my clutch seems loose but changing gears seems thick, (help please)

[twntrbovr4]

my clutch seems loose but changing gears seems thick, (help please)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ok this sucks, i finally have everything running smoothly in my recently purchased vr4. iv'e just turned 18 and thought that this was the best buy for the buck if you will, and tons of problems started as soon as i bought it.

now my new problem is that the clutch seems to feel really loose but when i'm shifting gears it's hard to put the shifter into gear. iv'e checked all of my fluid levels and they are all to the top or just where they're supposed to be.

Please if anyone knows what this is or how to fix it i would be very appreciated. (i'm no mechanic but have good friends that kow what they're doing). thanks, Seth

and yes i have looked back at old threads but don't seem to find any help on this specific issue unless it's broader than wht i think.

__________________
check out my site@ http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/690492

[HCProgramr]

I'm not sure if some or all of these are causes, but this is everything I can think of. Changing the transmission and transfer case [while you're down there, it wouldn't hurt] oil may smoothen things up a bit.

Synchros - These cars have very soft snychronizers...they can and will wear out.
Shifter bushings - Little rubber spacers that can stretch over time, making the shifter a little less accurate.
Shifter cables - Like all wires, these can kink, stretch and fray over time, inhibiting your shifting. Frayed or kinked cables will catch on the casing, making the shifter itself reluctant to move. Stretched cables will cause the same issues as stretched bushings.
Bad fluids - All oils break down and lose their viscosity over time, and because of this lose their protective abilities. Fresh oil will lubricate better, making things slide around that much easier.
Hanging clutch - If the clutch isn't disengaging fully, there will be tension in the gearbox still, making shifting more difficult.
Air in the lines - Although this has nothing to do with the shifter action itself, this could be the cause of your soft pedal. If you're willing to do a little digging, you can bleed the clutch line yourself. www.stealth316.com has the procedure.

That's all I can think of...but as far as your clutch acting up, I have a thread going on about it here: http://www.us3s.com/freeforum/showthread.php?t=3782
Maybe as I track down my gremlin [don't get water on it, they get real mean then!] it'll help you find yours.

HCP

PS: Take all my info with a grain of salt...I'm neither a gearhead nor a mechanic. I've been learning through necessity and lurking on forums. What I do know is usually correct, but it doesn't mean I know everything.

[HCProgramr]

OH! Almost forgot! Congratulations on the car! Once the gremlins have been squished, these are wonderful cars. I've dropped a good bit of attention into mine, and gas prices are getting ourtageous, but I don't regret it for a moment. Of everything I've driven [and I once worked for Manheim Auto Auction - supposedly the nation's largest], the 3S is one of the most enjoyable I've ever laid hands on.

[twntrbovr4]

thanks so much HCProgramr, I will look through all of this and see if any of it is going on.

[twntrbovr4]

does anyone have any other information or is anyone else going through this problem because i need as much advice as possible.

[Zoodled]

Air in the lines - Although this has nothing to do with the shifter action itself, this could be the cause of your soft pedal. If you're willing to do a little digging, you can bleed the clutch line yourself. www.stealth316.com has the procedure.


That would be my guess. The brake fluid should be changed every 2-4 years.

Some GM synchoshift for the transaxle might make shifts feel better.

If you look for GL4 you won't find it (Castrol in France or Red Line claim to be GL4) and GL5 (non-synthetic) is some what corrosive to our synchros. Newer Mitsu TSBs say GL5 is okay for the car.

The GM synchoshift has been tested by 3S owners to be okay at least in the short run of the last few years.

[twntrbovr4]

ok I have a new more horrible problem. when my car is turned on my clutch pretty much goes to the floor and there's no possible way of the shifter going into gear. when i woke up for school this morning i found this and haven't had much a chance to look at it but was not able to even budge the car. this is soooo much worse than the previous problem.

People of us3s, please help me out.... my car won't even move!!!!!!!!!

[twntrbovr4]

everyone here at home that is any bit knowledgeable about cars is telling me that with whats going on is just that i pretty much need to replace my clutch.... i dunno, if anyone has had this almost exact same problemgoing on with there vr4 or just car alone please help me out becausee a new clutch, transmission, etc... is very expesive especially with other people installing everything.

please help

[HCProgramr]

Hang on, hang on, slow down. Gotta cover some things first.

1: Does the pedal have almost zero resistance?
2: Does this shifter go in and out of gear with the car shut off? [pedal doesn't matter]
3: Does the pedal stay on the floor?
4: Does the Clutch Fluid Reservoir have anything in it?

