Author Topic: Is my clutch done?? :(  (Read 2535 times)

Offline AdzCM

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Is my clutch done?? :(
« on: April 29, 2010, 10:22:24 pm »
Hey guys, got into my g40 today and put it into first gear, pulled away slowly and put it into second, then all of a sudden my clutch cable came off the pedal.

I loosened it at the 'fork' in the engine bay and rehooked the wee plastic part back onto the clutch pedal then tightened it all up again but the 'fork' bit in the engine bay will not move, I cant even move it by hand.

I had to get home again by starting my car in second gear with the starter motor + someone pushing then managed to slip it into 5th gear with a wee dap of the accelerator. Cringed when i came up to a traffic light, lucky it went green lol.

Only owned my g40 for about 2 months past there, and the clutch pedal was always stiff but I thought that was because the car had only done 1000 miles in the past year by the previous owner. 

Does this sound like the symptoms of a screwed clutch??

Sorry about the story lol, just giving as much info as possible.

Thanks

Offline ereeiz

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Re: Is my clutch done?? :(
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2010, 10:42:42 pm »
Is it a manual cable or a self adjusting one? If it's self adjusting it will have a big plastic cylinder round it not far from the bit that hooks onto the fork on the box.

If it's a manual one it will just be a plain cable.

Can you move the cable freely? ie. if you unhook it again both ends, can you push/ pull the cable by hand easily back and forth in the cable jacket? If not, it's the cable, Id advise you to throw it away if you have one of those nasty horrible self adjusting ones, they're more trouble than they're worth IMO. A manual one is about £10 from a motor factors and about £12 from VW from memory.

Well done changing gear with no clutch, most people struggle with that! It's a piece of piss if done at the right revs/ load.

IT's rarwe to be able to move a clutch arm by hand too, even levering it can be hard. Did you try dipping the clutch just as you lift off the accelerator? Like, as if you're revving highly and suddenly lift off, or did you jsut try it when stationary? is tehre any movement at all or does it just feel like the cable stretches slightly? (about 10mm)

Is it a standard or uprated clutch?
« Last Edit: April 29, 2010, 10:46:03 pm by ereeiz »

Offline AdzCM

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Re: Is my clutch done?? :(
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2010, 11:05:54 pm »
Hey ereeiz, its a self adjusting cable.

When disconnected at both ends it does move freely, i got my mate to pull on the cable inside the car then i pulled it back in the engine bay, its not very smooth but its smooth enough.

when connected back up thats exactly what its like [as youve described] the pedal goes to the floor but the cable feels like its only moving 10mm at the very end. Ive even tried adjusting the cable up as much as it goes....

Im not sure what you mean "Did you try dipping the clutch just as you lift off the accelerator? Like, as if you're revving highly and suddenly lift off, or did you jsut try it when stationary?"

Also, I didnt know that about not being able to move the 'fork/arm' by hand, i just assumed i could lol and thought since i couldnt, something must be wrong with the clutch.

Thanks mate.

The clutch is standard as ar as i know - the car is completely standard elsewhere and the guy i bought it off claims completely standard.

Offline AdzCM

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Re: Is my clutch done?? :(
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2010, 11:09:26 pm »
i think its self a self adjusting cable anyway. im confused, self adjusting and manual seem the same thing to me lol

it has a wee black [half barrel] like thing that sits in the fork. then its has 2 nuts that are used to tighten/loosen the cable.

thanks again

Offline G40 AD

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Re: Is my clutch done?? :(
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2010, 08:59:54 am »
mate just replace the cable and see what happens they cost pittence and its good to renew them every now and then cos its mega inconvenient when they go there's practically no bodging that will let you limp it home once its gone!

it probably is just your cable... and if not nothing is lost... aftermarket are about a tenner and vw are bout 30... which ever you go for they should be able to tell you which you need from your reg or better still take the old one to compare or justthe part no.

let us know how you get on...

Offline AdzCM

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Re: Is my clutch done?? :(
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2010, 12:29:53 pm »
I was starting to think that myself, the clutch has never slipped or anything.

Back when I first bought the car, I drove it back from england to N.Ireland and the next day it started to get difficult to go into gear. I adjusted the cable at the 'fork' and it changed gear fine again but was still stiff.

Ill get a new cable, thanks mate.

Will let you know if I get it sorted.

Offline G40supercharged

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Re: Is my clutch done?? :(
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2010, 01:44:43 pm »
i think its self a self adjusting cable anyway. im confused, self adjusting and manual seem the same thing to me lol

it has a wee black [half barrel] like thing that sits in the fork. then its has 2 nuts that are used to tighten/loosen the cable.

thanks again

That sounds like the manual adjust one. What may have happened is that the part of the cable that stops against the bulk head has broken or pulled through. When you press the pedal it moves the whole cable rather than just the inner part. I had this on my G40 (I had a heavy clutch as well which I think helped knacker the cable). I thought the gearbox was gone as the clutch pedal went to the floor but I couldn't engage the gears. £10 for a new cable and it was fine.

Offline ereeiz

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Re: Is my clutch done?? :(
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2010, 07:28:24 am »
The picture below is for reference, although it is from a VW site, so may well be the right one. As long as the length is long enough and it has the correct bits to connect either end, that's all that matters, Im not sure about self adjusting ones, Id assume they're different for different clutches (self adjusting-pressure limit may differ due to heavier/ lighter clutches across the VW range)



I'd do as has been said, check it all the way through and replace it with a manual adjust one. if there's no obvious faults then it may be the clutch itself.

What I meant before was shocking the clutch into disengaging by suddenly lifting off the throttle at high revs and pressing the clutch at the same time (like you would do with an "enthusiatic" gear change gone wrong (ie rough, lol), sometimes they stick as they fail, the fingers can fail in some way and prevent the pressure plate from disengaging from the friction plate.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2010, 07:30:46 am by ereeiz »