What are the symptoms of poor clutch disengagement?
Similar Questions:
It seems my clutch may not be disengaging correctly! What should I look for to fix it?
Poor clutch disengagement can lead to the following problems:
- A very low engagement point on the clutch.
- Persistent grinding when shifting. Note this may also be caused by worn syncros.
- Shifter blocking, where the transmission simply will not shift into gear, especially at high RPMs.
- A tendancy for the car to creep forward when the clutch is supposedly disengaged.
In summary, here are most of the possible causes of clutch engagement/disengagement problems and their solutions. They are ranked in rough order of least difficult/expensive to most difficult/expensive. Most of these symptoms also apply to shifting problems that can manifest due to poor clutch disengagement.
| Cause | Solution |
| Air or water in clutch hydraulic fluid | Bleed clutch fluid and replace. |
| Master cylinder is leaking. | Replace master cylinder. |
| Slave cylinder is leaking. | Replace slave cylinder. |
| Clutch pedal rod is worn out. | Replace rod. |
| Master cylinder pushrod is incorrectly adjusted. | Readjust master cylinder rod. |
| Incorrect clutch pedal free play adjustment. | Readjust clutch pedal free play. |
| Transmission is loose, resulting in movement when clutch is depressed. | Tighten loose transmission bolt(s) by front engine mount. |
| Master cylinder rod too short for current clutch setup. | Lengthen master cylinder rod. |
| Master cylinder worn out. | Replace old master cylinder. |
| Slave cylinder worn out. | Replace old slave cylinder. |
| Poor lubrication on clutch fork and/or pivot ball. | Grease moving parts well. |
| Worn clutch fork pivot ball. | Shim pivot with one or two 3/8" washers to regain missing travel. |
| Poor lubrication on pilot shaft or throwout bearing. | Grease throwout bearing very well. |
| Worn or bent clutch release fork. | Replace fork. |
| Worn clutch pivot ball. | Replace ball. |
| Worn out or incorrectly installed clutch / flywheel. | Replace clutch / flywheel with new clutch and flywheel machined to correct specifications. |
Paying attention to the above items can make your next clutch swap a real success.
Visit: Why does my clutch engage/disengage very close to the floor? for how to adjust your clutch properly
QA #219
Last Updated:
2023-05-23 09:04
