[John A. Gallo]

Dear Friends, I have a 2002 spyder GT with a six speed trans... Sometimes when I go to put it into gear it won't go in. The same in all foreward gears and revierse. I have changed the clutch master cyc. twice I have check all lines for leaks( no leaks found) no drips on floor I can't see anything. I have bleed the system. I drove the car for maybe two hundred miles one day sifting many times during that trip no problem. Then put the car away in the garage a couple of weeks went by I went to use the car and a I can't get it into gear again the same proplem again. I changed the master brake cyc again and it did it again. There is no noise from the clutch the car has only nine thousand miles on it. I am afraid to use and wind up stuck somewhere. Does anyone have any Idea what I should do about it. It is driving me crazy PLEASE HELP Also I would like to mention that the clutch peddle loses it's pressure and once I kept pumping it and the pressure came back up.The rest of the time I can't get the pressure to return to the peddle.

 

[bundas]

clutch

bleeding, any air? come out in process. if not the pivot for clutch arm could have a wear spot, mine did, big problem for early maserati.

 

[007]

You are losing pressure somewhere. I think you should bleed the thing properly for a long time with lots of fluid. The leak could be very very small.
best of luck!

 

[cpede]

computer problem

I have a 02 coupe also. I had the very same problem around 12K miles. I was driving in slow stop and go traffic on the freeway when all of a sudden the clutch went to the floor and would not disengage or after I stopped it would not engage. After waiting for a tow truck for two hours I tried it again and it pumped up (it would not pump up when it first went out) and I had peddle and drove it to ferrari/mas in San Diego. I thought major problem but without telling me what the problem was specifically they said it was a computer thing which they adjusted, not mechanical.

After I got it back the clutch worked fine, but several months later it started slipping badly when getting on it, but did not have a burning clutch smell. Seems once again it was a computer problem. I was out of town and the dealer said to get it up to freeway speed and it would reset, which it did. Still I have to take it back in because it still does it after driving around town at slow speeds, but have been putting it off because of the hassle. Anyway point is you are no doubt having a computer problem, not mechanical.

 

[John A. Gallo]

Cpede,
Thanks For The Info, Is Your Car A Six Speed Standard Trans? I Just Done See What The Computer Has To Do With A Standard Clutch System. I Looked At Some Diagrams Of The Clutch And I Don't See Where The Computer Comes Into This. I See A Clutch Master Cyclinder, Fluid Holder, Tubing To The Throwout Bearing Etc. Pretty Striaght Foreward Stuff. Maybe I Missed Something I Will Look Again. This Is One Car I Would Love To Drive But It Has A Spell On Me About Breaking Down. It's Just A Feeling I Get With These Italian Types..i Never Have That Feeling With My Porsche Even Though It Could Break As Well. I Love The Look Of That Black Spyder
However It Just Sits In The Garage. On Monday It Will Go To The Mechanic I Use For All My Cars And We Will Take A Close Look.
Beside The Porsche I Have Two Bmw's And I Am Working On A Vintage Alfa. John Gallo

 

[Skidkid]

Don't know if this is the same but I had a problem with my M-Roadster recently. With the clutch full in I still had so much clutch drag that shifting was a problem. It wasn't enough drag to move the car but enough to put pressure on the transmission and cause difficult shifting.

I too looked at the master, slave, and bleading the lines but no luck. I took it to the shop and had it checked out. When he got it appart he found that the splined shaft that the clutch is attached to was slightly rusted. Apparently the rust was causing the clutch plate to bind on the shaft. When that happened the clutch plate wouldn't fully move away from the flywheel. That caused the clutch drag.

The mechanic replaced the clutch and lubed the shaft. Now it works correctly and the clutch is mutch smoother too. No, I didn't really need the clutch plate yet but I had 60k miles and it was apart so .....

Hope this helps.

 

[John A. Gallo]

Hey Skidkid, thanks for that input.. Here spring has come and my car sits in my garage. My girl friend thinks I am nuts to have a car I can't use. When we pull it apart I will look very close at all the clutch parts. My question is where did the presure go in the peddle. some said that the throwout bearing could have a leak..have you ever heard of that??? thanks John Gallo

 

[Skidkid]

Did the resistance on the pedal disapear or did the clutch slip some? Did the fluid level actually drop?

Because of this problem my clutch would occationally slip some; basically for the same reason as the failure to disengage. The clutch plate would bind on the shaft and fail to get properly caught between the flywheel and presure plate. With pressure on only one side it would slip under hard acceleration or a quick clutch engagement.

I didn't have a light or floatty feel to the clutch. It did have a little catch in the middle of the travel.


I haven't taken apart a Mazer yet but throwout bearings don't typically have fluid in them so I would call Bull....

Overall it is all pretty simple:
- There is a clutch pedal acting as a lever that moves the master cylinder
- Master cylinder moves fluid down the line
- Fluid in line moves the slave cylinder
- Slave cylinder move the clutch fork
- Clutch fork pushes on the throwout bearing
- Throwout bearing moves the springs on the pressure plate
- Pressure plate & flywheel sandwich the clutch plate
- Clutch plate floats on a splined shaft of the transmission

The throwout bearing is just a thust bearing that reduces the wear on the pressure plate sping fingers. If it wasn't there the fingers would rub on the clutch fork and wear through quickly.

