00 G20t High Clutch Engagement/ Slips

[milto0n]

Car is a 2000 g20t with 115k miles I picked up a few days ago. The engagement point on the clutch is a the very top of the pedal and the clutch slips at about 2500 RPMs and up it seems ( it's currently waiting on a radiator so it can't be driven for more than a few minutes and I haven't gotten a chance to really drive it quite yet). The pedal itself has no issue and props back up with no issues. Additionally, the slave cylinder push rod extends and contracts with no issue. There are no fluid leaks in the clutch lines and cylinders. This is a hydraulic system, not cable.

The previous owner had the clutch replaced a few months ago. However, most of that time the car has been sitting undriven. He did not know much about cars so I am unsure if the clutch replacement was done correctly with quality parts and flywheel resurfaced within the machine limit.

I've tried adjusting the clutch pedal itself first (this only adjusts the free play in the pedal). I then moved the slave cylinder closer and further to the withdrawal lever (using the stock spacer and some washers) but that didn't seem to help (having the slave cylinder further seems to help and having it closer makes the clutch non functional. )

Currently, I am hoping the car just needs to be driven and the issue will magically fix itself. Realistically, I may have to drop the trans. Has anyone encountered something similar with their vehicle and what are some next step recommendations for addressing this issue? Thanks.

[centralcoaster33]

I've had this happen. I had slippage and didn't really notice it until I was on an incline. The adjustment is in the pedal. No, it's not just your free play, it's also adjusting the moment of clutch engagement. Because the work was done by someone else, I'd repeat a few steps in hopes of getting it fixed without dropping the transmission. I would bleed the clutch with a helper and adjust the pedal again. If it's way out of whack, then repeat. You can check for fluid leaks at the hose to slave cylinder to make sure you're not losing fluid during compression.

[milto0n]

^Thanks for the message. Going to give this a try once I put that radiator in this week. Hopefully I can report back with some good news.

[milto0n]

So I got around to putting the radiator in this week and was finally able to drive for a good half an hour or so these past couple days. I followed the following videos for adjustment info:




Clutch still slips in all gears once any amount of gas is applied. I can still drive it no problem, just not very comfortable doing so. I had a helper press the clutch pedal in and confirmed that the slave cylinder rod pushes the withdrawal lever on the transmission and then retracts into resting position as it should. I still haven't tried bleeding the lines just yet as I don't feel that would do whole lot but will probably give it a try before I drop the transmission in the next week.

Going to continue updating this as I go in case there are any other poor souls out there who encounter something similar in the future. Any other recommendations are welcome as well.

[centralcoaster33]

Thank you for the updates. We all hope you don't have to pull the transmission to see the clutch, but it may come to that. Good luck.

[centralcoaster33]

I was thinking about this on my drive home last night. I remembered that OEM clutch often has a "booster" line in it. This complicates the bleeding process some (just a little). I think if that portion wasn't bled correctly, you could have limited function/ response in the slave cylinder. So, to be sure, I'd bleed it. Sorry if that doesn't help, but it might. It's one thing that can be done before pulling the transmission at least.

[milto0n]

I had issues with the clutch dampener box when I had an s13. They are impossible to be bled and should always be bypassed. I tried bleeding but I didn't try too hard (just a couple of pedal cycles with a helper) This car is not my daily driver and I've never owned a FWD car before so I elected to drop the transmission and install a new clutch anyway (for the learning opportunity ). It's been a pain so far but very manageable. Will probably write a short write up and upload sections of the FSM that have helped me. Hopefully, though, the reason the clutch slips is because the clutch is indeed used up.

[centralcoaster33]

That makes sense. Clutches wear out. I don't know why I didn't even think of that. Enjoy the process. Maybe acquire a new tool or two.

[milto0n]

So I figured this out. The clutch was indeed bad. Put in the new clutch kit and no more slippage, clutch engages right where it should. Wasn't thrilled to have to roll around on the ground getting dirty but this was a fun little project. Will update with a step-by-step for this procedure sometime when I have a little more energy.

[centralcoaster33]

Excellent use of the weekend! I'm glad you got it all fixed up properly. I'm gonna have to mentally note that it's not always an oddball solution and that sometimes stuff actually wears out with use and just needs a standard repair!

[milto0n]

I know not too many people are modding G20s these days but for the select few that are, this is my write up for replacing the clutch/flywheel. To reiterate, this one is a 2000 G20t. I did this 100% by myself but I had to utilize all my resources.

Some semi-pro tips:
-Wear your PPEs (Safety glasses, work/ rubber gloves, thick clothing, closed toe shoes/ steel toes) Safety is first.
-Move as many items out of the way as possible. Try to keep clutter to a minimum. Move the airbox, battery, and axles to another location with a clean surface away from the work area.
-Remove the 10mm hex bolt for the transmission fill FIRST
-Soak the axle nuts early on in penetrating oil
-Use the time when removing the calipers to inspect the condition of your brakes and rotors.
-Inspect your ball joints and steering components while you are removing axles
-If you are unsure of order, take pictures of everything so you can reference them later.

