Author Topic: Clutch pedal resistance question (Read 7974 times)

clbanman · « **on:** October 01, 2007, 09:27:30 am »

In the last three or four days I have noticed a difference in my clutch pedal feel. The clutch is not slipping and will fully disengage, but when I push the pedal down, I am getting increased resistance just at about the point where the clutch fully disengages. I can still push the pedal down further, but there is definitely something going on. Any ideas on what to look for first? Would this possibly be a frayed clutch cable?

Op-Ivy · « **Reply #1 on:** October 01, 2007, 12:18:49 pm »

Yes. The cable could be frayed.

However, I found last winter that all of a sudden my clutch was getting really stiff and my accelerator pedal was sticking. Figured out that because of the colder weather, the grease that the PO had used to lube the cables was starting to thicken up. Cleaned both out the clutch cable with wd40 and it worked much better. The throttle cable was fraying so I just replaced it.

Give it a check. It would make sense too now that it's getting colder.

Matt

clbanman · « **Reply #2 on:** October 01, 2007, 04:37:42 pm »

Thanks for the reply. It was 25 degrees C here today, so it's not temperature related. I'm hoping it's only the cable.

jtanguay · « **Reply #3 on:** October 01, 2007, 04:37:58 pm »

yea i'd replace the clutch cable, but then again i have about 2 on parts cars that i'd just rip off in a rage... :twisted: gotta love newbies.. only use drylube for cables like graphite. although the grease is a quick and dirty way to 'hide' a problem...

clbanman · « **Reply #4 on:** October 06, 2007, 02:23:32 am »

I couldn't find any obvious fraying, so have kept driving the car. Today on the way home from work, it got progressively more difficult to get the shift selector into any of the gears. Before I got home it was bad enough that I couldn't select 1st or 2nd at all. Limped home with 3rd and 4th gear. Is there something internal in the transmission that could cause this or is this more likely a linkage problem? 1st and 2nd feel as if there is something blocking them from engaging (lever won't move as far as normal). I do have proper gear oil level in the transmission. There is a leak at the left driveaxle into the transmission that has coated the linkage in this area with oil and then dirt. First job tomorrow is to clean the area off. I do have a kit to replace all wear items in the linkage.

jtanguay · « **Reply #5 on:** October 06, 2007, 01:30:17 pm »

definitely check the linkages... also i think i remember some people saying that if the motor/transmission mounts are bad or on the way out, that it may be hard to get it into gear. i did notice that when my front mount was broken, that reverse was harder than normal to get into, and even 1st gear.

clbanman · « **Reply #6 on:** October 06, 2007, 03:11:45 pm »

Should there be any play in the front motor mount at all? If I grab my motor by the valve cover, I can see about 1/4" vertical movement at the rubber disc on the mount located at the front of the engine by the left side of the rad. Note that I can't get 1st or 2nd even at an idle while stopped with the clutch in, and I assume this would create a no-load condition on this mount.

Powered by Spearco · « **Reply #7 on:** October 06, 2007, 03:23:16 pm »

I use the front motor mount from a late model Passat 1.8T or the V6 I think. It fits tighter in the stock front mount for Rabbit, Jetta or Scirocco MK1's. It still lets the engine move but not as much slop in the mount.

clbanman · « **Reply #8 on:** October 06, 2007, 05:02:29 pm »

Trans goes into all gears fine with engine not running. With engine running I can't engage 1st and 2nd, grinding sound with reverse. I had assumed I had a self-adjusting clutch cable, find out it's a manual cable :oops: . Now, I adjusted it all the way out, and I still can't get it to release fully. I did the Bentley test for clutch function, engine stalls when clutch released slowly with part throttle/brakes on in 3rd gear. Am I safe to assume that the clutch is OK (I have a receipt from the P.O. that it was replaced at 278,000 km and have 342,000 km now)? Even when I tried spacers between the clutch cable end and the release lever to try and increase the effective length, I can't get full release. Can the cable stretch this much? How likely do you think it is that a new cable will fix this completely? (I have a new cable on order.)

Powered by Spearco · « **Reply #9 on:** October 06, 2007, 06:16:40 pm »

This is just a suggestion, but maybe your throw-out bearing has colapsed
or the clutch push rod has worn a hole through your pressure plate release cover.
It sound wierd that you can get third and fourth, but not first and second.
Pull off the green cap off the end of the trans. and see if your throw-out bearing is ok and get the push rod out and check the condition of the opposite end. It should be very obvious if theres something wrong.
Maybe it's just your shift linkage.

Mark(The Miser)UK · « **Reply #10 on:** October 06, 2007, 08:21:52 pm »

Only last week I had a similar symptom on my Quantum. On close inspection I found the clutch lever on thetransmission had actually fractured underneath and was flexing in preference to depressing the clutch plate.
Also check that lever hasn't rotated slightly making the cable too long...

blkboostedtruck · « **Reply #11 on:** October 06, 2007, 08:34:05 pm »

ahhh have you peek under the dash to see if the pedal assembly has not broke? i had one break once on me!
thanks Duane

clbanman · « **Reply #12 on:** October 06, 2007, 08:39:58 pm »

Nothing under the dash appears broken. When the pedal comes all the way back up, the cable end is slack and the pin comes right back to the start of the slot at the top of the pedal assembly.

Can the manual clutch cable be replaced with the self-adjusting cable? I can't find the manual one for sale.

rob76 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 07, 2007, 02:27:41 am »

Can you shift into all the gears not using the clutch at all? You know by rpm matching? You shouldn't need to use the clutch at all once the car is moving. Just rev your engine up to the right rpm (when out of gear) and it should just slide right into gear. You might want to find a guide to doing this properly. Basically if your accelerating in first and you pop it out then while the rpm is falling apply pressure to go into second gear and at the right rpm it will just slip right in. When going from 3rd to 2nd rev the car up past the matching rpm point for second gear and as the rpm are falling it should just slip right in as well. Should work for all the gears. If it's grinding then something isn't right at all.

rob76 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 07, 2007, 02:29:21 am »

So if you can get into all your gears that way then it's probably something to do with your clutch. Hope you work this problem out, sounds horrible!