'92 C1500 4.3L 5 speed. Unable to shift with engine running.

[_slxck]

Been quite some time since I visited the forum but I recently had some issues with my truck and I'm looking for other's input.

Truck in question is a 1992 W/T 1500 with a 4.3L and manual trans that I picked up a few months ago. I was leaving a job site last week when the clutch basically stopped working. It happened pretty suddenly and went from normal to not doing anything whatsoever over the course of three or four shifts yet the pedal still felt like it should, no change in pedal feel at all. A friend and I still tried bleeding it a bit which didn't help so I wound up just starting the truck in 1st and driving home without using the clutch.

I bled the whole system several times over and even took the master and slave both off and bench bled them just to be sure I got the air out. After that didn't work I replaced the slave cylinder which didn't make any difference. Also I tried putting a nut on the end of the rod where the slave pushes on the clutch fork thinking maybe **** is just getting worn and now it needs that extra little bit of length to fully disengage but that also got me nowhere. At this point I'm thinking either the pilot bearing seized and is keeping the input shaft spinning even when pressing the clutch or the pressure plate needs replaced. I pulled the trans out to look things over and what I found was a ton of dust/friction material covering everything inside the bellhousing. Pilot bushing is perfectly fine, release bearing and fork are also ok, flywheel has some serious hot spots and the fingers on the pressure plate are noticeably worn but they all sit straight and even with one another. Obviously a new flywheel and clutch kit are in order but I just wanted to get some input from other's and be sure I'm not missing anything. The pressure plate has to be the issue here, right? I've never had one give me problems so not too sure how to tell when one is worn out. I'd really hate to put it all back together and still have problems.

Any input is much appreciated, thanks.

 

[DeCaff2007]

Some dust and friction material is normal (i.e. imagine the inside of drum brakes after extended normal use), but if there as much there as you say, your clutch needs to be replaced as a kit, not just the friction disc.

That means the pilot bearing, the flywheel, the pressure plate, and the TOB.

I actually had the exact same thing happen on a 97 Firebird. The hydraulics worked perfectly, but upon tearing the T-5 transmission out, it looked like a fiberglass factory everywhere between the inside of the bell housing and the back of the engine block. There was so much friction material strewn about that it actually damaged the TOB.

Your ace in the hole here is that these trucks have an external slave cylinder. Said slave cylinder is inside the bell housing and behind the TOB on a T-5 in a Firebird. Ended up having to replace that, too.

My advice is to get a full clutch kit (including the flywheel) in install it. Should make a world of difference.

 

[Erik the Awful]

If your pilot bearing is bad, it will keep the input shaft turning enough to make shifting a pain in the butt.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

It's possible the tolerance stack of the whole system just wore down enough to where it wasn't fully engaging. The new clutch kit should fix it up. A shim might get you get some more miles out of it.

 

[618 Syndicate]

Can you shift it without using the clutch?

 

[_slxck]

Can you shift it without using the clutch?

Yes.

 

[_slxck]

It's possible the tolerance stack of the whole system just wore down enough to where it wasn't fully engaging. The new clutch kit should fix it up. A shim might get you get some more miles out of it.

Never even thought of that, makes sense though. I was thinking it was one particular thing causing the issue because it happened pretty abruptly.

 

[618 Syndicate]

Yes.

That suggests it's a clutch issue not an internal transmission problem. Also means you can drive it.

 

[RichLo]

Agree'd with everything above. Your trans is fine and the clutch replacement should fix your problems.

But DeCaff2007 said to replace the flywheel as well, I just want to repeat that. Its fairly cheap and since your in there its worth it to know that everything is new and straight. I always consider the flywheel as part of a standard clutch replacement.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[_slxck]

Some dust and friction material is normal (i.e. imagine the inside of drum brakes after extended normal use), but if there as much there as you say, your clutch needs to be replaced as a kit, not just the friction disc.

That means the pilot bearing, the flywheel, the pressure plate, and the TOB.

I actually had the exact same thing happen on a 97 Firebird. The hydraulics worked perfectly, but upon tearing the T-5 transmission out, it looked like a fiberglass factory everywhere between the inside of the bell housing and the back of the engine block. There was so much friction material strewn about that it actually damaged the TOB.

Your ace in the hole here is that these trucks have an external slave cylinder. Said slave cylinder is inside the bell housing and behind the TOB on a T-5 in a Firebird. Ended up having to replace that, too.

My advice is to get a full clutch kit (including the flywheel) in install it. Should make a world of difference.

Well here's a few pictures of the inside of my bellhousing, would you say this is excessive? I'd say so, personally.