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Need help with clutch!! 1987 4 + 3. Tried Everything!

SBrewer7713

Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2018
Messages
11
Location
Atlanta GA
Hello guys been using this forum for years and just now registering. Lol I want you to know I’ve read every post and seen every video on c4 clutch bleeding. Seriously and I’m still stuck.


Got around to buying another C4 z52. Only issue is my clutch doesn’t do anything. Let me explain.

I purchased it as is for 2300$ has 104k on the dash. Previous owner stated it needs a new master cyl installed and even included it! So I installed it and......nothing. Has Hydraulic pressure but not what a clutch should feel like, it’s too soft and kind of easy to push down.....So I go ahead and replace the slave cyl in good faith. Still nothing...fearing the worse I order an entire clutch kit and throw out bearing (Valeo) pay a mechanic 500 to install and after 2 weeks I get my car back ( with a hole in my floor because they jacked it under the drivers seat)......it gets worse...my car clutch still won’t disengage....another week goes by guy fixes floor...but still no clutch and to my suprisethe old clutch still had some meat on it!

I decide to abandon the shady mechanic and drove it home in 3rd. Bled for 3 days no success...bled for hours with three people and a mighty vac and the old school way. Removed from bell housing and bled etc....pressure but no clutch.

So I can see the rod moving maybe half inch and hear a “creaking” at the fork? Fork has alot of free play too, up and down (vertical) and in and out of bellhousing (left tire to right tire motion) is that normal?????

Can’t get into any gear while cars off without bumping the starter most times.

I did a quick test by putting shifter next to reverse and pumping clutch to see if contact chatter would quiet maybe a little but nothing 0 clutch even though it has pressure......The exact problem I started with before dumping about $1000 into this.

What should I do now? My best guess is fork is bent or pivot ball isn’t connected properly? Any similar stories?

Any one in ATL?
 
So I can see the rod moving maybe half inch and hear a “creaking” at the fork? Fork has alot of free play too, up and down (vertical) and in and out of bellhousing (left tire to right tire motion) is that normal?????

Sounds like a problem with the throw out bearing & not a hyd problem.R&R'n a clutch is not as simple as most people think,the pressure plate has the be tightened in sequence & not just bolted to the flywheel etc. The imput shaft has to slide in & out of the clutch spline & into the pilot bearing etc.Them plastic shafts are not exactly the best either.
 
Most of my reply's will be at night,I just got up & I work nights.
theres 2 ways I would check it.
1st, since I have a bore scope I would get it into the bell housing thru the fork boot & see if the throw out bearing is sitting correctly on the bearing & have someone push in the clutch.
2nd remove the clutch cyl & put a porta power on the fork,that will act as the hyd cyl , pump that & see if it jams etc.That will verify if its a hyd problem also.
Good luck.Its gona be a PITA checking it,but that will confirm if ithe trans will have to come out again.
 
Hey I appreciate all the help no matter what time it is lol. Have a video I can send you of that let me know what you think?
 
Was kinda jammed up over the weekend. Kids & grand kids over etc & now I got stuck with feeding my sisters cats while shes visiting over in PA. Ill PM ya my E -mail addy & see if that works.
 
did you take the slave cyl lose and tilt it to bleed? the way they are mounted the bleed screw is usually at the lower end which traps air . would think you cam across this in your searches.
just about the worst thing I have ever had to bleed .
 
Pivot stud looks like it actually got rusty and the fork wore it down until the head was no longer a ball but flat like a nail. Replacing this weekend most likely. Trans has to come back out. Sadface.
 
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I've been following your progress on the fix. I'll ask the 64$ question. Who is doing the work ?Hopefully after the trans is reinstalled its verified the throw out bearing is going in far enough to disengage the clutch.
 
Not sure my mechanics actually out of town. May do it with a friend if weather permits. Been throwing money at this thing, seems some like a trench hmmm...maybe a pit :W
 
Any progress ?
 
Not just yet drive shaft u joint came off...new strap kit just came in for it so bolting everything up tomorrow and driving to local mechanic 1/2 mile away with no clutch.lol all parts are ordered and he’s only charging me 350 since it’s something he overlooked (even though I told him to call me when trans was out initially)
 
Hopefully he gets it right this time. My friend just dumped $11k into his 99,thay blew the clutch on the Dyno, the Org couldn't handle the 500 HP.

YouTube
 

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