Engine Help, Clutch won't fully disengage

Help, Clutch won't fully disengage

We just finished installing an ACT XT pressureplate, Street disc and Fidenza flywheel in my car and now we can't get it into gear. We tried adjusting the clutch pedel which allowed us to get the car into gear but it was still very hard to get into gear. Does anyone know of a solution to this problem?

Thanks in advance

Anyone ever have this problem?

check for leaks..

I haven't had any problems with my setup (ACT heavy duty pressure plate, ACT organic disk, Fidanza flywheel)..sorry to hear about your problems

I don't see any. The fluid looks rank though so I'm going to change it out tonight and see if that helps. But I went out this morning and started up the car and drove it around for about 2 minutes and shifted to reverse no prob and 1st no prob and 2nd no prob but after a few minutes I was unable to shift again and the clutch would not fully disengage. Very wierd.

did you replace the slave cylinder? you could have a slow leak or something..

how much thicker than stock is the clutch?

Yeah it really sucks. Are you running the XT pressure plate or the lesser one? the XT is 60% over stock and the strongest thing they got for our cars. I think this may be the root of some of my problems.

When changing the hydraulic fluid, be sure to properly bleed the system... I helped a guy bleed his MG clutch a month or so ago-- he was having the same trouble where the clutch pedal seemed to have no effect at all. There were huge bubbles in the lines-- and the fluid was pretty close to black.

Actually it looks like the hydralics might now be the problem. I started the car a little while ago and from a cold start I can easily shift though all gears with the clutch in. However as soon as i let out and engage the clutch fully and push it back it the clutch will not fully disengage. If I just let it out a little until it grabs and push it back in everything works great. I think this is a problem with the disc sticking to the flywheel or dragging on it. I sent mail to Fidanza and talked to ACT on the phone and they are giving me some ideas but if the changing of fluid doesn't help we might have to tear it all apart again and on a corolla its a nightmare because you have to remove that lower engine brace and 3 of the engine mounts to do it not to mentional all the electrical crap.

Looks like its a heat problem. When the clutch engages a few times and heats up or drags a little it gets stuck until I let it cool down completely. I beleive I have found a defect with the compatibility between ACT and Fidanza. Kinda sucks though $700 later.

I'm running the heavy duty pressure plate (this one).

Even though installing a clutch is a fairly straight forward installation it isn't installed right. Just make sure the whole assemble isn't backwards. My dad did it to the first car.

Have you checked to see if the pilot bushing got chewed up. Even with the alignment tool - I've seen a few get chewed up during the install. Might also be the flywheel to crank hub bolts - where the disc is being driven by the bolt heads. Acts like a temperature related sticking or dragging clutch. Sometimes you get the wrong bolts from the manufacturer. Also, the clutch itself - since it is a street disc - did they turn down an edge (sometimes they use a bigger disc and have to turn down an edge to fit - sometimes it isn't enough).

Good Luck.

check the master cylinder?

you may have blown a seal with the increased pressure needed to push back the pressure plate..

If it was in backwards, would it work at all?

I'm not too familiar with the inner workings of the clutch..sorry

Yeah I've got the XT this one (http://www.advancedclutch.com/Produ...&idproduct=1026)

Almost the same but my pressure plate is 275lb torque and yours is 233lb torque. This setup should be working. I'm noticing it is directly related to the load I put on the clutch though. If I slowly engage the clutch going up a slight hill it grips up and then does not want to release. I'm thinking that maybe the pressure plate is putting the disc into the flywheel to hard under a load and its getting real sticky and does not want to back off.

My friend that did the install is an experienced import clutch installer and while we did the install he pointed out to me why you can't install the clutch backwards in our car because the clutch disc springs will hit the flywheel mounting bolts and not lay flush. He really knows what he's doing because he used to build motors and stuff at a speed shop but this problem has got him stumped too because it shows all the symptoms of a hydralic problem but the system checks out.

I'm going to go jack the car up and put it in gear and warm it up and see what happens.

The Master and Slave Cylinders are fine. I just checked them, No leaks and after engaging teh clutch for 20 minutes the release bearing arm was still at the same POS.