my 96 civic dx, manual transmission. I am starting to have trouble shifting gears, I have to force it in or its hard. I think the clutch is gone. it was changed like 5 years ago. last I experience this was on a 99 civic si, and it was the clutch. I was able to shift smoothly when engine was off, but when I turned it on shifting gears was hard. any ideas?

 

Spongy pedal, fluid loss, pedal height adjusted properly?

 

Your pilot bearing is most likely the reason for this. Get a clutch kit.

 

Your pressure plate may not be fully disengaging. Start off by adjusting your clutch pedal play (buy/borrow/download a factory service manual for a how-to), and bleed your clutch line. It uses standard Honda brake fluid, and all brake fluids deteriorate over time.

 

Check the hydraulic fluid level, also check master and slave clutch cylinders to make sure that they aren't leaking.