specs:
89 crx si
99 ls motor
99 ls flywheel
90-91 b16 trans(bought off my good friend and it worked perfectly)
action 2ks clutch(slightly used but in exellent condition.)

ok heres the deal.
Installed the motor and transmission, went to pull out of my shop, let the clutch out and nothing happened. The symptom is almost as if the clutch were completely shot and unable to grab the flywheel. The clutch cable DOES have tension and is engaging the release arm.

things i have checked so far:
made sure axles were seated correctly
adjusted clutch cable
started the car in gear, same results.
took the starter out and all the pressure plate bolts are tight


i will update this as i proceed

 

I would guess you have a throw out bearing problem.

 

stuck engaed?

 

You didn't installed the pilot bearing behind the flywheel

 

did you get a clutch from a 90-91 or a 92-93? the 92-93 use the same spline count but the shaft diamiter is a little larger then the 90-91 tranny. does it make any grinding noises or anything when you let the clutch out?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 4163175587 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You didn't installed the pilot bearing behind the flywheel</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's highly unlikely.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by helpmycivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">did you get a clutch from a 90-91 or a 92-93? the 92-93 use the same spline count but the shaft diamiter is a little larger then the 90-91 tranny. does it make any grinding noises or anything when you let the clutch out?</TD></TR></TABLE>

yes this is a 90-91 clutch. sometimes there is a light whirring/grinding noise when the clutch is let out. If the car is on the lift the front wheel will spin but it has no power, meaning you can grab it and stop it.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gibsanez &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

That's highly unlikely.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

i agree, its not pilot bearing related.

 

clutch cable adjusted correctly? maybe one axle isnt in all the way.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If the car is on the lift the front wheel will spin but it has no power, meaning you can grab it and stop it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Interesting. I'm usually very hesitant to mention the transmission with seemingly obvious clutch issues, but this sounds like the time to.

My friend had an old civic that ran without oil in the transmission for a while. It busted internally (never took it apart to find out where) but did something similar to this.

I don't want to freak you out, but it is a possibility. It could still be a throw out bearing issue like I said above. But if you do pull the transmission out, maybe throw a pair of CV's in, put it in gear, and turn the input shaft to make sure the problem is not internal.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by welfarepc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">clutch cable adjusted correctly? maybe one axle isnt in all the way. </TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FastAsleep &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

things i have checked so far:
made sure axles were seated correctly
adjusted clutch cable

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

i appreciate the help, but at least read my post.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bagpipe goatee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Interesting. I'm usually very hesitant to mention the transmission with seemingly obvious clutch issues, but this sounds like the time to.

My friend had an old civic that ran without oil in the transmission for a while. It busted internally (never took it apart to find out where) but did something similar to this.

I don't want to freak you out, but it is a possibility. It could still be a throw out bearing issue like I said above. But if you do pull the transmission out, maybe throw a pair of CV's in, put it in gear, and turn the input shaft to make sure the problem is not internal.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I am the same way, but the transmission being bad somehow, even though i know it ran fine in a different car, did cross my mind.
I have an arrangement to not work at the garage that i rent on the weekends, so i basically posted this just to get speculations.
thanks for all the input so far.

 

up to see if this has happened to anyone else..

 

I don't know much about "swaps", but I remember having read something on h-t about a clutch cable stretching, or maybe you might even have the wrong cable for your swapped setup?? good luck searching for an answer....it's out there.........

 

yeah i dunno... i am stumped. I know a guy that uses his stock clutch cable in a b16 swapped crx.

 

i had a problem like this, mine was cause the cv joint was destroyed, and also my axle nuts the 32mm somehow came loose, id even get that noise when i let the clutch out too some weird light grinding noise...so i just replaced the axle and torqued the nuts to spec and locked them..drives fine now

 

i know the passenger side axle is good at least. i never checked the driver side.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 4163175587 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You didn't installed the pilot bearing behind the flywheel</TD></TR></TABLE>

no that would cause just lots of noise due to the flex of the input shaft under a bending moment.

I think its the throw out bearing or a defective clutch plate, not the disk.

 

what cable tranny do you have and what year disc is it for? 90-91 have a smaller shaft than 92-93, maybe you have the 90-91 tranny with a 92 disc and its just spiining

 

i had this prob on my civic... pulled the tranny out 3 times cuz i thought the throw out bearing poped of the fork. come to find out, my axle was poped out on passengers side (drive tire) just sumthing to double or triple check. give the axle a tap once with a hammer or sumthin to ensure its in. if not your throw out bearing may have fell off the fork while moving the tranny onto the car

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Crx Jimmy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">what cable tranny do you have and what year disc is it for? 90-91 have a smaller shaft than 92-93, maybe you have the 90-91 tranny with a 92 disc and its just spiining</TD></TR></TABLE>

Its a 90-91 clutch, 100% sure.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crxricer66 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i had this prob on my civic... pulled the tranny out 3 times cuz i thought the throw out bearing poped of the fork. come to find out, my axle was poped out on passengers side (drive tire) just sumthing to double or triple check. give the axle a tap once with a hammer or sumthin to ensure its in. if not your throw out bearing may have fell off the fork while moving the tranny onto the car </TD></TR></TABLE>

my problem with the throw out bearing theory is that if the bearing is stuck keeping the pressure plate engaged, then the tension on the cable shouldn't be there each time i depress the pedal, and it is.

 

make sure you check the axle....i didnt know wtf was going on with my car i was getting ready to pull the motor and tranny..was gonna do some work while it was out....so when i went to take off the axle nuts, i was able to move them by hand....then i took the axle out of the spindle and the end of the axle just collapsed, like nothing was inside it. My car had the same symptoms, weird grinding noise, tires would spin with no power when it was in the air, while in the air one tire would spin faster than the other and one side was intermittent, on the ground wouldnt go anywhere...no matter that gear......make sure the axle is staying in the tranny, if its none of those things its time to drop the tranny

 

headed to the shop in a few... i'll let you guys know what i find.

 

I had a similar issue. A brand new clutch (exedy stage 2) and a new throwout bearing. Unfortunatly for me the Exedy clutch had a defect pressure plate which actually sheared my bolt holding the throwout bearing inside the tranny. I had to get a new throwout assembly from a spare tranny and replace the clutch with a used stock one. I bought my clutch off ebay and it killed my bolt in less then 1000 miles.

Hope that's not your problem cause the only fix it ripping everything apart.

It's more then likely a bad throwout bearing or pressure plate tho. The trannies internally tend to die in a gear and not in neutral, so you would have 1 gear. I have had a tranny die in second from a bad clutch. All the gear, including reserve, acted as second gear.

Hope this helps.

 

wow i don't really know what your talking about.