Get in car. Depress clutch. Tow car home. Ugh....
 

So last night I was out downtown and decided it was time to go home. Got in the car, started and went to push the clutch in. I knew something wasn't right when the pedal was very soft (I had just bled/flushed it last weekend and all was good). Thinking there might be a little bubble in there somewhere, I pumped the clutch a few times. After a few pumps, there was resistance down low and it started getting back to normal. So with one last push, the pedal went about half way down and I heard a "pop". Fuck. Got under the car and found the actuator pin from the slave to the fork, fully extended and nearly falling out of the slave. I got a 8mm out and opened the bleeder and was able to push the pin back into the slave, but the clutch fork did not return to it's "resting" position. With the removal of the pin, I could physically move the fork fore and aft about .75-1" and about .5" up and down.

Had the car towed home knowing the transmission needs to come out...FML.
I don't want to do the work...will probably have a flatbed come grab the car today and take my car somewhere.

Now here is where it gets interesting. I picked my car up from a bodyshop back on Aug 30th. When the guy pulled my car around, I noticed a noise coming from the car that was not there before I dropped it off. My car sounded like it had a supercharger when using the clutch. I know this....it's when a throwout bearing is bad. I specifically expressed to the shop to be very careful with the clutch when I dropped the car off too. Clearly they didn't give a shit and when I said something to the service guy when picking my car up, he just kinda blew me off and said "Well we can take it back in the shop and have a tech look at it to see if it was caused at the time of your accident".**


So what do we think guys? Destroyed throw out bearing? What are the symptoms of such a case?


*"Accident was a piece of road debris got kicked up and hit the side of my car on the interstate.

crazy whiring whining noise on clutch press -- TOB.

This wouldn't have happened if you bought a peach pass. ;)

I think the fork just got disconnected from the TO bearing on one side and eventually that side let loose on you, but not in your driveway.

I think you are fork too!

Would be nice if it happened in my driveway...again.

So when TOBs fail, what do they usually do?



Fork you, Scott.

Break? :fawk:

Seriously though, if the TOB has given up the clutch fork has nothing to push against the pressure plate so clutch no longer worky.

Ballache that it's a drop the box job to fix, but at least it's a cheap part. Replace the box seal, rear engine seal and pilot bearing whilst your there.

Ewe can pull the fork boot and peir in threw the whole with won of those bendable LED lites to sea what's going on. It worked four me when my clutch came apart and I could sea peaces of it wedged between the spring and disc. :giggle:

I may try to look in there when I get home, but either way, trans needs to come out. I really don't want to do it in my garage and am just going to have it towed somewhere for someone else to do.


No shit? Really? Thanks Rish, would have never thought of that :pitlab: Luckily, when I replaced the engine last year, everything under there is new...so it *should* be an in-and-out job.

Not sure if sarcastic.... :fawk:

If I was teaching you how to suck eggs, I apologise. It's hard to know someone's mechanical competency over the internet :)

Be sure of much sarcasm :D

I was seriously wondering in what way do they fail though as I've never had first hand experience with a failed TOB.

I'm guessing to have someone pulls the trans and replace a part or two, it'll run me $300-$400.

did you happen to look at the milage before and after you took it in. sounds to me like they may have been out playing in it.

They put 4 miles on it...claimed they had to check for wind noise after replacing the windshield.

thats got to be the worst excuse to drive somebody else's car i've heard, but i would be inclined to think that they were out trashing on it.

Mine did the same as yours, it allows the fork to travel too far and the push rod pops out. Made some nasty whirring noises for a minute before hand too.

I, however (not being a pansy and all), made it out of the burger king drive thru, 2 miles back to work, and then 26 miles back home, all the while using the starter to get going and no clutch when shifting. Just sayin'.

I've driven across the city with a dead slave...I just didn't feel like doing it again. State Farm will repay me the tow bill anyway.


Well, got the car on stands, took the fork boot off and stuck a camera up there....I think I found a problem...(click full size if you want to see the molecular structure of the problem)

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1319049887
howthefuckdididothis by AnonymousNamelss, on Flickr

^^ Damn, broken shift fork?
Another example of our trannys' less then stellar durability (or shop techs went Ferris Bueller valet guys for 4 miles)

Maybe this guy can fabricate cheap adapter kits to use F-body or Mustang transmissions.

https://www.miataturbo.net/meet-greet-40/hello-all-question-ya-60768/#post778463

Yup. Add this to the list of "what the fuck? How the fuck did I do that?"....broken PPF, snapped an intake camshaft, broke a pivot bolt in the transmission, snapped a cast iron turbo manifold, pretzeled a rear ladder brace and a few other things I can't think of right now.

too many clutch kicks, mr droptopdrifter? :)

This is exactly why I never let anyone else work on my car. I'll guarantee they romped on it during the 4 mile test drive.

That sucks man. I'd be back in that shop in a fucking heartbeat.

Yeah, I didn't have much choice as I can't exactly do my own body work. I doubt the shop will own up to the TOB noise it got it back with. I WILL be on their ass for the other cosmetic issues....once I get the car fixed...which will be at least a week. I local shop has offered to let me use their lift for a day for $125.