Help, release bearing not engaged

[BraindG]

Guys just spent all day putting car back together, start her up and I can't get it in gear when the clutch is depressed, it's ok if car is switched off, I can cycle through all gears.

So after fitting the new clutch I fear the release bearing isn't engaged on the pressure plate.

Can someone call me who knows some tricks, I don't want to take gearbox off again.

[Humpty's Revenge]

Silly question but have you put the clutch plate around the correct way?

[BraindG]

Yep was a sticker on it for flywheel side.

[Humpty's Revenge]

Try bleeding the clutch again?

[adaxo]

Bleed clutch and did it click when you fit gbox and press fork first time?? it should 'click' at around the middle of fork hole and fork should stay in this position.

[Subaru ETA]

Did you move the release fork until it engaged once it was together?

[Gowf]

Have you pushed the clutch arm the wrong way to engage the realase bearing into the snap ring on the pressure plate? If you have but the arm can just come out of it, you have dislodged the snap ring, which means gearbox and clutch off again im afraid

[BraindG]

I never empties it, just removed the piston, although thinking about it the pedal goes right to floor and stays there, have to pull up with hand. But I disregarded cos this also happened on y previous two cloth installs.

[Subaru ETA]

Adam beat me to it!

[BraindG]

I can see through the fork hole that the spring clip thing is still in right location and it did look as if the release bearing was sitting correctly.

[Subaru ETA]

Mine went to the floor when I did mine even after I bled it. I ended up bleeding it for AGES till the point I could engage gear and took it for a drive. It came right after that

[BraindG]

Yeah I believe the fork clicked into place, I ge it quite a few pulls and jerks.

[adaxo]

I can see through the fork hole that the spring clip thing is still in right location and it did look as if the release bearing was sitting correctly.

I must be the clutch bleeding then

[Subaru ETA]

Yeah I believe the fork clicked into place, I ge it quite a few pulls and jerks.

O my...... :p

[Gowf]

ok, get your slave cylinder out of there, and then use a lever bar. Move it in the direction it is intended to and what happens? Does it just sit close to the end of its movement and not return? When you pushed it the other way intitially to engage it, was it positive? Also what make is the clutch?

[Gowf]

If you havent disconnected the slave cylinder then you shouldnt need to bleed the system at all

[Subaru ETA]

I didn't disconnect my slave cylinder but it still had heaps of air in it. Figured it was prob because of the angle it sat on for a week while the gear box was out and was replacing the bearing

[BraindG]

Ok once tow truck has dropped me off I'll bleed clutch, will report back soon...ish.

[Gowf]

The only issue I ever had was when I put the carbonetic in. It just wouldnt behave, but that was due to the slave cylinder being on its way out as I later discovered. Just did an evo that has had its engine and box out for 8weeks and no bleeding was required at all. It really doesnt make any sense as there is no way air can get into the system

[Davezj]

Oh Barry I feel for you mate, are you still at Karl's or have you got a taxi home?

[BraindG]

Just got a row truck home, so I'm home now.

Going to try bleed the clutch, I know that the piston thingy popped out at one stage, when I was moving it out of the way, air would have got in then.

Thanks for all the replies guys!

Bbs

[Nick Mann]

Clutch to the floor and staying there is a sign of the release bearing not locking in as well as a sign of air in the clutch line. You need to check the release fork arm whilst pressing the clutch and see how it is moving. Also remove the clutch slave cylinder and check the arm again. I have solved the release bearing not catching by playing with the release fork arm whilst the engine is cranking, that has worked more than once.

Good luck bud - hopefully it is a silly issue not a gearbox back out jobby.

[Nick Mann]

Ah - you posted at the same time as me! Yep, definitely bleed the clutch line. And do it lots, it is a PITA to get the air out.

[BraindG]

I'll take the piston off in a mo, I would then expect not to be able to push the fork to the drivers side, if this is ye case then the release bearing is in place. If it moves when pushing on the driver side it would suggest its not in place, my thinking correct?

[Kenneth]

One time I had this issue it was because the master cylinder adjustment on the pedal was incorrect so it wouldn't bleed properly.

My issue was probably related to being a auto-manual conversion. Might be worth a look at if all else fails though.

Take a picture of the release bearing fork and post it, should be able to tell from that.

[Nick Mann]

Pushing to the drivers side shouldn't occur, not by more than a tiny tiny fraction. If you get as much as a centimeter then the release bearing is not locked. You should find that the arm will not move without levering on it with a very big bar. The arm should move to the passenger side by a couple of mm, this just takes up the slack in the small wave spring on the pressure plate. Letting go should see the springs push the arm back towards the drivers side again. If you can move the arm in any direction by more than about a cm then there is almost certainly a release bearing issue.

