RE: Stuck Clutch

["S. Bly" <ScottBly@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks to Dan, Donald, Lewis, Bob, Rusty, John and others who responded to
my call for help.  The root of the problem is Teenagers should not be
allowed to drive and certainly not their Dad's old, but fairly cherry, 325e.
I should never have put it back together after he crashed it through a
divided hwy sign.  Anyway, when my son started having trouble shifting he
figured the harder you push on the pedal, the better it will work.  After
spending hours trying to remove the master cylinder, which turned out to be
fine, I realized the low pedal position was due a bent pedal arm.  When I
put it back together a managed to repair the pedal arms, the pedal would not
move.  There were not fluid leaks on either cylinder.  I opened the bleeder
valve to re-confirm that the master cylinder was not binding.  When I took
off the slave cylinder I was truly amazed.  The shaft was horseshoe shaped.
At first it looked like it had been engineered that way.  The hole in the
clutch housing was egg shaped, worn from the shaft being out of position.  I
pounded the shaft straight to see if I could drive the car.  The car drives
fine.  I will replace the cylinder as soon as I can call Rusty at wholesale
parts (1800-741-5252) who quote me a great price.  Thanks again to all the
listers who responded.

Scott Bly
C.H. Guernsey & Company
841 Bishop Street, Suite 480
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
(808) 528-2053
(808) 528-3552 fax
scottbly@domain.elided or scott.bly@domain.elided


- -----Original Message-----
From: Lewis, Donald G [mailto:lewis@domain.elided]
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 3:07 AM
To: 'ScottBly@domain.elided'
Subject: Stuck Clutch


Scott -

I suspect that your problem is really caused by the slave clutch cylinder,
mounted on the front of the trans that disengages the clutch.  Since you
were low on fluid, I would first bleed the slave cylinder to see if it's
just air locked (but I doubt that will help if this is an original
cylinder).  If not, then just remove the two mounting bolts and see if the
cylinder is free to move (careful on depressing the clutch pedal with the
cylinder removed - if you extend it beyond its reach, then you're in
trouble).

Bottom line - it's time to replace the slave clutch cylinder assembly -
it'll take an hour or so.  [The fork is probably not it - you should be able
to see its action by pushing it with a screwdriver and using a mirror - with
some contortion - of course, with the slave cylinder removed.]  Might as
well replace the master cylinder while your at it unless you want to go
through this hassle again in the next couple of months.  BTW, buy a
Bentley's manual for this car - it'll pay for itself the first time you use
it.

If the clutch bearing were bad or hung up you'd certainly know it by the
distinctive "my engine is falling apart grinding noise."

Don Lewis
'84 533i (new clutch cylinders one year ago).

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