need clutch adjustment help plz!!!

i tightend my clutch and had it too tight because it did not engage completely and would wind out when i gassed it hard.

now i have loosened the clutch and it drives so much better and doesnt wind out at all, but i cant get it into 1st gear or reverse without turning the car off.

do i need to loosen it, tighten it or is there a bigger problem all together?

thanks in advance for your help.

Comments

  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    when you say you cant put it in you mean that the gears grind when you try to press the shift lever into 1st/R? if yes then you need to tighten it more cause its not being fully engaged (naturally)

    oh, what do you mean by 'wind out'?
  • stephenstephen Senior Wagonist
    before i loosened it up some from the first time i adjusted it, if i gave it gas the tach would soar with no real increase in speed.

    and no, i mean i cant get it in 1st/r at all unless i turn the car off, but once in gear....no problem it drives great. except reverse which seems to want to drive all on its own when i start the car. its like the clutch is already let out.
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    weird. it sorta sounds like a tranny problem to me. my friends hatch wouldnt go into first gear when he first bought it and it took several in-an-out actions to get it in... eventually (in like 200 miles) the tranny totally gave out. something inside was busted up so we dropped in a new trans. anyways, i hope its not this severe haha but i'd still play around with the cable adjustments. :wink:

    -good luck
  • ThatDoodleThatDoodle Council Member
    try these things.
    follow the clutch cable from where you adjusted it down to the lever. follow the lever across to the end and feel around the weld. make sure it isnt cracked and doesn't have any play. ask someone to hit the clutch pedal while you check the weld. dont do it while the engine is hot. youl get burned lol.

    Or get under the dash with some good lighting. make sure the clutch pedal hasnt broken/cracked at the welds. put some pressure on the pedal and make sure it doesnt move to the side.

    before all that though just try to adjust the cable again. 1/4 turn at a time.
    did this just happen out of nowhere?
  • stephenstephen Senior Wagonist
    not really out of the blue. it drove well before i swapped the engine. after that it seemed to need adjusting so i did. as i mentioned i adjusted it too much and had it too tight, then too loose. now it is getting close but i still cant seem to get it zeroed in. it either is hard to put into gear but more responsive or easy to get in gear but has no pep....

    but one additional factor that may or may not play into things: would a couple holes in the exhaust make the car less responsive/peppy? if so that may change things a bit.....


    CORRECTION: it drove ok before the swap, but i felt like i was having to push the clutch through the floor.
  • SiWagonSiWagon Council Member
    Open the Driver door.Now get on your knees & pray to Allah that it's not the tranny fork. :lol: Push down on the clutch pdl with your hand(not foot) till you hit resistance .This distance should be about 5/8-3/4"(15mm-20mm).Just want to make sure WE are on the same page about doing a clutch adj.
  • stephenstephen Senior Wagonist
    ok, so i went out with my hand and checked the travel. at the pedal it seems to move an inch or so, but at the top of the clutch it only seems to move about 1/2" to 3/4", but once i find resistance it doesnt go much farther at all.

    maybe my terminology was wrong. i was following the advice of the proverbial "friend" who told me to tighten the clutch under the hood where the cable connects to the tranny.

    so let me start over......

    the car goes into gear (though it fights sometimes) but does ok while driving other than a lack of throttle response if i gas it (unrelated?). when i fas it the tach flies up with almost no increase in speed. reverse is tougher to get into with the car running and grinds a bit.

    could the lack of responsiveness be due to 2 holes in my exhaust causing too little back pressure? or is this all related?


    HELP ME PLEASE!
  • Sounds like your clutch is slipping.
  • stephenstephen Senior Wagonist
    so if my clutch is slipping can i have it rebuilt? is it cheaper to buy a new one? i could probably install it myself.....
  • You don't rebuild a clutch you just buy a new one. :wink:
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    stephen wrote:

    could the lack of responsiveness be due to 2 holes in my exhaust causing too little back pressure? or is this all related?


    HELP ME PLEASE!

    this is also no, i once ran my hatchback with headers only for a week and it was fine.
  • stephenstephen Senior Wagonist
    so i guess it is clutch time! any advice on where to shop?
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    you just looking for an OEM replacement or something more performance oriented?
  • stephenstephen Senior Wagonist
    either one. depends on how good the deal is.
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    well the cheapest is going to be an OEM replacement of course.

    there are performance clutches though that can be found at good deals as well though.
  • stephenstephen Senior Wagonist
    so if i go OEM should i look for a clutch that matches the 89 sedan or wagon or should i look for one to match the d16y7? they should be interchangable right?
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    i'd look for one that goes for the D16Y7.
  • SiWagonSiWagon Council Member
    stephen wrote:
    so if i go OEM should i look for a clutch that matches the 89 sedan or wagon or should i look for one to match the d16y7? they should be interchangable right?


    Get the OEM clutch for the '89 Wgn(NOT SDN).It's the CRX SI Clutch.Get the '89Wgn T.O.Brg .
    Don't get the D16y7.If you do check the specs.More specs & recommencdation s on this link:
    http://www.hondacivicwagon.com/board/vi ... .php?t=103

    The D16y7 might be a larger dia. somay need a larger P.P. & Flywhl.
  • stephenstephen Senior Wagonist
    i just talked to the guy who helped me swapped the engine. i forgot that we left the clutch from the d16y7 on. he gave me the clutch from the stock engine so i can put it in. Do you think that was the problem?
  • ThatDoodleThatDoodle Council Member
    If you didnt check to see if the clutch was good then it could be the problem.

    By the way.
    Clutch disks, pressure plates, and flywheels are all the same on single cams from 89-00. The only differences in the kits are the throwout bearings. My clutch setup on my 91 4wd is 00 civic clutch disk & pressure plate. resurfaced flywheel that came with my sohc zc and throwout bearing for 89-91 4wd trans.

    stephen. If you do your clutch make sure you resurface your flywheel. If you dont it will start slippin again.
  • stephenstephen Senior Wagonist
    when i pull the clutch how visibly obvious will it be if that is the prob?
  • stephenstephen Senior Wagonist
    !!!UPDATE!!!

    problem has been fixed. the clutch and pressure plate as well as the tranny were all good. turns out the bracket that the clutch pedal mounts to was broken. problem fixed....now on to the exhaust!
  • ThatDoodleThatDoodle Council Member
    glad i can help :D
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