Hey guys,
This will be a bit lengthy, so hang in there. I purchased my RSX Type-S this past summer. The car had 187,000 on the clock, and allegedly, the previous, previous owner had installed a new clutch. I had no physical proof of this, although i did have a good, firm clutch pedal. The only problem I ever noticed was that at idle, I heard a chatter. This chatter would go away when I pushed the clutch pedal in; so i assumed this was possibly a worn Pilot Bushing that hadnt been replaced? It has been my experience that Pilot bearings/bushings make noise at idle without the clutch engaged and throwout bearings make noise when the clutch is engaged.
So, a month and half ago or so; I lost my clutch.
Replaced the Clutch Master Cylinder (CMC) with a remanufactured from Autozone; bled it out, and all was good.
About two weeks later, I lost the clutch again.... I assumed it was the Clutch Slave Cylinder (CSC) this time. Replaced the CSC with one from Autozone and bled it out. Never could get a good firm pedal.
So I exchanged my first CMC from AutoZone for another CMC; bled it out, got the pedal a bit firmer... Still no clutch.
It was at this point that I noticed the current problem. I was getting the pedal fairly firm while bleeding the system, but when i started the car, the pedal would turn to mush and get really spongy. Think of it like your brake pedal, you press it in when the car is off and it's firm, but when you start the car it drops more; this is what my clutch pedal was/is doing.
SO.
I returned all of the Autozone Junk; both the CMC and the CSC.
I installed a new OEM Replacement Dankin (Exedy) Clutch Master Cylinder, and
I installed a new OE Replacement Centric Clutch Slave Cylinder.
I bled these guys out and my clutch pedal had never felt better, with the car off. I got it feeling GREAT. The Autozone pieces were obviously junk, and i knew this before hand, but where i live it is all we had and I needed the car up and running. Im glad to have replaced them with Dankin and Centric units.
OK SOOooo, On to the current problem
After I installed the quality CMC and CSC... I had great pedal pressure; BUT when i started the car it would still get really soft. If i turned the car off, it was nice and firm again. I felt like something was stuck; maybe the Throwout Bearing or the clutch Fork.... I was getting really frustrated. I couldn't shift gears with the car idling and the clutch depressed. If i had the car in first gear (or reverse), and pushed the clutch in to start the car, the car would jump forward (or backward) like the clutch was still engaged.
Well, i was stumped, and my local mechanic was stumped. So i go to push the car so i can get my 240sx out of the garage and drive it. I get pissed and turn the starter over with the clutch depressed and the car in reverse. The car jumps a few times and then i hear a loud POP!! Suddenly, the car was fine!! I could shift great, my pedal felt great, etc..... Something was indeed, jammed.
OK, so about a week and a half later, while driving I noticed that it was getting harder to shift gears, like the clutch wasn't fully engaging. About 15 minutes later into the same trip I heard another loud POP (very similar to the one that "cured" my problem) and lost may clutch again; I had to drive home rev matching and making sure i didn't come to a stop.
SO here we are, at the current problem. I still have GREAT pedal feel when the car is off, but when i start it, my clutch gets spongy. I cant row through gears with the car running, sitting still and the clutch depressed, So that tells me that whatever is stuck, it is stuck engaged. I tried to "jump" it with the starter again but nothing happened. That being such a violent act, I haven't tried it anymore as I dont want to tear anything up.
I went ahead and ordered a new OEM Replacement Dankin Clutch (Exedy) Replacement Kit. It is a complete kit with new Pilot Bushing and Throwout Bearing included. I don't know that this is the problem, but i wanted to have it here in the event that it is. I need to figure this out.
I could use my local mechanics lifts on the weekend, but I'm worried about the potential event of it not being the clutch, and then my car being stuck on his lift until i source whatever i needed to fix it. So, I'm thinking i need to do this at home.
I have a little garage, One floor jack, 2 really tall jack stands, 5 standard jack stands, and access to another floor jack and an engine hoist/cherry picker. I know most people lower the subframe down from the car and pull it out of the way. I have read the write-up, where they use two floor jacks to lower the subframe and roll it out. I need to re-read it, because im concerned with how the motor still rests (i assume i support it with an engine hoist). Im just wondering if I would be better off pulling the whole motor and transaxle together from up top, and then pulling the transaxle off and fixing it.
So, here are my questions.
1.) What do you think is the problem?
2.) What would be easier at home? Should i attempt to lower the subframe and bring it out from underneath; OR, should i take the hood off, and bring the motor and transmission out from up top... To me, the latter "sounds" easier, but i've never had to pull a FWD drivetrain (only SR20DETs, Datsun L24, Chevy V8's, and BMW inline 6's)..... in other words, i'll be a bit green with the transaxle... Like i said, i could use my buddies shop, and have the car on the lift and lower the subframe out with a cradle jack and all that good stuff... but then i couldnt lower the car back down and move it around in the event that the clutch wasn't the problem... I could potentially do it there and lift the motor and trans out, and then i could at least roll the car out of his bay in the event i couldn't get it fixed over the weekend.
SOOoo Assuming I do this at home, which method is better? Or is bringing it out the top even a viable option?
I tried to BOLD and Highlight important parts...
Thanks for taking the time to read this if you made it this far!!
