won't go in gear
 

Okay guys, I just swap out a motor on my 91 and it shifts fine when car is not running, but when it's running it's not going in gear. What did I do wrong?

sounds like you didn't do the clutch fork right. if you aren't disengaging the clutch it'd be hard to shove it in a gear.

I'm assuming you have pressure at the clutch pedal, right?

Yes I have pressure at the clutch pedal. It's a ACT HD pressure plate with street disk.

Sounds like you need to adjust the clutch pedal height so that when depressed, it fully disengages the clutch. To verify that the clutch is not being fully disengaged, press the pedal in and then apply pressure to the shifter to try to shift it into 5th. gear. This will put a load on the syncros if the transmission is turnning and the engine RPM will bog down a couple hundred RPM's, verifying the clutch isn't fully disengaging.

I thought it was the clutch pedal heigh, because I adjusted before I start the car, but I put it back to what it was and still same.

Well, still try that little test and that will tell you if the clutch is fully disengaging or not. Did you try bleeding the clutch lines? Air in the system would cause the clutch to not fully disengage.

But I didn't even open up the clutch line.

is the clutch aligned right?

Man, you have more issues with your car...

I use the clutch alignment tool. Unless that shit is fucked up,I think it's line up right.

The alignment tool is used so you can stick the transmission the first time. That has nothing to do with the problem your describing. If you have pedal pressure, you either have air in the lines, a faulty slave or master cylinder, or the pedal is not properly adjusted. If I were you, I would bleed the lines just to be sure that's not the problem.

I will try to readjust the clutch pedal height and bleed the line.

Can't you just get someone to push the clutch pedal while you watch the slave cylinder arm? That will help you begin to narrow things down and is an easy first step.

I got someone to push the clutch pedal and I was looking at the slave cylinder and I can see it moving. Also I bleed the line from the clutch slave cylinder and that didn't help. Also try to put in 5th gear when running and it didn't do anything,but the rpm did drop maybe a hundred or less.

The clutch master cylinder and slave has been replaced about 6 months ago with oem factory unit. I don't see any fluid leaking and clutch MC is full of fluid.

It could be that the slave is not moveing the fork enough to disengauge the clutch. When I did my clutch I acually had to use a longer shaft for the connection between the slave and fork.

So what you suggest? Take the slave apart and put it back together or rebuild? It's not leaking though.

last engine swap we did i saw a slave go back together slightly crooked, the push rod part. it wouldn't come out after that pushing the clutch pedal. pulled the slave off, removed the boot, pulled the pushrod to straighten it out. put it back together, it was all good. so check you slave for binding

Did you have the same problem as this? It goes in gears when the car is not running, but it doesn't go in gear when it's running. Seems like a slave or master clutch cylinder, but those were replaced and I'm not sure. I will take the slave a part and see.

dude, under the dash ... get down there and look at the pedal. You are going to see a rod that physically pushes into the master cylinder through the firewall (sorta like a penis i guess). Well you just gotta adjust it's nuts so that it pushes in further.

cup'em further back? lawlz

hadn't even tried starting the car before i noticed it when bleeding the clutch line. but i've had a car with a leaking slave and another with a bad master and both exhibited those symptoms.

it's quite simple. the clutch is not disengaging for you. when the car is running the trans is designed not to pop into gear easily without disengaging the clutch. now you just have to figure out why it's not. you have a few choices.

1. faulty master
2. leaking slave
3. air in line
4. not fluid being pushed due to inproperly adjusted clutch pedal
5. stuck slave
6. you are pushing the wrong pedal

if there is the normal or more resistance in the clutch pedal and the clutch slave piston is not pushing out my money is on the slave being bound up. none of the other things would result in that. 1,2,3,&4 would result in a softer pedal.

There is no leak, so only thing to check is the adjusting clutch pedal and slave not extending fully.

did you use same clutch or this new clutch setup,sound like defective pressure plate or stock up tranny,happen to me last year i got a defective pressure plate from act.

Its a new act clutch not the same one that was on the car. I try to adjust the pedal and no luck. I will try to bleed the slave again and might take it apart. I hope its not a defective clutch. I hate to take it apart again.

Tell you what can you start the car out of gear and then shift throught he gears while it is running? +1 on air in the lines etc.

