[Shotimes] Intermittent clutch trouble

[James White]

Assuming that the clutch install was professional and that the throwout
lever hasn't worn its bushing out, the problem is likely in the adjustment
ratchet. This is a plastic thing with a couple of springs and ratchet
levers.  Maybe one of these springs and/or levers has broken or has slipped?

Crawl down there and the operation should be clear.  Pull the clutch petal
up and see what happens.  Then push the clutch in.  Fiddle with these parts
as you do this, but watch your fingers in the pinch points!

Several years ago, I bought one of these things from the SHO convention
auction (thanks to Don M) and have as yet to use it.  I figured that it
would be a rare part in the future. It is out in the pile of SHO parts, but
I do remember thinking that this thing was plastic and how long could it
continue to work...  But I have never had a problem with this and with all
the miles that I have racked up, have worn out many things.  I don't think
many others on this list have had this problem either, but there is always a
first...

regards, Jim White - greensho@crown.net
Valparaiso, Indiana
'93  5 SPEED   282k few mods
'95  5 SPEED   267k lots of mods
"double clutch"  it's good for both you and your SHO

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Carmean" <dlc-sho@halibut.com>
To: "SHO Times list" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
Cc: "Bay SHO list" <baysho@lists.milleredp.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 4:27 PM
Subject: [Shotimes] Intermittent clutch trouble


> Hi,
>
> I've had my 1990 SHO about 13 months now.  Within a month after
> I got it, I had to replace the throwout bearing, so while we were
> in there I had the following installed:  SHO-Shop 8-lb flywheel,
> IPT Stage-2 clutch kit, and ShoNut ceramic-upgraded throwout bearing
> (along with the ancilliary parts).
>
> Over the past few months, I've been having intermittent trouble with
> not being able to disengage the clutch completely.  Some days, with
> the pedal jammed to the floor with 100lbs of force, the clutch still
> drags and I can't get into gear at a stoplight.  And when I do,
> the car wants to creep.   Other days, it's fine.  "Fine" meaning
> that the release point is still down about two or three inches off
> of the floor, which is low compared to other SHOs, I gather?
>
> Thursday, it was particularly bad, so I called up my mechanic
> (hi Nick! Don't know if you're on the big list or not) and drove
> over; he discovered that the automatic cable adjuster quadrant
> was not doing it's job for some reason.  He manually manipulated
> the pawl/quadrant and managed to get four clicks worth of tightening
> out of it.
>
> That worked great.  For a day.  But by the end of my commute back
> home the next day, it was as bad as ever.  (My commute is about
> 25 miles each way, often in stop-and-go traffic.)  But the
> freaky thing is that when I went out this morning to move it into the
> driveway to have another look, it was fine again!
>
> I'm beginning to think it's somehow related to the length of driving
> time, and perhaps engine temperature?  I'm going to go back out and
> do some driving to test that, but I can't think what the mechanism would
> be that would cause that much of a change in the release point.
>
> In fact, I was prepared to change my cable today, thinking that it must
> be in the process of breaking.  But how could it get *better* over
> night?  At no point did it feel like the adjuster quadrant had
> slipped....
>
> Any  ideas?
>
> Thanks.
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