Clutch Doesn't Disengage When Hot

[merlinj79]

My clutch pedal feels normal, but it didn't disengage when pushed all the way to the floor today.

I had a complete clutch job done about a month ago (including MC and SC). Today was rather hot and I drove around town for a while before this happened. I let the car cool down for a couple hours, and now it seems to work OK, but I'm reluctant to drive far.

The shop put in a clutch kit so hopefully the mechanical parts are all good...maybe it just needs to be bled again?

I'm on temp military duty away from home, so I don't have the tools to do much work myself.

[l4zy415]

It does sound like you have air in the system. I would re-bleed the system.

[merlinj79]

They bled it, said no air came out. they couldn't duplicate the problem.

Today after it was warmed up I held the clutch in for a minute or so, and then I could feel it turning the input shaft with the clutch disengaged. Now I'm sure it's the input shaft dragging. Might have been caused the first time by me holding the clutch in while waiting for my garage door to open?

Looking in the shop manual (OEM) I can't see a needle bearing or bushing... there has to be one on the input shaft, right?

[l4zy415]

What kind of fluid did they put in for the clutch reservoir? And is the fluid in the tranny at the right level?

[merlinj79]

Weeeeell...I ASSUME they used DOT 3. They seem fairly reputable, I doubt they would put DOT 5 in a 1988.

It doesn't leak, and I filled the tranny less than a year ago. Should I check that again? Does tranny oil lube the input shaft at the flywheel?

Thks

[stephen]

Originally Posted by merlinj79

They bled it, said no air came out. they couldn't duplicate the problem.

Today after it was warmed up I held the clutch in for a minute or so, and then I could feel it turning the input shaft with the clutch disengaged. Now I'm sure it's the input shaft dragging. Might have been caused the first time by me holding the clutch in while waiting for my garage door to open?

Looking in the shop manual (OEM) I can't see a needle bearing or bushing... there has to be one on the input shaft, right?

There is no pilot bearing or bushing. Usually there isn't on front wheel drive.

[stephen]

Originally Posted by merlinj79

Weeeeell...I ASSUME they used DOT 3. They seem fairly reputable, I doubt they would put DOT 5 in a 1988.

It doesn't leak, and I filled the tranny less than a year ago. Should I check that again? Does tranny oil lube the input shaft at the flywheel?

Thks

They would have drained the trans fluid when they did the clutch. You might check the oil level in the transmission. Honda manual transmission fluid works
a lot better than engine oil.

[merlinj79]

Originally Posted by stephen

There is no pilot bearing or bushing. Usually there isn't on front wheel drive.

Oh. Does the input shaft just ride in the flywheel hole? How is it lubricated?

[stephen]

Originally Posted by merlinj79

Oh. Does the input shaft just ride in the flywheel hole? How is it lubricated?

There are bearings inside the transmission case on the front and back of the shaft. The end of the input shaft isn't touching anything and needs no lubrication.

[merlinj79]

Originally Posted by stephen

There are bearings inside the transmission case on the front and back of the shaft. The end of the input shaft isn't touching anything and needs no lubrication.

OK, I get it. So really this has to be the clutch disc still engaging...there's no way the input shaft can bind at the flywheel.

Could this be a bad clutch disc, maybe dragging on the input shaft? Not sure how it could do that with the pedal all the way on the floor.