glkiller Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 Hi All! So check this one out, I have a 1983 GL 4WD Wagon that everyone here has helped me keep alive and actually get the motor to kick a little butt again, thanks much. But today a new gremlin is visiting. My wife drove the car wich was acting normal down our road and went through a 2 FOOT deep mud puddle on my nasty road. Went through twice and came home and parked the car with no problem about a 1.5 mile trip. The next day she tries to leave and the car won't go into gear with the engine running but it will when it's shut off and feels fine. We always park the cars in neutral. So I put it in gear and press the clutch and try to start the car. It lurches forward like the clutch isn't engaging. At this point I came in the house and searched the forum for a problem like this and found several good threads. I thought maybe the pilot bearing had seized and sure enough I found a thread to agree with me :)hehe. I put the clutch in this car when I bought it about 5 years ago, it has never had any problem until this all the sudden. I had my wife push the clutch while I watched the arm move, tried to adjust the cable, and so on eliminating the obvious broken or slack cable, there is no noise, all sounds are perfectly normal. SOOOOOOO thanks for your patience.... I rented an engine hoist and pulled the engine out and I found that the pilot bearing feels very good by sticking my finger through and turns with no effort at all hmmmmm.... I have not yet pulled the pressure plate as everything seems to work ok. BUUUTTTT!!! There are signs that it may have had alot of water in the bell area with the clutch and there is NO grease or lubrication on the splined shaft. So the only theory I have left is that the clutch disc simply wouldn't slide on the spline shaft. Wich means ALL I have to do is clean and lube that shaft and trow it all back together (basically) and it would work. My question is should I take no chances and just replace the clutch or am I right and I just lube everything back up after my mud puddle clutch washing episode? THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Update: I pulled the oil pan to replace the gasket and found mucho metal... looks like a bushing ripped and twisted in half metal chunks stuck in the oil intake screen thank god it's got a screen:) to be continued... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 The splined shaft shouldn't have much grease on it. It would be thrown off and get into the disc as it spins. Could some rust have formed to lock the disc to the PP and the flywheel? I would inspect the PP very carefully and possibly consider replaceing it. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glkiller Posted October 20, 2007 Author Share Posted October 20, 2007 Good to see you here still GD. I'm hesitant to take the pp off the clutch splines look wet and possibly a bit rusty, the input shaft and the bell housing werew pretty gunked up, (I've been busy) but you are right I should at least take off the pp and check things out further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glkiller Posted October 21, 2007 Author Share Posted October 21, 2007 GD called it pressure plate had a rust outline of the clutchplate after I PRIED it off. Clutchplate was also stuck to the flywheel. Clutch looks pretty thin, so I'll throw another one at it. good call gd laterz... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 In the future, after going through a deep puddle, do not just park the car. You need to do a lot of starts from a dead stop to heat up the clutch and dry it off. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruparts Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Hi, I can tell you for sure, the clutch disc rust stuck to the flywheel, I have a truck that does this alot from sitting and no use. all the water you went through, it was warm, rust stuck it, if you crank it in gear it moves right, push the clutch pedal it still goes, the disc is stuck to the flywheel. On my truck the clutch is accessable from a lower cover, I remove it, prop the clutch pedal down, and use a cake frosting spreader to slip between the disc and flywheel, never fails. Only you can't do that on a subaru, so if it happens again you maght try cranking the car in gear, get going, and then hit the brakes to pop it loose( with the clutch pedal depressed of course) so it can pop loose. If that don't work you might have to pull the engine or trans to allow access to it. Stay out of deep water or drive long enough to dry it out. Best luck Hi All! So check this one out, I have a 1983 GL 4WD Wagon that everyone here has helped me keep alive and actually get the motor to kick a little butt again, thanks much. But today a new gremlin is visiting. My wife drove the car wich was acting normal down our road and went through a 2 FOOT deep mud puddle on my nasty road. Went through twice and came home and parked the car with no problem about a 1.5 mile trip. The next day she tries to leave and the car won't go into gear with the engine running but it will when it's shut off and feels fine. We always park the cars in neutral. So I put it in gear and press the clutch and try to start the car. It lurches forward like the clutch isn't engaging. At this point I came in the house and searched the forum for a problem like this and found several good threads. I thought maybe the pilot bearing had seized and sure enough I found a thread to agree with me :)hehe. I put the clutch in this car when I bought it about 5 years ago, it has never had any problem until this all the sudden. I had my wife push the clutch while I watched the arm move, tried to adjust the cable, and so on eliminating the obvious broken or slack cable, there is no noise, all sounds are perfectly normal. SOOOOOOO thanks for your patience.... I rented an engine hoist and pulled the engine out and I found that the pilot bearing feels very good by sticking my finger through and turns with no effort at all hmmmmm.... I have not yet pulled the pressure plate as everything seems to work ok. BUUUTTTT!!! There are signs that it may have had alot of water in the bell area with the clutch and there is NO grease or lubrication on the splined shaft. So the only theory I have left is that the clutch disc simply wouldn't slide on the spline shaft. Wich means ALL I have to do is clean and lube that shaft and trow it all back together (basically) and it would work. My question is should I take no chances and just replace the clutch or am I right and I just lube everything back up after my mud puddle clutch washing episode? THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Update: I pulled the oil pan to replace the gasket and found mucho metal... looks like a bushing ripped and twisted in half metal chunks stuck in the oil intake screen thank god it's got a screen:) to be continued... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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