Tonight driving home there was a heavy'crunch' as I pushed in the clutch at a stop light. I pulled into the gass station of get fuel and I couldn't release the clutch. I had to shut the motor off in order to stop. I needed fuel so I filled up. Then when I went to leave, the truck lurched ahead as I hit the starter. It was as though the clutch had not released. At this point the clutch pedal got really hard. I could hardly push the pedal down. Since I was a long ways from home I decided to try to make it home. Well I got to the next stop light and as I was slowing down it quit driving in 5th. I dropped down to 4th and it drove a a second or 2 then I lost all the gears. I coasted around the corner and off the highway. I was stuck as the truck would not move. The clutch pedal is unbelievably hard. The shifter seens to work ok but there are no gears at all. There is no grinding noise or apparent load on the motor.

There is clear fluid in the clutch master cylinder and doesn't seem to be leaking.

I can shift the transmission into any gear with the motor running without using the clutch and nothing happens. Again no noise at all.

I suspect the disc has lost the facing and the clutch arms have extended out so far that they have locked up the release bearing, thus the hard pedal or the input shaft has broken and jambed the release bearing.

What do you guys think.???

I need to get this fixed right quick as it is my only vehicle and I need to get to work.

 

May have broken the clutch fork or bent it. I suspect the throw out bearing spun and tore up the fork. Ive seen this on a 97 that we just put a SB in. Same symptoms.

 

I have taken clutches apart that worked ok yet the lining was completely gone from one side. Metal to metal will still grab just not as well and will be noisy with slippage. If you can change gears with the engine running, clutch in and no noise then there must be no spring pressure being applied or the input shaft is broken. My guess is the release arm broke and damaged the springs as a broken shaft will usually have an interference fit and still turn some. Either way you are pulling something apart.

After re-reading your post I see there was no noise, It could be the release bearing has become trapped on the release side of the fork. Hard pedal and no clutch engage would result. It still has to come apart though.

 

same thing happened to me when I broke my input shaft...so that would be my guess, if the input shaft is broken then you most likely bent the clutch plate will have to replace the clutch (pressure plate, disk, and throwout bearing). Also check your hydraulics, when all this happened to my truck the slave cylinder over extended and got air in the lines, thats my best guess on how the hydraulic system lost its prime on my truck.

 

thanks for the feedback guys. The truck is in the shop and should be done tomorrow. I'll post the results.

 

I just got an update from the tran shop. The center of the disc is ripped out so no drive. The pilot bearing has torn up the end of the input shaft so they have to replace that too. He said they are going to try to replace only the bad stuff however they will have to get into the trans. I asked them to explore the possibility of installing the larger input shaft so we'll see.

Seems like a good shop so far.