1.8 CL Dead clutch pedal

[beausuf]

Hey guys,

I hope this is not the clutch itself :'( But I was driving home today, actually happened a very convenient time really, just about at a complete stand still and I went to put the car into 1st gear to nudge it up the curb at home and the clutch pedal just completely dropped out and my foot just about went through the floor.

It's never been hard to get into gear or any thing like that and hasn't shown any signs of the clutch being on the way out which makes me think(hope) that it's not the clutch itself but something else in the system. I'm hoping it could be something minor in regards to the pedal and clutch cable assembly or I have also read about a potential slave cylinder fail?

If any one has any advice or previous experience with this before I go calling a mechanic that would be awesome.

Thanks,
Beau Maher

[Umai Naa!!]

Sounds like the cable has failed. Pretty common thing.

[browntown42]

Check your engine bay for the clutch cable to see if it's still attached to the clutch lever. I had mine snap off while driving. The bottom metal attachment that holds it snaps over time.

[beausuf]

The part where it attaches seems fine, I think...? I don't have any thing to compare to as to what it should look like but metal lever/attachment that the cable is attached is all there. By moving it by hand it sounds like it's still moving/activating what it needs to towards the back left hand corner of the firewall (back of the dash/pedal cluster area).

Basically the pedal goes in, all the way back to the firewall and stays there, it doesn't bounce back to it's normal spot like it should which makes me think something has broken within the pedal assembly or where the cable meets up with the pedal assembly.

Best part about this entire thing, I sent my parts car to scrap about 7 days before this happened. Good times

If anyone has any pictures of their clutch cable, both the area where it meets the gearbox and what there pedal assembly looks like that would be awesome. I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for around the pedals.

Thanks,
Beau

[GRN_VAGN]

undo clutch cable at box end, grab the lever it attaches too and pull it up, if it stops at 9oClock, then the clutch should be good, if it goes past and hits the box at about 10, then you have other issues. mine turned out to be arm that pushes the throwout bearing at the end of the box (behind the green cover). it was cracked and slipping.

[beausuf]

Pedal assembly

Left - Pedal at normal position
Right - Pedal all the way down (Doesn't retract back to normal position)




Gearbox

Left - as is without any application to the lever or pedal, this seems to be sitting a little high I thought? The parts car I had, there was much more tension on the clutch cable. Mine seems really loose and easy to pull up and down and play around with?
Right - Pulled up by hand ~ this appears to go beyond where the cable would pull it up to - bad bad not good?



If I push the pedal back and forth by hand it moves the lever on the gearbox, If I move the gearbox lever it doesn't move the pedal but it sounds like it's engaging/moving something back towards the firewall/pedal area.

Having my head stuck under the dash playing around with the pedal, I can't see or understand how the pedal is supposed to retract after being engaged as the only moving part I can see is the spring loaded mechanism that won't retract on it's own? So I was thinking the clutch cable itself would provide that tension to bring the pedal back to it's regular position? Or am I retarded or missing something here?

I would like to eliminate the cable/pedal theory if I can before I go pulling things apart or paying someone to do so.


Thanks guys,
Beau

[beausuf]

Okay so if the pedal is at it's 'normal' position the gearbox looks like this ~ around 9 o'clock



If the pedal is all the way down up against the fire wall it looks like this ~ around 10 o'clock - If I press down on the gearbox lever, with a bit of a pressure it will pop back to 9 o'clock and the pedal will be back in it's normal position.



If I manually move the pedal with my hand to the firewall and the back to it's normal position (pedal won't retract) I can push the gearbox lever down to around 8 o'clock and the clutch cable comes with it. I can only do this once. Once the gearbox level reaches back up to 9 o'clock I need to go back into the cabin and manually push/pull the pedal to get it to get it go back down to 8'oclock. The clutch cable doesn't move with the gearbox lever with any of the other actions.

The clutch itself isn't engaging ~ that TO bearing guide is in relation to the clutch not disengaging?

I'm not that great at mechanical work but to me I still feel like it's something to do with the cable as it's not under tension unless I manually pump the pedal and push it back down to 8 o'clock? The cable just sits there with movements from 9-10

This is confusing me. Please help, I don't like driving an old ****ty pulsar as a back up! haha

[HaydEn]

ReleaseArm

[GRN_VAGN]

its the throw out bearing side, that lever shouldnt go past 9 oclock.
in your 2nd last pic its touching that hex circle but. so either the lever arm is cracked or the TO bearing is worn.

[beausuf]

Hey guys,

Thanks for those links, think you are on the money. I've done a bit of research since reading those pages, doesn't seem to be too painful if it is that side of the gearbox. My main concern is finding the replacement part if it is the release finger/arm. I've tried a few ebay/google searches for 'release finger' 'release arm' and can't seem to find any thing in terms of a replacement part. Has any one got any idea where I could get a replacement or how I would go about finding the part number?

Been a big help so far so thanks!

[camhaz]

It will probably be the release bearing that the lever pushes on. They collapse introducing play in the cable. It is a $30 or $40 part if I remember correctly, but you will also need a new green metal panel for the end of the gearbox as you will probably destroy it getting it off and it needs to seal properly. You may also lose some gearbox fluid.