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Benino · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 1:43 am Post subject: clutch failed this morning

(1980 924 n/a) I was almost at work. I stepped on the clutch pedal to downshift as I got to the last stoplight and "clunk", after a little bit of travel with resistance all resistance disappeared. I coasted into a parking lot across the street and rolled nicely into a parking spot.

I was already late for work so didn't have much time to look at it. From initial inspection it doesn't look like the cable broke. It looks like maybe the arm might have slipped on the splined shaft that goes into the bellhousing.

Has this happened to anyone?

anyway. I'll take a closer look at lunch. I'll prolly have to have the car towed home tonight.
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1980 Porsche 924 N/A USA
1980 Porsche 924 turbo USA
1987 Porsche 944S USA

Smoothie · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 2:27 am Post subject:

Sounds a lot like what happened here - http://www.924board.org/viewtopic.php?t=13364&start=10
Clutch was unusually "heavy", then later while driving, the pedal dropped to the floor...
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"..it's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff."

'82 924T, US version, dark green metallic, 5 speed Audi 016G gearbox

Lovecake · Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 15 Location: Brisbane, Australia

It sounds unlikely in this case, but the first day I drove my car i thought the clutch had failed until I felt the top of the pedal (where the cable attaches) and found the cable had simply slipped off due to the absence of a small bit of rubber. Hope it's something like that and not the rather more expensive alternative. Good luck!
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'68 VW bug
blue 1979 924 N/A (wounded/parts car)
red 1982 924 N/A

morghen · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 9102 Location: Romania

something like this happend to me twice(i know...i'm a weird person)

first time was the two "springs" that hold the bearging on the fork...they failed and slipped.

second time was the clutch cable slipped off its mounting point on the clutch housing.

Good luck !
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Min · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:59 am Post subject: Re: clutch failed this morning

Benino · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:22 am Post subject:

Heres the update:

went out to look at it at lunch time. The cable is fine. It is connected to the pedal fine and is pulled when the pedal is depressed. The cable is attached fine on that other end to the metal hook part that attaches to the clutch arm.

The clutch arm looks securely attached to the shaft that goes into the bell housing. The problem appears to be with that shaft. It seems to have pulled out of the bell housing about 1/2 inch. My drawing isn't exactly to scale but it shows what I see when I look down there. there is a cerclip on the exposed part of the shaft close to the clutch arm. the part of the shaft between that and the bell housing is very shiny as if it has just recently been exposed. The clutch arm is also pulled up to what seems like pretty much full travel and won't go up or down (just pushing by hand). it seems to be pressed against the firewall because of the shaft sliding out. The clutch itself is engaged. I can't shift when the car is running.

I put this car together probably 8 or so years ago so I can't remember what it looks like inside the bell housing. can anyone explain whats going on inside there now that the shaft has pulled out about 1/2 inch? I'm thinking I'll have to pull the tranny and torque tube to be able to remove the bell housing and get in there. :-/ What is supposed to keep that shaft from sliding out like that?
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1980 Porsche 924 N/A USA
1980 Porsche 924 turbo USA
1987 Porsche 944S USA

Benino · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:24 am Post subject: Re: clutch failed this morning

Min · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:39 am Post subject: Re: clutch failed this morning

Smoothie · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:55 am Post subject:

Class......Class..open your Haynes and turn to page 142.

It looks like the only thing holding the "clutch release lever" (fork) in place is its' engagement to the throwout bearing. For it to be sliding out, my 2 guesses are 1) one or both of those fork arms broke off (I've heard of that happening here before) and 2) splines stripped as you mentioned, and that's allowed the fork to disengage from the TO bearing and slide out.
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"..it's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff."

'82 924T, US version, dark green metallic, 5 speed Audi 016G gearbox

Benino · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:22 am Post subject:

Smoothie · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 11:21 am Post subject:

"No worries mate" - if the Brits and Aussies don't mind me borrowing a phrase..
-Just a bit of silliness for the others. I'd assumed you were temporarily Haynes-less, and that because you were at work.

I wonder if you can't get this fixed right through the inspection opening..? By the diagrams, it looks like it might be possible - holding the splined-end, go in with the opposite end first and hook the fork ends around the guide tube, rotate it around, then back to bring the splined-end through its' opening, fit the opposite end in its' "inner bushing"(17), etc. Though getting that spring #15 hooked in right and fixing the fork ends to the TO bearing spring clips might be tough, if not show-stoppers. +Would require enough clearance to deal with the clutch lever, circlip, etc. from the outside.
-And something like that in reverse to remove the lever beforehand..?
Any NA wrenchers done this? (removed-replaced the clutch release lever with clutch and bellhousing assembled to the motor and installed in the car)?

-Or is there just not enough room in there?
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"..it's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff."

'82 924T, US version, dark green metallic, 5 speed Audi 016G gearbox

Mike924 · Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Posts: 2601 Location: IoW UK

One problem is simply getting the front of the car far enough off the ground to get in there. The bell housing is quite far back, almost half-way down the car. So, by the time the middle of the car is up high enough to crawl under, the front is so high it looks like it's going to take off!

Benino, isn't your problem simply that the circlip has popped off allowing the far end of the shatf to come free? I reckon if you re-locate the far end of the shaft in its socket and re-attach the circlip (or, preferably, a new one), you'll be up and running. A broken fork doesn't sound very likely. Although you never know... Still, remove the inspection plate and have a good look if you can.
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1985 Porsche 924 'Lux', Kalahari Beige (my ex)
1993 Porsche 968 Coupe, Midnight Blue, 6 spd

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Rasta Monsta · Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 11733 Location: PacNW

I hear ya Mike. . .I usually back the rear wheels up onto ramps, then jack the front.
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Toofah King Bad

WeiBe (1987 924S 2.5t) - 931 S3

Mike924 · Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Posts: 2601 Location: IoW UK

Good idea, but could be tricky with no clutch!

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1985 Porsche 924 'Lux', Kalahari Beige (my ex)
1993 Porsche 968 Coupe, Midnight Blue, 6 spd

'There is no substitute for a little grease under your fingernails.' - Chrenan, 924board.org

5150 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:11 pm Post subject:

Had that exact problem with mine a couple of years back, was sure the cable had snapped at first but sure enough the arm had pulled round. Re-positioned it and tightened it down more firmly than it had been, hasn't been an issue since (thankfully it hadn't rounded the splines off)...
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Mars Red '78 Euro 924 n/a
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