Clutch not disengaging!

Help Please:

Whilst driving my mk1 gti (rally car) came off roundabout (sideways) gave it a few aggressive shifts upto 4th then could not select any gears (grinding). Pop'd it out of gear and stopped. Selected 3rd by hand on gearbox drove home!

I have adjusted linkage and is spot on for once so nothing moved on linkage.

Have changed thrust bearing, splined rod that clutch lever attatches to and lever which pushes bearing in end casing. It only splines up one way so assume that is ok!?

Lowered clutch lever in situ. onto axle stand and spaced cable by 3inches + max adjustment on cable. Clutch lever almost touches front of gearbox when pedal depressed so cannot adjust anymore.

With this done-after starting in second, clutch will only slip slightly when pedal pressed!

Is it pressure plate or the rod through the box which disengages the clutch???
Any suggestions PLEASE????

Thanks Steve

If you've changed the thrust bearing and you have the range of movement in the lever as you've described, then it sounds like its the clutch itself (which means gearbox has to come off). Just worth a long shot - check all the engine-transmission bolts are there! It has been known….

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah all bolts are in. I was under it at 2:30am sunday starting to take it apart for rally 5 hours later! Gave up!

The splined rod/shaft that disengages the clutch (that clutch splines onto) isn't likely to have broken then??

If it broke, it would have to shorten itself too, or the 2 parts to slide past each other, and I can't see how it would do that within the input shaft…

Cheers.

Better get it split and a new clutch ordered then.
Was thinking Black diamond as i don't want it too aggressive and start chewing drive shafts up!
Any thoughts?

How powerful is the engine? and what 'box do you use (which size input shaft, 22mm or 24mm)?

It's a 1600 ,173bhp!!
and an 020 with quaife diff

I'd use a 16V pressure plate combined with a stock 210mm 8V friction disc (if its a 22mm input shaft). There's no real point going up to an aftermarket clutch, the 16V pressure plate provides enough clamping force and the friction disc for 8V and 16V clutches are now the same anyway (parts consolidation). So, you can save the ?140 or so it would have cost you and spend the money elsewhere.

I think it's a 22mm its standard 1600 gti box, with different ratios/final drive.
When did the boxes change to 24mm?
Would like to get the parts before I split it if poss!

Also I read a thread about a chap having probs with 16v pressure plate and 8v friction disc and reverted to 8v parts!?

Mk1rally said

I think it's a 22mm its standard 1600 gti box, with different ratios/final drive.
When did the boxes change to 24mm?
Would like to get the parts before I split it if poss!

Also I read a thread about a chap having probs with 16v pressure plate and 8v friction disc and reverted to 8v parts!?

http://www.fastgolf.or…ontent&pa=showpage&pid=11 is a pretty good list of gear ratio guides and also includes the input shaft diameter, where known. The 16V boxes had 24mm and late (Mk3) 8V boxes too.

I'd have to see the other guy's thread to offer comments. I have used the above combination with around the same power, with no issues (and that includes data logging and analysing clutch slip).

Am I right in thinking 1600 gti overall friction plate diameter is 190mm?

If using 16v pressure plate will i be able to get a friction plate of 22mm input shaft spline and 210 mm overall diameter or would it be ok with 190mm still (if this is correct)

Sorry for all the questions,
Thanks for your help.

Yes, because that's what the 1800 GTI used in 1983 onwards approx. Earlier GTIs and lower power models used 190mm and 200mm clutches.

Cheers Paul