Clutch Issues!! Opinions Wanted.

[JoeS]

I put in the clutch about 10 months ago. The first two months everything was fine, then during a long road trip something happened. It became rather tough to put it into first and second gear sometimes. Since the weather has starting getting warm I have begun to address the issue. I replaced the master cylinder and replaced the slave cylinder and have bleed the crap out of the line to remove any doubt about hydraulics. I have insured that the rubber hose is not bulging when pedal is depressed.

Now on with the problem... I put car up on jack stands and kept putting the car in 1st and 2nd gear (the engine is running) and there is a tad of engagement when the clutch should be fully engaged. The back wheels spin, only in first and second gear. Now I put my foot on the brake and release and spinning stops. It seems when I put it into gear there is a little notchy feel that I have to push the shifter thru and during this the wheels spin.

The obvious thing is the throw out bearing being install incorrectly, but I know that when I put it I was so paranoid about making sure it was correct - I must have looked at it 50 times.

Now a little bit of my setup – I am running an 1990 535i, getrag260/6 with an E28 535i flywheel ( lightened just a little by the machine shop) flywheel spacer and sachs clutch kit. The Slave cylinder is the e34 model.

Other observations besides the shifter issue, the clutch in not slipping, and when I go out and give the car hell – I get the stink ( burning clutch). Like I said earlier the shifter issue is only sometimes. The other times the car seems to shift smooth with no problems. It is like something is binding or mounted uneven – but how could that be?

Any ideas?

[Jeff N.]

hodeeedooo...yoooohoo...oh Martin? Was yer clutch like this when you fubared the T/O bearing by 90 degrees?

[Martin in Bellevue]

There was no engagement problem, as it was.

Joe, I'd get a new hydraulic flex line to the slave cylinder. Bleed the slave by removing it & positioning the bleeder to be the topmost part. Gravity bleed it in this position by opening bleeder & pushing the piston rod in, then close bleeder. Don't depress clutch pedal with slave unbolted.


Jeff, Walt is bringing my oil cooler crap over this morning. You swinging by for tomorrow's brake work? Looks like Louie & another e28 guy, owner of the thrust bushing tool, are making appearances as well.

hodeeedooo...yoooohoo...oh Martin? Was yer clutch like this when you fubared the T/O bearing by 90 degrees?

[Jeff N.]

Sure, why not. What's one more dickhead? Let's see if you can install the brakes on Louie's car backwards. And don't forget that the compound side of the pad faces the rotor!

[Scott H]

you guys gonna play "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" with your "tools"?

[Bill R.]

should try to picture what the clutch disc sandwiched between the pressure plate and flywheel looks like... Even with the clutch fully depressed there isn't a whole lot of clearance between the disc and flywheel..Now the disc is floating on the splines on the transmission input shaft so it should center itself in between the pressure plate and flywheel but if the splines on the input shaft aren't properly lubed then the disc can bind up on the input shaft and not slide back and forth to center itself.. If this happens then the disc may be rubbing slightly on the flywheel or the pressure plate since its not exactly centered.. The effect is that the clutch seems to be a little engaged until you hold the brake on like you say and break it loose so the disc centers itself.. Another possibility along the same lines is the clutch input shaft bearing in the end of the crank. IF this bearing is going bad or starting to bind then the input shaft will keep spinning giving the same effect of not wanting to go into 1 or 2 gear easily and feeling notchy going in...I've seen a bent input shaft do the same thing but thats usually obvious as soon as the new clutch is installed... typically cause by someone handing the weight of the transmission unsupported from the engine... Here's a bulletin regarding the input shaft spline lube to keep the clutch disc floating freely on the shaft

I put in the clutch about 10 months ago. The first two months everything was fine, then during a long road trip something happened. It became rather tough to put it into first and second gear sometimes. Since the weather has starting getting warm I have begun to address the issue. I replaced the master cylinder and replaced the slave cylinder and have bleed the crap out of the line to remove any doubt about hydraulics. I have insured that the rubber hose is not bulging when pedal is depressed.

Now on with the problem... I put car up on jack stands and kept putting the car in 1st and 2nd gear (the engine is running) and there is a tad of engagement when the clutch should be fully engaged. The back wheels spin, only in first and second gear. Now I put my foot on the brake and release and spinning stops. It seems when I put it into gear there is a little notchy feel that I have to push the shifter thru and during this the wheels spin.

The obvious thing is the throw out bearing being install incorrectly, but I know that when I put it I was so paranoid about making sure it was correct - I must have looked at it 50 times.

Now a little bit of my setup – I am running an 1990 535i, getrag260/6 with an E28 535i flywheel ( lightened just a little by the machine shop) flywheel spacer and sachs clutch kit. The Slave cylinder is the e34 model.

Other observations besides the shifter issue, the clutch in not slipping, and when I go out and give the car hell – I get the stink ( burning clutch). Like I said earlier the shifter issue is only sometimes. The other times the car seems to shift smooth with no problems. It is like something is binding or mounted uneven – but how could that be?

Any ideas?