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Thread: Clutch Won't Release

  1. #1
    Garrett booster
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    Clutch Won't Release

    Gentlemen.

    Here's the data.
    New Luk flywheel
    New Luk clutch kit with new throwout bearing.
    New clutch cable with 4377825 Isolator
    Trans is A543 into V-6

    This is a swapout of the A543 for the junk automatic transmission.
    Car is 1993 Chrysler LE LeBaron

    The input shaft splines were polished and fitted to the new clutch plate. I used the moly-disulfide grease that came with the kit on the splines.


    I put the transmission into the clutch BY HAND, no forcing.

    PROBLEM:
    The clutch won't release. The cable adjustment on the clutch pedal is where it makes the cable as short as can be. The clutch lever comes within two inches of the end of its upward travel.

    Thinking I needed to pull the lever higher, I made two 1/4-inch shims to go between the isolator and the outer clutch housing to pull the lever higher before I stepped on the clutch pedal. The result, seen in a video, is the clutch lever seems to run into a STOP. Won't go up the final inch or so, which would give about half an inch more forward travel to the throwout bearing.

    If I put a jack under the lever it gets to the "stop" point and then begins to lift the car.

    I can just start the car in gear, but can't shift out of gear if I do so. With the car in neutral I can't shift into any gear.

    WHY IS THIS ALL-NEW setup not releasing? Why is it hitting a stop?

    Note, the clutch plate cannot go in backwards. Repeat: All new stuff here.

    ANY IDEAS? PLEASE!!??

  2. #2
    boostaholic Turbo Mopar Contributor
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    Re: Clutch Won't Release

    Almost sounds to me like you have too much throw. Have you tried only pushing in the clutch 1/2 way? If you get too much throw, the fingers can contact the disc hub, and lock it up.

    Since you forced it up with a jack, you may have bent the levers on the clutch, and it may be junk now... Probably only way to know is take it back apart...

    Hate to be the bearer of bad news...

  3. #3
    Supporting Member II Turbo Mopar Contributor Shadow's Avatar
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    Re: Clutch Won't Release

    I would have to measure, but 2 " almost sounds too far away from trans housing. It sounds like the fork pivot arm may have been splined into the shaft 1 tooth off.

    Robert Mclellan
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    New clutch combo is the SH!T!

  4. #4
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    Re: Clutch Won't Release

    Quote Originally Posted by 83scamp View Post
    Almost sounds to me like you have too much throw. Have you tried only pushing in the clutch 1/2 way? If you get too much throw, the fingers can contact the disc hub, and lock it up.
    After grinding away on this in my head for over a day I think you're right. I'll check it today. It's the only thing that makes any sense.

    Rob (Shadow), I'm sure I didn't get the throwout fork in the wrong place. It could only go on in one position, like the outer lever.

    I suspect the clutch cable may be too short. Can you guys tell me how low the clutch arm usually sits, at rest? I had to crank it up a good two inches to install the cable.

    Thanks to you both for your kind help.

    .........R
    Last edited by RayO; 09-27-2017 at 01:32 AM.

  5. #5
    turbo addict
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    Re: Clutch Won't Release

    Is the clutch disc in the correct way?

    I actually had this happen to a cheap clutch from a parts car. We never were able to really figure it out. We simply replaced the clutch with a known good unit and everything worked as it should. It may simply be a bad unit!

  6. #6
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    Re: Clutch Won't Release

    Well, now, 83scamp hit the nail on the head. Stupid me didn't test the clutch lever for position before hooking up the cable, and at first hookup the clutch was in fact released. Pushing on it engaged the clutch springs and didn't let the thing disengage. Checking was easy: lift one wheel, put the car in gear, disconnect the clutch cable completely. Try to turn the wheel. Nope, won't go. Slowly raise the clutch lever with a hydraulic jack and keep trying to turn the wheel. After the lever moved up a bit over an inch the clutch was released and I could turn the wheel. This point of lever movement is where the clutch cable held it when I first connected it.