Im telling you try a longer shaft between the slave and clutch fork. A hardended bold rounded off works really good.

It shift when the car was not running and it doesn't shift at all, when the car is running.

then the clutch is not moving for somereason. you have air or a mechanical failure of the hydraulic system. Bleed it with a vaccuum bleeder etc and also get down there and watch the slave to see if you get any motion out of it. adjusting the rod into the master will help you compensate for this but i doubt it will 100% cure the problem. bleeding it however will most likely fix the issue. also i find it helps to manauly move my slave while trying to bleed it the first time to kind of prime it.

I just bleed the clutch by the slave cylinder and that didnt do anything. Also I hook the slave apart and the rod does not look like its bent. Will try a longer rod tomorrow. I can see the slave cylinder moving when the clutch pedal is press though.

dude...the lil rod attached to the clutch pedel needs to be pretty much ALL the way out for it to work...same issue I had and have with my ACT clutch....ya need a 10mm and a 12mm(if memory serves right)....get that lil rod out as far as safely possible and you should be good....If its something else..you have my condoulences...cause dropping the tranny twice sucks balls....(been there done that)

thats how my clutch was too

I will try to extend the rod all the way in tomorrow.

All the way out as in the closer to the 12mm nut right? (towards back of the car)

Make it longer yeah. dude my ACt XD clutch did the same stuff. Do you have a vac bleeder?

longer as in towards the back of the car right? also no i dont have vac bleeder i used the one man bleeder from harbor freight ones and have someone pump the clutch pedal

Well guys I try to adjust the rod and it didn't do the trick. Looks like I'll be taking the tranny out and swaping out the clutch again. :vash:

Did you try a longer shaft between the slave and fork like I said?

I can almost gurentee its the rod length....The ACT takes quite a bit more pressure to compress over stock.. so the stock clutch hydros have problems....I know how ya feel though cause this same shit happen to me and its been so long I forgot how I ended up fixing it....I sorta remember pulling off the clutch master cylinder and putting a extender piece or "bit" in between the rod and plunger.....been too long, sorry...

I guess I can stick on long skinny bolt on that and try it. It just doesn't make any sense to me. I had ACT clutch on it right before I swap the motor and All I did was swap the motor and swap with new ACT clutch and it doesn't go in gear when running.

im sorry.....its a big pain. I just dont want you to drop your tranny to find nothing wrong and have the problem again after re-installation........

was this ever solved? I have the exact same problem, changed the slave and bled and still not workin. I'm picking up a master tomorrow.

:jerkit: hay guyz i have a problem
:) well it sounds like it could be this how about you give this solution a shot?
:jerkit: no i don't think so i'll just try this fuck it still doesn't work what should i do?
:) well hey maybe you should try this thing i suggested earlier
:jerkit: well i think i'll try some other stuff instead

:jerkit: hey guys it's still not working

Didn't read all the post but thought I would put in my .2 cents......

I had the same problem, I torqued the bolts down to tight on the pressure plate.
Do you have fluid in the tranny?

Also when I tried to put the car in gear while running the RPM's would stumble down? Does your do this? If it does I suggest you dont keep trying over and over or the TB will damage the forks on the pressure plate.

Yes it was resolved. I put the old ACT clutch back and problem solved. Momo182, is your clutch pedal soft? I would check for leaks on your clutch line.

the clutch pedal is firm. there are no leaks anywhere that I could see. I changed the slave and clutch hose to stainless braided from flyin miata so that may be the reason why my pedal feels firm, but i'm not sure. The slave has no leaks around it and neither does the hose.

Also if I pump the clutch pedal it still doesn't go in gear. But I know the slave pushrod is pushing the fork because I can see it doing so. It looks like it's moving a lot too. I'm betting on it not being air for that reason, but will still get a master cylinder replacement just to know all my hydraulics are fine. Anybody know how to bench or if I even have to bench bleed the master cylinder?

So did you can shift gears, before you swap the stainless line? I would think you have air in your clutch system, if you change the line and didn't bleed the clutch line. And WTF is that "Warning Level 1" shit under your name? Is it a noob banner? :giggle:

lol i have no idea what that warning thing is haha. but yea I changed the hose and slave at the same time, bleeding right after. I actually bled it two seperate times just to be sure. Does the rear of the car have to be jacked up too? Some people say a level surface helps to get out all the air.