Clutch gone bad?

[pants239]

OK, this is really starting to get to me now. I have a '97 RS, 5-speed. I bought it used, and when I test drove it, everything seemed fine. It only took a couple weeks to notice some things that were wrong with it. Basically fluids, brakes, and problems with the tires. So from this I just concluded that whoever owned it before me just didn't know how to take care of cars. Well, after a couple weeks I noticed it was sometimes really hard to put in any gear and grinds in reverse, but other times, it's perfectly fine. So this led me to believe that it was the clutch master cylinder. But now I don't know cause I sometimes can't get it into gear at all, but it's always hard. It doesn't free up like it used to. Now I'm wondering what part of the clutch could be bad. ANY HELP would be great.

[Screamin_99]

Jay, I dunno but my car grinds when I smack it in reverse, but usually I dont have it pushed in all the way. but you have checked your clutch fluid? if that is good then get someone to check it out and also keep checking on here because most answers are right Here!!



Justin

Mine grinds if I put it into reverse to hard also. It sucks if your trying do do a 180 then shift into reverse and ride it out

[pants239]

Yea, I'm stupid. I just checked my fluid and it was really low. I filled it up and almost immediately, it felt like new. BUT......as I was out driving and enjoying this newly fixed problem after having it for so long, it got stuck inbetween gears is the best way I can describe it. I would go all the way into gear or all the way out (nuetral). Finally, I had jam the s**t out of it into second. Then and only then is when I could get it back into all gears. So this tells me that I have yet ANOTHER problem with it. I thought I bought the car of my dreams....such a hot car, I JUST WANT EVERYTHING TO WORK!!

[Screamin_99]

dude you did buy a nice car... also what ive learned.. that if you catch it in a bind (hard spot) it wont go into gears. this is from a past experience ive had try this b4 you jump to conclusion's. say your in 1st and going into 2nd, and it won't hit 2nd all the way like its stuck or stopped and you can go back into 1st right and 3rd but can't get 2nd all you need to do is let off your clutch again in 1st or the gear you where in when this started, and then push it back and everytime its worked for me. I was stopped on a 2 lane road around here their is no traffic. but I was stopped turning around and was in reverse, well I needed to go back into 1st to pull out but it wouldn't go? so I try everything I try RAMMING THE S**T outta it like you said nuttin happend. I thought I killed my car? so I get it back into reverse and im thinking OMG what is wrong. I let up off the clutch with a lil gas not much but if your moving through traffic you can give it as much gas as needed, and I put it back in first no problem just try taking your foot off the clutch and then putting it back in NO PROBLEM!

[pants239]

yea that's sort of what i had to do. After I got it in reverse (going the wrong way down the road) it finally went back in to gears and did it beautifully, but now it's still kinda sticky sometimes. And there's this LITTLE rattle sometimes. I just get nervous cause I hear everybody in here with these awesome cars. Mine looks so sweet, I knew I was going to buy it as soon as I saw it. I guess I just have to get all these bugs out before I see the "diamond" in the rough. Thanks.

[Screamin_99]

yea It takes time and stuff just for some reason can go out with no warning and no way of knowing but that is normal its a vehicle!! no matter what it is it "wont run forever"

[turbo_jimi]

a little trick i learned about the T5 is shift it into 5th before shifting in reverse...never had reverse grind after that...but now i have the Hurst installed and have no problems at all

Or just double clutch it and slip it into reverse. Im not lieing it works

[pants239]

I'm all good now. It works PERFECTLY...so smooth after I filled the fluid up. Always go to the simplest problem first. But I still hear that little rattle when I'm actually IN reverse....weird

[Screamin_99]

no worries nothing can't run perfect but you have the closest thing to it..




ITS CALLED A CAMARO!!!

[pants239]

OK, clutch IS officially dead, outside of my fluid problem, I now have a real problem. Car won't go into ANY gear and if it does, it won't go. Does anyone know what the AVERAGE cost of a new clutch installation. I don't have the means to do it myself (lift, garage, ect.)

Shoot im sorry to hear that but its going to cost a pretty penny in labor alone.

[Screamin_99]

Yeah. but hey how much is the new clutch your gonna buy cost? cuz I know a guy around here where I live, he is a great mechanic and will or would porbally do it for no more than 50 bux... that is me providing all the stuff to fix it.. he uses all his own tools too.. IM SO VERY LUCKY LOL

I can't work on cars at all either so I get him to do the stuff I can't do.

[pants239]

ok, it wasn't the clutch. I had the mechanic look at it. It was the tranny. Totally bad, which would have really pissed me off, but the warranty I got for the car covered it. Now I have a new tranny, good clutch, and everything is fine. Now if I could only get a a/c compressor and new window motors and switches, the car would be perfect. But the hard stuff is out of the way