    I never tried to shift gears without pushing on the clutch, or I'd have discovered this quicker and would have avoided the embarrassment of this posting. I need an inch more cable, which I think I can get from the mechanism inside the clutch pedal.

    Now, if I haven't busted anything inside the gearbox or on the clutch I can cancel my order for another case of Scotch, which is necessary before beginning to remove the transaxle.

    Oh, Reaper1, that was my very first thought...clutch plate backwards. However, on examining my documentary photos I found it's impossible to do that with this clutch. The springs on the plate won't fit into the hole on the flywheel. Goes on only one way.

    Thanks again, fellows.

    ........Ray
    Last edited by RayO; 09-27-2017 at 01:20 AM.

  7. #7
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    Re: Clutch Won't Release

    PROBLEM SOLVED!
    Clutch fully functional.

    It was in fact overpushing the clutch-spring fingers and binding the disk.

    ............R

  8. #8
    We Todd D dot D Turbo Mopar Staff sdac guy's Avatar
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    Re: Clutch Won't Release

    That was a common problem way back when ...

    In the early 90's I put an MP Centerforce clutch in my Omni. It did the same thing, bottomed out the pressure plate levers on the springs on the disk when the pedal was fully depressed. I ended up making a stop that I bolted to the trans to limit the movement of the clutch release lever. I heard that some folks put a block of wood on the bottom of the clutch pedal so it would strike the floor, which also served that same purpose.

    Glad you found the problem.


    Barry
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  9. #9
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    Re: Clutch Won't Release

    What year did your trans come out of? 90'-92' and 93'+ have a different clutch cable, input shaft and clutch arm position. As far as I know the throwout bearing fork and shaft are the same but the arm is clocked differently on the shaft on the newer transmissions. If you try to mix and match parts you will find that the clutch cable length is incorrect. I would have never thought that it could extend too far though. I guess I got lucky with mine. I have a 90' small spline case and arm re-clocked with a large spline gearset and shadow pedal with extended shaft. Early van cable homemade cable bracket from a 94' shadow bracket.

  10. #10
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    Re: Clutch Won't Release

    Barry, thanks. Well, glad I'm not the only one who's discovered the clutch can go too far..


    Joe, as you may know I have two A543 five-speed transmissions. The first was full of problems with ground gears. George at Parts World in Oklahoma gave me the second one, making good on my purchase. I rebuilt the second one completely and it's now in the car. The first one was from a 1993 car and the one I used is from a 1992 car. The clutch arms on both are identical. They are the type that has the square block of counterweight welded to the underside of the arm channel. Both are clocked identically, which I just verified.

    Some, and I think yours is like this, have the cable running through the hole farthest from the bell housing, but the clutch arm looks different from my two. My two transmissions have the cable going through the hole closer to the bell housing, with the 4377825 rubber piece under it. By the way, I now have photos and dimensions of that soft-rubber part, apparently the only photos of it in existence worldwide. [DUHH!] It's a quarter-inch thick.

    I bought a clutch cable from Rock Auto and just stuck it in there. As noted above I needed another inch, so I pried the black rotating bumper out, behind the clutch pedal, and shoved the white toothed part upward against its spring a full inch into engagement with the spring catch, which gave me the added length I needed. Once I knew where the clutch arm had to be, finding the solution was easy. Note that I have the clutch-cable-lengthening system disabled. I used the original auto-trans bracket that formerly held only the brake, stuck the longer shaft through it to carry the clutch pedal, and rigged a stop bracket and switch on the existing metal. The clutch pedal is exactly the same height as the brake. The switch is for the cruise/control/startup. Works like a charm. This was tons easier than removing the entire dash & steering to replace the pedal bracket.

    Details on request.

    .......Ray
    Last edited by RayO; 09-30-2017 at 04:05 PM.

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