Stumped

casper · #1 12-06-2004, 08:48 PM

I just put a brand new modular clutch in my car. The car ran fine for about a week, now its like the clutch won't engage. The petal felt softer after I put the new clutch in, but now its really soft, and won't engage fully. I put it in gear and try to go and it just barely catches and burns the clutch. What could this possibly be other than a bad clutch? I can't fully disengage, nor fully engage the clutch. I thought it was a bad cable, but short of it being stretched its fine, it moves very smoothly.

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Cr@zy Squ33 · #2 12-07-2004, 12:43 AM

Is it under warranty? Send it back.

But I know *******ly nothing about MTX transmissions so I'm useless.

casper · #3 12-07-2004, 05:32 PM

The clutch is under warenty, I just have to pull the whole trans and bring it back to autozone. Its not getting it replaced, it that I have to pull the trans again cause the clutch I got was bad.

71RoadRunner · #4 12-08-2004, 08:21 AM

It sounds like your clutch cable needs to be adjusted, but if it's like my Shelby Z was then it has a self adjusting clutch. Other than that it either sounds like there was something wrong in the install or it's the clutch or pressure plate itself. I'm guessing you have a modular clutch since most Neon's have it?

casper · #5 12-09-2004, 12:03 AM

I don't believe that the clutch cable is adjustable and the clutch itself is all one piece. It was a brand new clutch from autozone. I know I did the instal right, there was nothing to screw up. I actually have the trans ready to drop right now, all I am waiting for is someone to help me lower it out of the car. I think the clutch was bad from the store.

morningpride · #6 12-09-2004, 12:30 AM

Casper,
Almost sounds like a pressure plate failure.

If I am not mistaken, wasn't that what you thought happened with the last one?(correct me if I am wrong)

Perhaps you have a totaly diffrent problem, for instance, if the clutch fork is not aligned properly, it can cause abnormal throwout bearing pressure to the plate fingers, causing them to shear off or even bend. (don't ask me how i know...)

What caused the first one to stop working???

morningpride · #7 12-09-2004, 12:47 AM

Hold on....

Is your clutch a cable or hydraulic???

I can't remember.....

casper · #8 12-09-2004, 06:35 AM

Morning,
Its a cable, as far as I knoe thats what all 98 were. The clutch is modular, which means that the clutch is a one piece item, as in a torque converter, not a 1 piece item that has too be alligned, like an ATX that has to be to put it on the trans and bolt it to the "flywheel", just like an ATX. As to the old clutch, my guess the car has 149,000 miles on it, the clutch was original. I am sure it failed, but after looking at what I could see with the modular clutch, it looked really spent, compared to the new one. My honest evaluation from what I have seen from looking at the 1 week old clutch is that it was bad from the factory. When I got it from Autozone it was in an open box of a regular clutch for the mexican made option car, which it was a Belvedere made american clutch, I think they got a returned clutch and just resold it. It was however a "New" looking clutch, but in any case it was deffective, I have checked the Clutch cable and petal, nothing is wrong with them.

RT_Driver · #9 12-11-2004, 07:12 AM

Also while the tranny is out, inspect the fork contact points. They can be worn down and not have enough contact.

casper · #10 12-11-2004, 08:10 PM

I got it out and it was Fu*ked. I think what happened is someone returned a bad clutch and they never sent it back and sold it to me. When I looked at the 1 week old clutch it was totally used up, and until it went it was gripping fine.