-Brian
This will be a bit lengthy, so hang in there. I purchased my RSX Type-S this past summer. The car had 187,000 on the clock, and allegedly, the previous, previous owner had installed a new clutch. I had no physical proof of this, although i did have a good, firm clutch pedal. The only problem I ever noticed was that at idle, I heard a chatter. This chatter would go away when I pushed the clutch pedal in; so i assumed this was possibly a worn Pilot Bushing that hadnt been replaced? It has been my experience that Pilot bearings/bushings make noise at idle without the clutch engaged and throwout bearings make noise when the clutch is engaged.
So, a month and half ago or so; I lost my clutch.
Replaced the Clutch Master Cylinder (CMC) with a remanufactured from Autozone; bled it out, and all was good.
About two weeks later, I lost the clutch again.... I assumed it was the Clutch Slave Cylinder (CSC) this time. Replaced the CSC with one from Autozone and bled it out. Never could get a good firm pedal.
So I exchanged my first CMC from AutoZone for another CMC; bled it out, got the pedal a bit firmer... Still no clutch.
It was at this point that I noticed the current problem. I was getting the pedal fairly firm while bleeding the system, but when i started the car, the pedal would turn to mush and get really spongy. Think of it like your brake pedal, you press it in when the car is off and it's firm, but when you start the car it drops more; this is what my clutch pedal was/is doing.
SO.
I returned all of the Autozone Junk; both the CMC and the CSC.
I installed a new OEM Replacement Dankin (Exedy) Clutch Master Cylinder, and
I installed a new OE Replacement Centric Clutch Slave Cylinder.
I bled these guys out and my clutch pedal had never felt better, with the car off. I got it feeling GREAT. The Autozone pieces were obviously junk, and i knew this before hand, but where i live it is all we had and I needed the car up and running. Im glad to have replaced them with Dankin and Centric units.
OK SOOooo, On to the current problem
After I installed the quality CMC and CSC... I had great pedal pressure; BUT when i started the car it would still get really soft. If i turned the car off, it was nice and firm again. I felt like something was stuck; maybe the Throwout Bearing or the clutch Fork.... I was getting really frustrated. I couldn't shift gears with the car idling and the clutch depressed. If i had the car in first gear (or reverse), and pushed the clutch in to start the car, the car would jump forward (or backward) like the clutch was still engaged.
Well, i was stumped, and my local mechanic was stumped. So i go to push the car so i can get my 240sx out of the garage and drive it. I get pissed and turn the starter over with the clutch depressed and the car in reverse. The car jumps a few times and then i hear a loud POP!! Suddenly, the car was fine!! I could shift great, my pedal felt great, etc..... Something was indeed, jammed.
OK, so about a week and a half later, while driving I noticed that it was getting harder to shift gears, like the clutch wasn't fully engaging. About 15 minutes later into the same trip I heard another loud POP (very similar to the one that "cured" my problem) and lost may clutch again; I had to drive home rev matching and making sure i didn't come to a stop.
SO here we are, at the current problem. I still have GREAT pedal feel when the car is off, but when i start it, my clutch gets spongy. I cant row through gears with the car running, sitting still and the clutch depressed, So that tells me that whatever is stuck, it is stuck engaged. I tried to "jump" it with the starter again but nothing happened. That being such a violent act, I haven't tried it anymore as I dont want to tear anything up.
I went ahead and ordered a new OEM Replacement Dankin Clutch (Exedy) Replacement Kit. It is a complete kit with new Pilot Bushing and Throwout Bearing included. I don't know that this is the problem, but i wanted to have it here in the event that it is. I need to figure this out.
I could use my local mechanics lifts on the weekend, but I'm worried about the potential event of it not being the clutch, and then my car being stuck on his lift until i source whatever i needed to fix it. So, I'm thinking i need to do this at home.
I have a little garage, One floor jack, 2 really tall jack stands, 5 standard jack stands, and access to another floor jack and an engine hoist/cherry picker. I know most people lower the subframe down from the car and pull it out of the way. I have read the write-up, where they use two floor jacks to lower the subframe and roll it out. I need to re-read it, because im concerned with how the motor still rests (i assume i support it with an engine hoist). Im just wondering if I would be better off pulling the whole motor and transaxle together from up top, and then pulling the transaxle off and fixing it.
So, here are my questions.
1.) What do you think is the problem?
2.) What would be easier at home? Should i attempt to lower the subframe and bring it out from underneath; OR, should i take the hood off, and bring the motor and transmission out from up top... To me, the latter "sounds" easier, but i've never had to pull a FWD drivetrain (only SR20DETs, Datsun L24, Chevy V8's, and BMW inline 6's)..... in other words, i'll be a bit green with the transaxle... Like i said, i could use my buddies shop, and have the car on the lift and lower the subframe out with a cradle jack and all that good stuff... but then i couldnt lower the car back down and move it around in the event that the clutch wasn't the problem... I could potentially do it there and lift the motor and trans out, and then i could at least roll the car out of his bay in the event i couldn't get it fixed over the weekend.
SOOoo Assuming I do this at home, which method is better? Or is bringing it out the top even a viable option?
I tried to BOLD and Highlight important parts...
Thanks for taking the time to read this if you made it this far!!
-Brian
