URGENT! CLUTCH PROBLEMS PLEASE HELP :(

[Amjad]

Hey all

Ryan and I were doing a clutch change on my 4EFE NA, we did the following:

-Replaced Gearbox fluid (2L replaced with 2L, drained and filled through 24mm plug on side of box)

-Replaced Crank Seal (gearbox side)

-Dropped, cleaned, and resealed the sump and bit the Crank seal sits on

-Fitted lightened FTE flywheel

-Fitted Blueprint FTE Clutch kit

-FITTED NEW FTE RELEASE BEARING (came in clutch kit). Was fitted correctly with pins holding it in place

-Refitted everything

Problems

• With the engine off and clutch pedal pressed, all gears could be selected
  
• With the engine on and clutch pedal pressed, just before it falls into each gear, idle RPM drops (as if the clutch pedal is being lifted with the car in gear)
  
• With the engine on and clutch pedal pressed, VERY resistant and crunchy into all gears
  
• Biting point of the clutch when released is like 1cm from when you start releasing!
  
• Car does drive as normal but as above, horribly crunchy into gears with a silly biting point
  

Troubleshooting

• Clutch was fully bled with clear clean fluid coming through, a few bubbles of air came through and after doing this, the gears felt slightly less resistant but still very bad
  
• Selector cables were removed to try to get car in gear by hand at the gearbox, again the car would not go into gear suggesting there is not a problem with the cables
  
• Both 24mm gearbox drain plugs were opened to make sure fluid was coming through and it was, no problems there
  

We think that the problem is down to the new FTE release bearing not being matched to the gearbox. Would replacing it with the old NA one sort the problem?

I would really appreciate any help, I was supposed to go back to Southampton for uni tonight and have to miss a day because of this fcuking car. Also thank you Idrees for helping us on the phone, sorry to have disturbed you so late!

Amjad

[ryan lang]

as above guys are the release bearings fron the n/a gearbox, and the FTE box different?

can think of anything else it could be

cheers iddy

[Idrees]

You're welcome, happy to help (or try to help).

Symptoms still point towards a slave cylinder problem to me though, or a dodgy clutch but you said that was brand new. If you have a spare slave cylinder it may be worth trying that. I've had the same trouble before when forgetting to bleed the clutch after fitting a gearbox/clutch.

The release bearings are the same, the input shaft size is the same on the gearbox. I can confirm this tomorrow but I am 99.9999% sure the release bearing shouldn't be a problem, unless it's fitted wrong.

[Flaminsam]

sounds to me like a bad case of clutch drag.

the clutch is not fully releasing when the clutch pedal is depressed.

im guessing the friction plate was installed the correct way,(should have gearbox side or x'mission side stamped or penned on it) did you lubricate the spigot bearing in the middle of the crank / flywheel? if this is not cleaned and re greased it can cause the symptoms of clutch drag.

also did you make sure the spigot bearing in the middle of the flywheel fit on the shaft of the gearbox? it should not be a tight fit and the shaft should spin freely within the spigot bearing.

was the gearbox ''drawn in'' using the bell housing bolts? if it was then there is a possibility of the friction plate being bent or the input shaft on the gearbox being pressed into the bearing.

but sounds like clutch drag to me.

[ryan lang]

clutch drag was the word i was searching for in my head earlier!

its like its not dis-engaging enough to put it into gear.

[Flaminsam]

exactly. or it is disengaging the clutch but the input shaft onto the gearbox is dragging in the spigot bearing in the middle of the fly wheel. with you changing the flywheel its a possibility that the spigot bearing could be slighly smaller or less worn than the original 4efe flywheel.

[ryan lang]

if you put the clutch down half way-ish, theres like a squeeky skimming noise.

i think it could be the bearing, if the new FTE bearing was wider than the FE bearing, would that cause it to behave in that way? because i keep gettign a weird flashback of holding the new bearing, then when i look at the old one, it seems thinner than the image i have in my head of the FTE bearing

[Asad]

Everthing is exactly the same just the flywheel/clutch are 12mm bigger....ive done this conversion on mine...with no problems

to rule the slave cylinder out, apply the clutch while one of you check it fully engages....i think the friction plate was installed the wrong way round iirc one way it put it closer to the flywheel and the other way it put it further away from the flywheel....

tbh either way your going to have to split the box and re-check your work.....ball ache but its the only real way of fixing the issue

[Idrees]

to rule the slave cylinder out, apply the clutch while one of you check it fully engages

I advised this too but Ryan said it looks like it's fully engaging. If it's making a noise when lifting the clutch then I agree about something related to the release bearing. What sort of noise is it?

[ryan lang]

cheers for the input guys, should get it sorted tomorrow will re-check everything twice before putt the box back on, because that was a ball ache in itself haha

[Asad]

think its the clutch plate on the wrong way round guys

[ryan lang]

I advised this too but Ryan said it looks like it's fully engaging. If it's making a noise when lifting the clutch then I agree about something related to the release bearing. What sort of noise is it?

its like a high pitch skimming squeel

[Flaminsam]

I don't think it would to be honest. Almost sounds now like the friction plate was put on backwards? Either that or the spigot bearing to me. The noise you get at half way could be the diaphragm spring catching on the friction plate. And with the clutch fully depressed the friction plate is binding on the diaphragm spring.

[ryan lang]

hmm ill check them both again tomorrow, hoping thats all that it is, massive massive help guys

theres only one way the bearing would clip onto the fork, so it may just be the clutch plate on the wrong way

[Amjad]

Thank you so much everybody! Praying that the friction plate is just the wrong way around!

[Idrees]

You're a pair of numptys if it is

Hopefully will be an easy fix though. My mate fitted a new gearbox and absolutely forgot to fit the release bearing if that makes you feel better

[Amjad]

And Ryan was saying it'd be something silly

Let's see how quickly we can get it done tomorrow then iA

[Idrees]

Should hopefully be a quicker process as you had plenty of practice today, best of luck brother

[ryan lang]

haha yeah it always is something stupid haha.

see you in the morning jadders

[james@cjperformance]

Sounds as thought thats the cause if its in the wrong way it will pushr the centre of the clutxh disc.in.to.the fly which will create the sort of noise you are describing, I would come down.and.give you a hand.but were puckin keys etc, if you get stuck gimme a rext and ill ring you as ill be busy most of the day

[Amjad]

No problem thanks for your help over the last few days too

[Flaminsam]

Have you got it sorted yet amjad?

[Asad]

they got up abit ago, should be starting on it anytime soon..

[Amjad]

Still same problem, would reverse before but now if you try to get it in reverse the car completely stalls even with clutch pedal pressed

Shall I just buy an FE clutch?

[Asad]

the only thing left is the flywheel bro, everything else seems to have been ruled out.....

the friction plate should say something like the pic in the link on it...."T/M side"

/>http://exedy.co.uk/techinfo/jtunerad.pdf