If you can answer 'Yes' to the first 3 and 'No' to the 4th, you've got a leak in the hydraulics. Cost varies with what's leaking. It's also very probably that it'll solve the first problem, as well, if that's the case.

[twntrbovr4]

Hang on, hang on, slow down. Gotta cover some things first.

1: Does the pedal have almost zero resistance?
2: Does this shifter go in and out of gear with the car shut off? [pedal doesn't matter]
3: Does the pedal stay on the floor?
4: Does the Clutch Fluid Reservoir have anything in it?

If you can answer 'Yes' to the first 3 and 'No' to the 4th, you've got a leak in the hydraulics. Cost varies with what's leaking. It's also very probably that it'll solve the first problem, as well, if that's the case.

1. yes
2 yes
3 no
4 no but now it does

[twntrbovr4]

well, I talked it through with my mechanic and was able to kind of ghetto rig a solution. i found out that overnight the hydraulic clutch fluid was now bone dry even though i checked it out last night and everything wasfull to the brim. so i filled back up the clutch fluid and tried that out but nothing would budge on the shifter, my mechanic then told me to pump the clutch (keep pressing it in) about 20 to 30 times. after i did this i started up the car and was able to change gears with ease. i drove it around for a while and everything worked perfectly. i am now sure that i have a leak somewhere between the clutch fluid area and the clutch. i am pretty possitive that this is what it is, if anyone has dealt with this and knows exactly what it is that would help a lot.

anyway, i am now setting up an appointment to go to the only freaking :mitsu: dealership anywhere around here about an hour away and i will post results tomorrow as to what it exactly is.

thanks for all the help from everyone on the forum and if you know what it is or have an idea as to whether i am right or not please reply or pm me.

thanks again

[3kgtvr-4me]

i had the SAME EXACT problem...if they are going to charge you to check it out save your money.....i just went down to craigen and orderd a new slave clutch cylinder....45 bux and some new lines....i installed it and it fixed the whole problem....here is a link tyo the thread...well my computer is not likeing me right now so just go to the n/a forum and click on "f**ked up trans"....or do a search for that thread

----edit----heres that link
http://www.us3s.com/freeforum/showthread.php?t=3616

[twntrbovr4]

after reading the other threads and the one just mentioned to me i am kind of worried that i need to check for the leak myself before i drive the hour away to the mitsu dealership and have them do it in two minutes and not really fix anything but still charge me a million $$$s like all dealers do.

any oppinions?????????? :car:

[3kgtvr-4me]

well honestly....just go to craigen and buy the clutch slave cylinder and hoses and do it yourself...i know you said earlyer that you don't have a lot of skills well i can tell you that i got A LOT less skills and knowledge then you ;) ...just look at some of my threads lol....but it took me about 3 hours and i was taking my time and b.s.'ing with my friends. so if I can do it so can you....and i am 99.9% sure that that is the problem...granted i only have a sl but i'm not sure that is matters in this case but i could be wrong...but like i said we had/have the same problem... well hope this helps

david

[HCProgramr]

Have to make sure it's the slave first, or it's lost $$$. Fill 'er up, squish it all out, and see what side the puddle's on. If it's on the pass. side, you need a new slave. Driver's side, need a new master.

[twntrbovr4]

took it to the stealership just to check things out and i found a huge list of things that are going wrong.

slave and master cylinders
hoses
cluth
leak in oil
so much crap
etc etc etc

i'm screwed, it all adds up to about 1500$'s

any ideas will be highly acknowledged cuz i'm screwed

[Zoodled]

When I had my clutch done at the dealer I added up to $3,800. Your gettin off easy.

You can always take to a different mechanic for a second opinion.

[twntrbovr4]

i got a second oppinion and worked it out with the stealership to make things a lil cheaper. i seem to have convinced the stealership to have to do everything for around 900$, the best part about that is that i don't have to buy the mitsu stock clutch and i can go get a stage 2 or 3 clutch whichever i prefer. the only thing else i have to buy is the throwout bearing.

so basically i will buy the clutch and to bearing and they will install everything, including the master and slave cylinders hoses and all other things that i need to get for around 900$ thats not as crappy as what it was before when it was gonna be a ton of money and a stock clutch.

so my new ? is what type of clutch should i order?

[twntrbovr4]

i'm getting the Spec Stage II clutch for anyone who wants to know. I ordered it monday because of all the enthusiastic VR4 owners that had theirs installed and liked ti so much as an everyday driver.

thanks for all the help that I got from people. - Seth