Scions,
Here is a test for your troubleshooting skills. Fortunatly I will give the
answer at the end of the post.
Situation:
Driving around town with a tank of 105 octane leaded (so you know I am not
lugging the engine) winding out a gear, step on the clutch to shift and will
not dissengage. I limped home timing lights and shifting by matching revs
and not stopping for cats (oops sorry it just slipped out).
Mechanical Status:
1. Gearbox less than 1 year old unit from Kipping
2. Master and Slave replaced new less than 1 year old.
3. Clutch, Pressure Plate (Cover for UK guys), Throwout Bearing, Approx
5k miles on unit purchased back in '82 and installed in '91 (Hey, I was
stockpiling parts after the dealers went belly up. ok?)
4. Engine is low mileage (25K) factory built engine for a '72 (another
part of my stash from the late 70's)
5. Car driven several times a week (won't even entertain splines rusted
to the shaft).
Trouble Shooting:
1. Initial thought that the clutch is dry. But the tank is full with no
signs of a leak. When stepping on clutch you can see the slave pin moving.
2. Next guess, somehow air got into a perfectly tight system. Re bleed and
flush the system with new silicone. Of course no air and no change.
3. Ok, I needed to vaccum under the seats anyway so remove the interior,
tunnel cover and ponder.
4. Travel at the slave is .6 inches (15.25mm for you metric kind of guys).
More than enough travel. Shop manual say Pressure Plate only requires .29"
of movement (7.3mm) to be in spec.
5. Just in case made some quick spacers to move it closer in case I could
trick the hydraulics into pushing the Pressure Plate further. Perhaps that
is why the call it self adjusting (duh). No change.
6. Shift through all the gears with engine off just to check the gearbox one
more time while contemplating the theory of expanding universes and
waistlines.
7. Wanting to put off pulling the gearbox I find rebuild kits (from the
stash again) and rebuild the new master and slave cylinders. rebleed again
no change.
8. To satisy the morbid souls that think (or forget to install) thrust
washers in the engine I removed the belt and checked the play in the crank.
A ha! foiled again! Those darned Leyland mechanic installed them after tea.
but before ale on a Tuesday. .006 ' movement. I know all you drooling
thrust washer buffs out there are bummed now!
9. Getting narrowed down now to something bolted to the flywheel.
All the previous steps were just a way of putting off the inevitable. With
help from a fellow Scion (rgb@exact.com) out comes the gearbox through the
passenger side (US version).
Answer:
Hoping for parts to fall out and make it easy we were dissapointed. Removing
the PP and inspecting from a better position we noticed part of the contact
area for the bearing collapsed. On the flip side the plate was sitting at an
angle. It was almost like the thing was in a half release and half engage
mode.
Epiloge:
Of course I suspected the Pressure Plate all along but was looking for an
easy way out. Of all the people whose brains I picked on the way only John
Kipping came up with the same conclusion. But he did one better, using some
psycic powers predicted the letters stamped in the cover plate to be QH. To
those that don't know that stands for Quentin Hazel.
Richard 'Just wanted to hot rod that Saturday" Ceraldi
71 GT6 MKIII KF166L
Austin, Tx
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