[Gowf]

sort of, you will still get a degree of movement as it moves on the wave springs. However, you will need to use a lever. If you can get it to move a small amount with the lever (going towards drivers side) then its ok. If it wont move it may be an issue with your presssure plate. If it moves a good bit then its your snap ring that has come off. Just had very similar issues with this aforementioned evo and a twin plate clutch

[BraindG]

Piston off, here's a pic.

I cannot move the fork to the drivers side by hand, this to me says its locked into place?

If it wasn't locked I would be able move it?

[Kenneth]

It isn't engaged, it should be back towards the slave cylinder.

Excuse the picture quality...
55018

[Kenneth]

In saying that, it COULD be engaged but if it is, it doesn't look like it leaves you much travel

[BraindG]

Thanks Kenneth, cant really see that picture on phone, however

Just been bleeding and now the clutch is springing back out.

Not sure if this is a sign or not.

The required movement on the pressure plate is only a few mm, isn't it?

[adaxo]

yes 5mm tops

[BraindG]

Video, camera was balanced on my ratchet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jQ1fjouka8

[adaxo]

clutch still not disengaging ??

[BraindG]

Just put car back together had to take intercooler an bumper off to get on tow truck.

I'm going to try now, briefly.... It's midnight :). Neighbours might moan.

[BraindG]

Hah! It works. :) off to get petrol

[adaxo]

So it was a matter of bleeding ??

[BraindG]

Yep! :)

[VR4Kaos]

glad you got home ok barry mate /Hmmm if you need to come back and finsh it thats no problem mate i can get a recovery truck for approx £20 in normal working hours buddy

[BraindG]

And here's some proof :)

[VR4Kaos]

you rollin buddy ?????????

[adaxo]

Upload time laps video for us to have a laugh, hope you got enough space on hdd for 2 days of pictures:laugh:

[BraindG]

you rollin buddy ?????????

Yeah baby! /bounce

[VR4Kaos]

Upload time laps video for us to have a laugh, hope you got enough space on hdd for 2 days of pictures:laugh:
/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/haz/

[VR4Kaos]

Upload time laps video for us to have a laugh, hope you got enough space on hdd for 2 days of pictures:laugh:

did barry mention day 1 was till 9pm and day 2 was 10pm barry's needs to be runnin on terra bite external's mate rlmfao

[adaxo]

Now you know why I was laughing when he mention clutch job on one of earlier NW meet /Nuuu


anyway Im glad Barry is sorted now, bring my cambelt job on!!/haz/haz

[Kenneth]

Good to see you got it sorted Barry :)

[BraindG]

well, bad news it seems, the time lapse stopped working after 3 hours on the first day, ran our of diskspace - those 3 hours were only 4 GB, next time i should pay more attention to what i have available before i start timelapse..... im gutted, was looking forwards to seeing it too...

on a side note, i need to rebleed i think, when i left tesco it was quite hard to get into 1st, i'll do it tomorrow when the mrs can help.

ill render timelapse of what i have.

Karl, thank you so much for putting up with me for so long - i do truley feel bad for taking up so much of both your and Wills time..

[VR4Kaos]

Karl, thank you so much for putting up with me for so long - i do truley feel bad for taking up so much of both your and Wills time..

don't mention it mate no probs as for time laps vid im gutted had a few laughs to see on there

[adaxo]

I was hoping for this 55022 'extras' :jester:, gutted is not recorded.

[BraindG]

Just for giggles, the moment of truth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8ebNnVVDog

[Gly]

My slave cylinder failed shortly after fitting a new hd clutch. Got worse and worse till the padal just sat on the floor,
Not fun driving home.

[Davezj]

Well done mate.

When you say bleeding do you mean pumping the clutch pedal repeatedly, or do you mean undoing a nipple and bleeding it that way like brakes.

[BraindG]

Like the way we do the brakes, I was doing it 1man tho, soothe first attempt saw me pumping for a while, ten undoing the nozzle.... At this point there was loads of little bubbles appeared, after this the pedal got hard and I tried the same thing a few times, but tbh I really need a second person to finish off the job.

Thanks again for popping round after work and helping Dave, was a big help!

[Davezj]

glad we got the big heavy stuff done while i was round.

[BraindG]

Sanity check, this is the clutch reservoir?

[adaxo]

Yes, that's the one

[BraindG]

Cheers Adam, I've never had to top that up in all my 10 years of owning a vr4!

[Davezj]

Cheers Adam, I've never had to top that up in all my 10 years of owning a vr4!

looks empty to barry!

it was full when i left you at about 6.00pm

what fluid do you use to top a clutch up with, i seem to remeber it is the same as the brakes, but don't quote me on it.

[Wodjno]

Wow.. Glad you got it all sorted now Barry /yes Next time will be a doddle :D