Clutch: hardly any resistance, Shifting: hard as hell

Morning. That's essentially my problem. After stop-&-go traffic for 4 miles, around a tractor trailer lying on its side, the clutch's pedal is super easy to the floor, (it still engages the engine) but I try to shift into a gear and I had to force it. 5th was impossible, except where I 'matched' it. I do have a clutch cabled Brighton, the cable is old, I'm wondering if it slipped out with the heavy use, or stretched out? My wife is quite pregnant, and the baby is due in the next two weeks. This is a bad time to have this happen. Any thoughts?

There is a clutch cable adjustment nut under the hood. It's on the right and behind the engine. There's a little bolt with two nuts on it (adjustment nut and stopper nut). You could try adjusting those. Maybe they're loose? But more likely it sounds like your clutch is going south.

I was trying to think, of the 4 manual trans. cars I'd driven I've never had a clutch go. I had a cable snap on me in my VW, so I wasn't sure what I should be looking for for a clutch that's dying. How hard is it in the winter to change one?

I had started to adjust the nuts on the clutch cable, but I noticed that the cable end is extremely loose sitting in the fork, I could pull it out of the tines it sits in. I don't think its supposed to do that.

 

On another note, My father drove the car when I had tires put on it, and he said it shifted great, this was earlier in the month. How fast does a clutch die?

I apologise for the incessant posting, but there also seems to be a lot of play in any direction on the fork. How much play is there supposed to be?

 

Thank you for your help.

I took a look down into the clutch fork area. The fork has no visible damage, or damage I could feel. These were the best pics I could get. I saw on a video that these forks are supposed to have a spring from the fork to an arm in front of it. I'm going to get one. If it isn't that...well looks like a trip to my friendly neighborhood auto mechanic. Thank you in advance for any feedback. Have a good one

Hello;

Sounds to me that a new clutch cable is in your future! A clutch usually does not go out that quickly, Steven.

Thank you, I've ordered the part and it'll be here by 3 at the latest. Is there anything tricky about removing the cable on the pedal side? Thanks for the help.

Your clutch fork may be splitting at the fulcrum point or near the throw out bearing. Typically a clutch cable stretches over time, like years, and can be adjusted incrementally over that time. Your explanation of what happened, and how fast it happened, sounds more like a clutch fork failure, which isn't instant, than a cable issue to me.

 

Replace the cable and hopefully that will be the issue.

The mechanic that my grandfather goes to all the time, after explaining everything, told me to change the cable first, if that doesn't do it, than I should take it to him. I didn't 'feel' any damage to the fork. That doesn't mean I didn't miss something however. Is there anything tricky at the pedal end of the cable?

Is there anything tricky at the pedal end of the cable?

 

IDK, never done it on a Subaru.

I Changed the cable out, it was definitely stretched, and definitely well used, the rub is, the clutch pedal won't engage the clutch. So now it has to go to a professional mechanic to tell me that it's either the clutch fork, or the T.O.B. I'll be taking the train back home tomorrow.

 

The worst part of the job was getting that metal clip back onto the cable housing. Other than that, it was fairly straightforward. Just wish it had worked.

The trans is off, its the fork...where I couldn't see it. Split at the cup. Will have parts on Tuesday.

Your clutch fork may be splitting at the fulcrum point or near the throw out bearing. Typically a clutch cable stretches over time, like years, and can be adjusted incrementally over that time. Your explanation of what happened, and how fast it happened, sounds more like a clutch fork failure, which isn't instant, than a cable issue to me.

 

Replace the cable and hopefully that will be the issue.

Called it!!!

 

Glad to hear she'll be all fixed up soon!!!