Lately, I have beeen having trouble shifting and downshifting gears. I don't whats going on, but I have to pump the clutch to shift with nearly no problems. But it is hard to shift still. the Chilton Manual says under Unable to Select Gears:

1 Faulty transaxle
2 Faulty clutch disc
3 Fork and bearing not assembled properly
4 Faulty pressure plate
5 Pressure plate-to-flywheel bolts loose

I think that it has little or no fluid in the reservoir because I have to pump the clutch. What do you guys think?

 

Check the resivoir. If your low on fluid, add some more, be sure your pumping the clutch while your adding. I had similar problems and it turn out that the first time, I had a bad master clutch cylinder. The second time it happen, it turned out that the line had been rubbing on a bracket and cracked just enough for it to leak out every time I pressed the clutch. Inspect all the hydraulics, master and slave cylinders, and the lines. Look at the line as by the transmission, there is a bracket there, and the line maybe rubbing against it, of course that bracket is there only to cause the line to break on it. Also, check the slave cylinder, you may have to put the car in the air to get a good look at it because it's in a ***** of a place. My bet is your problem is in the hydraulics. If it isn't than your probably in need of a new pressure plate or clutch. Have you notice any slipping by chance?

Sarin

 

I haven't encountered any slippage, just hard to get into gear.....
I'll check on the reseverior tommorrow, after I buy some ATF.

 

Er....what's the ATF for? Doing some motor cleaning? You want brake fluid for the resevoir.


Sarin

 

then, that mean..... wait, what side the resivoir on, the left or right?

 

Driver side, next to the brake master cylinder, uh you know that thing with that big black thing and hose thingy that connects to that other thingy and whatchamacallit.

 

I used the right fluid then.........DOT 3.

 

I filled it to the max line, but hadn't really pumped it so that it'll get into the system.

 

Lemme know if that clears up the problem, because if it does, it definately means you got a hydraulics problem.

Sarin

 

well, my wife tried to drive the car to Lakewood today. She said that it was hard to get it in gear. I am thinking clutch now. the fluid in the resevoir is gray.....metallic-like, but full. She is still drivable, but I don't know for how long. I am going to start gathering replacement parts for the clutch as soon as I get paid. Thank goodness that I live and work in Ft. Lewis.........

 

Gotta question, do our cars have clutch springs? the clutch doesn't slip, I think that there isn't enough pressure to get the car into gear.......anyone here has replaced a 5 spd. clutch before?

 

What they have is the clutch disc, then they have a pressure plate. If you pressure plate goes bad, that would most likely be the culprit. One thing I forgot to add. Check your shift linkage to make sure it isn't binding up, that can cause the same problem. You can also check the clutch fork and throw out bearing while your at it.

S

 

was pumping the clutch (like how you bleed brakes) and then I can engage gears. But as soon as I stay off the clutch pedal, then push in the clutch, it feels like there is no pressure, and i can't shift gears until I pump the clutch again. Now what do you guys think now?

 

You sure your not losing fluid? It may not take a lot of loss to cause that. It could be possible that air got in through the leak and you have air in the system. That has to be hydraulics. Did you get a peak at that slave cylinder? Betch if you replace both the master and slave cylinder, you'll be in business.

 

At first I was going to suggest the same as the others, check the fluid level and top it up if need be. If it was low and you topped it up, you may have to bleed the system, because if any air got in their your hooped, it won't disengage the clutch nearly enough to make a good gear change.

Second, if you kepy loosing fluid, I was going to relate one of my experiences where I was in the middle of rush-hour traffic and all of a sudden I couldn't shift, I couldn't get my car out of gear, I had to pump it up big time to any kind of disengagement, and it just go worse and worse. I quickly made a turn off and limped to my father-in-laws house. Once there, the only thing I could figure it to be without tearing the tranny off was the slave, and sure enough, it was. The diaphram in the slave had torn and would leak fluid under pressure. It was a quick and cheap fix, but what a P.I.T.A. Kind of scary when in the middle of traffic. Never had that happen before on a vehicle with a hydraulic clutch system.

Anyway, just my $.02.

 

Yeah, they put that slave cylinder right under the front exhaust manifold. It's really hard to get too, even from underneath, but if you do have to remove it, getting the car in the air and removing it from there.

S

 

I am gonna throw som brake fluid in it tommorrow, and watch what happens. I wish I knew how to bleed them. probally take her into the motorpool Thursdays over the pit to see If I can find anything unusal.