it all back together it was binding somehow, the starter was slow and the clutch didn't seem to disengage the tranny. So finally I had a day off and I got to take the tranny off, couldn't pull the motor because the hoist in the shop broke while I was putting it back in (scary as expletive). So I did it the old way, removed the passenger side suspension and tilted the motor down. The clutch had broken so that the center piece was separated, holding the input shaft on the motor side of the clutch. To get the thing off I had to remove the PP from the flywheel through the starter hole. I managed to get it loose with a puller, and installed my new ACT HDSS clutch/PP and streetlite flywheel. I just bought these used with 10k miles, they all looked fine. So after a few more hours putting it all back together, and the ******* clutch arm is limp. I can pull it up to the top of its travel easily, and just for ***** and giggles I hooked up the cable, which I had to adjust all the way and it still had slack, and the pedal doesn't return from the floor. I don't know what to do, I need some suggestoions, I have thursday off to do this, but I really need my car back!

 

So your input shaft got stuck in your clutch disc?

Sounds like the spline count on your shaft/clutch may differ, allowing it to slip around in there. Check your input shaft splines for signs of twisting. If the splines are not perfectly straight you will need a donor trans to take the splines off. Make sure it matches the year of your car (88 trannies had less splines).

You do not have the clutch cable adjusted tight enough, a common mistake. The clutch arm will feel limp you simply need to tighten your clutch cable to get that feel you're used to (you know, the feeling of the clutch working lol). Tighten the cable, go in the car and you will feel the friction come. With newer clutches they have to be adjusted a lot tighter. Also, make sure you have your clutch cable routed right.

I'll put money on this being your problem.

 

I checked the new clutch on the splines before I put it in, everything is and is for a 1990 Si tranny. I don't think the arm is the problem, the cable is adjusted all the way tight, any more and the nut will come off the bottom. The arm is about to hit the end of its travel on the case. The cable is new too, so it shouldn't be stretched.

 

Only thing that I can think of that would allow you to pull up on the arm w/o resistance (excluding the free play that is most often mistaken) is that your clutch arm bolt that holds the release bearing assembly has backed out or is missing enabling you to pull the arm all the way up and down w/o force. Pressure Plate shouldn't be the cause, if it were you'd have noticed all the 'fingers' flapping around

Yeah have to be careful about lining up the input shaft and clutch disk on installation... I personally haven't broken a disc (use a spare real input shaft to align disk and then use a floor jack to line up the transmission upon installation)

 

sounds like the spring mightve came off the clutch fork..

 

The reason I think something is wrong with the pressure plate is that the clutch isn't disengaging the tranny from the motor. Turning the starter with the car in gear, with the clutch held down, the car moves.