If you actually lost pressure in the clutch system and you have replaced the master, I would look at the slave. Lie under the car and have someone push the clutch. You should be able to see the shift fork move and see the slave pushing it. If it is leaking you should see fluid.

 

[John A. Gallo]

Skidkid, More thanks, I never bought into the bearing theory much either. However you never know with these cars. Next week I hope to get into the car and tear it down. I know I must be missing something. I hope I find it, I am in New Jersey and the weather is real nice here. I would like to go to some events with the car. JG

 

[cpede]

I know it seems impossible, I have worked on many clutches as a youth (I’m 55), how could the clutch peddle pressure itself have anything to do with the computer? After taking it in I called the dealer to ask what it was that broke, it was under warranty, so what ever the problem they could fix. They said it was not mechanical, and was easy to fix through the computer. I was incredulous and fully expected it would not be fixed when I picked it up because I could not see how it was possible that there was not a mechanical failure. But it was and worked fine. When I had the second problem with slipping under high torque, again, somehow, I was told the engine computer was disengaging or feathering the clutch, which again seemed to be the problem.

The computer could be disengaging the master cylinder in the case of the first problem or the clutch plate in the second. I dont know how but regardless, the problem you are describing and unable to find a mechanical solution too was identical to mine. I will call the dealer today (don't expect a quick response, they never are) and ask for them to look up the problem and solution and explain it to me so I can be more help. Nothing worse than spring time and your car in the garage.

 

[John A. Gallo]

Cpede..Thanks for your thoughts,and help. I still have my father's 1951 Chev. 2door coupe it has been in a garage all it's life. He bought it new, boy how simple things were then. In my world of modest success as I read all these posts about these cars, "I just wonder". JG

 

[cpede]

John, very sorry john for my prior posts. I will just stick to reading the posts and not embarrass myself with my comments from now on. I just heard form the service manager on my problem with the clutch flopping to the floor and not engaging/disengaging last year. I don't know how i so misunderstood the repair. It was very mechanical, the throw out bearing hanging up on the flange. The car was close to the warranty expiring and they replaced everything in the clutch assembly, would have cost $4K plus. He couldn't remember why I was able to pump it up and get it working after the initial failure, but will go over it with me next week when I take it in for service and to have the occasional slipping I still experience on occasion looked at. Sorry again for the misdirection, which you wisely weren't buying

 

[John A. Gallo]

Cpede, I just couldn't figue out how the computer was involved with that system. Thanks I would like to know why your clutch is slipping I have heard of that before. My car is over at the shop we have not opened it up yet as soon as we do I will write to you and tell you what we see..$4 thou. for clutch work who ever thought!!!

 

[Skidkid]

OK, here is an idea; if it was a CC that is. How about low traction mode? When you set it for snow & ice the clutch slips all of the time.

Yea, I know, you have a GT.

 

[John A. Gallo]

Dear Friends, I have a 2002 spyder GT with a six speed trans... Sometimes when I go to put it into gear it won't go in. The same in all foreward gears and revierse. I have changed the clutch master cyc. twice I have check all lines for leaks( no leaks found) no drips on floor I can't see anything. I have bleed the system. I drove the car for maybe two hundred miles one day sifting many times during that trip no problem. Then put the car away in the garage a couple of weeks went by I went to use the car and a I can't get it into gear again the same proplem again. I changed the master brake cyc again and it did it again. There is no noise from the clutch the car has only nine thousand miles on it. I am afraid to use and wind up stuck somewhere. Does anyone have any Idea what I should do about it. It is driving me crazy PLEASE HELP Also I would like to mention that the clutch peddle loses it's pressure and once I kept pumping it and the pressure came back up.The rest of the time I can't get the pressure to return to the peddle.

Dear Fiends, After many weeks with not having my car useable, I took the car to my mechanic. I have known this man for a long time and he is the only person I trust with all my cars..His shop is as clean as a hospital, and he is a thinker. After many many decussions with him about the clutch problem I droped it off. Well I got a call two weeks later that the car was ready to be picked up and I should come over and get it. I couldn't beleive it. The FIX was a spring that would hold out the plunger for the clutch master cylinder. He made a spring that would keep the plunger all the way out when you took your foot off the clutch peddle. He said the peddle was not pulling the plunger all the way out when the peddle was up. Even though the peddle spring was in perfect shape. After having driven the cars several times now it works perfect. The fix cost me $147.50...Anyone living in New Jersey that wants a personal mechanic please write me for his name..

 

[keith.groves]

Depressed Clutch

Hi John you could well be my life saver, I have exactly the same problem on 2003 Spyder (it is driving me mad, it needs/is due for a new clutch anyway, so it has to all come apart and my intention is to replace everything inc. the flywheel. But the sticking issues which has only just started to happen has been driving me mad. I have so many different theory’s chucked at me, Diaphragm spring. master/slave cylinder, air in system, restrictions on fluid return, {bearing sticking on the shaft (Maranello's suggestion)}. I confess I did wonder about the actual pedal sticking, on general search found some with a Z28 Camaro who had a similar problem and just spayed WD40 on the pedal assy. and cured it. Which I am about to try, if I can get at that is.

Questions,

I am sure I tried pulling the pedal up with my toe but it did not return, did you try this ? what was the result ? I guess it depends where and how the spring, pedal and piston are connected to each other. Would you mind given me the contact details of you guy NJ..

Why did he just not stick a new spring in, why did he have to make one..

Thanks in anticipation Keith..