clutch problem??

[BigD]

Background: Slipping clutch manual cable adjusted ALL the way out.

Wife takes car from Cold Lake to Calgary, calls from Red Deer.  No love.  Car won't move.  I assume clutch shot.  Haul car back.  I remove passenger side drive axle.  CV joint falls apart in my h and.  She actually snapped the cage in a CV joint.  Anyway...
Need to replace clutch anyway so I continue.  Remove Tranny(moved it just enough to work), replace clutch, grease push rod ends, install tranny. 
Here's the problem:

There is no pedal.  Clutch will not disengage, cannot get out of gear.  I can change gears anywhere I want while engine is off.  try to start and wind up moving the car.  This is a new one to me.  I have shortened the cable right to the bushing.  Still no clutch and yes, it is connected to the release lever.  But when I push the pedal, it just stays on the floor and nothing disengages.  If I start in neutral, I cannot get it into gear.  Help??

[truckinwagen]

sounds like the pushrod, and/or the thrust plate.

it is not unheard of to have the pushrod bore a hole in the thrust plate, then when you push down on the clutch pedal it just goes through the thrust plate, instead of pushing on it.

yank it back apart and make sure everything is where it belongs.

I also had something similar happen when the thrust plate retaining ring came loose and lodged itself in the fingers of the pressure plate, keeping it from returning to its rest position. no pedal, car wont go into gear while running etc..

either situation should be apparent when taken back apart.

-Owen

[the caveman]

What do you mean that the cable is adjusted all the way out. As it wears the adjustment gets smaller i.e. adjust it so there is less of the stud showing.