Start with gathering all your tools. Since I was doing this by myself, I made sure that I had absolutely everything I needed to get this done and not be severely injured. I made sure to take the extra steps to ensure everything was put of the way to prevent any hang ups. Special tools I used include:
-High Power Impact Wrench (I use a Milwaukee Fuel, really strong)A large breaker bar could work as well if you have a second person available.
-36mm sock for the axle nut
-Crowbars
-Transmission floor jack
-14mm hex bit (for transmission drain)
-10mm hex bit (for transmission fill)
-Gear oil pump

Start by safely jacking up your vehicle. Put wedges on both sides of your rear wheels, put on the E brake, and lift from the cross member. Go as high as you can to give yourself as much room to crawl around under there. Once you've set the car down on your jacks, give the car a few jounces side to side and up and down to make sure it's not going to fall. Now you can get to work.

Before you do anything, get your 10mm hex socket and loosen the transmission fill bolt. Do this only to ensure that you are in fact able to open it and don't get screwed later on. Once you've confirmed it's good, go ahead and drain the transmission with the 14mm hex socket. Do this first so you can let it drain completely while you start working on other stuff.

Next, remove both wheels. Remove the cotter pin on the axle nuts. Now, either have someone hold the brake and take your breaker bar and 36mm socket to loosen the axle nut or grab your impact wrench and zap it off. It'll be on there really tight so use penetrating oil and let if soak prior to attempting to loosen it. Once you've done this, remove both calipers and set them aside (don't be lazy, get a coat hanger or bungee cord and do not let it hang). There are three bolts that hold the brake and ABS lines per side. Remove those 6 bolts. There is going to be a cap that covers the 17mm nut that holds the hub (I have no idea what this is called but it's like a cover). Mine was really stuck on there. I used a screwdriver and mallet to pry it out tapping slowly the lip and pulling up to lift it out. Do this to both sides. The cap holds a small amount of grease. Remove the 17mm nut and washer. The hub should slide out, give it light taps with a mallet if it doesn't. With this, the hubs will fall and you will have enough room to slide the axles out.

Starting with the drivers side axle, jerk/tug/pry the darn thing out. I was able to get a crowbar and pry it out from where the axle meets the transmission. Gear oil may drip out. Set the axle out of sight. Go over to the passenger side. Before sliding that axle out, you must crawl under the car and loosen 3 12mm bolts that hold it to some bracket (I apologize for incorrect terminology but you'll know what I am talking about). Once these were removed, the axle should slide out. I found the passenger side easier to pull out than the drivers. Once again, set this far out of sight as things are about to start getting pretty ugly.

I originally elected to not remove the battery and air box, but I highly recommend removing the battery and air box. It makes it so much easier to see certain bolts and just makes life a little easier. Remove the battery, lift out the plastic tray, and remove the metal tray (held by 4 small 12mm bolts). For the airbox, first unclip the two harness clips (one goes the mass air flow sensor and the second somewhere near it), and then pull out the filter. Remove the bottom portion of the airbox by undoing the 3 10 or 12mm bolts. Also, remove the plastic wheel well trim on the drivers side only. This will help when you go to wiggle the transmission in and out. Set all of these items away.

Now for the fun part. Start by disconnecting three (I believe three?) transmission sensor clips. Once you've done that, remove the 17mm transmission bolts. I think there are 5 17mm bolts (with lock washers on them) and two 14 or 15mm bolts (on the bottom side connecting the engine and transmission.) Additionally, there are two 14mm bolts for the starter. Don't bother looking for the starter, it's very difficult to find. Just know that there are two really long 14mm bolts. You do not need to unplug the connectors to the starter or remove and wires, simply let the starter fall back. At this point, the motor and transmission mounts will still be holding your motor and transmission up.

Support the transmission and engine! For the love of god DO NOT LET THE TRANSMISSION HANG BY THE INPUT SHAFT. Roll your transmission jack into position and chain/strap it in. Get another jack and block of wood and place that under the oil pan. Do not raise up enough to lift the car up, just enough to hold motor in place. With these supported, you're going to want to start removing the motor mounts and crossmember. The cross member itself is held by 4 17mm bolts, two in the front, two in the back. Attached to them will be the two rubber mounts. You're going to want to separate the cross member from the mount. Honestly, I just started removing bolts and had to wiggle my fingers around to get them. I removed the front mount and then the rear. While you're down there, unbolt the shift linkage. This will be self explanatory when you get down there and look at it. Now, remove the transmission mount. The best way to do this is to unbolt the 4 14mm bolts that go into the transmission. This will be on the drivers side directly below the battery tray.

By this point, you should be ready for go time. It would really help to have a buddy but if you have a transmission jack, you should be fine. Slowly start to pry the transmission away from the motor. Don't force it, just start sure and make sure you removed everything you needed to and didn't miss any bolts. I messed up and ended up breaking the pnp switch during this process. If all goes well, you can pull the motor away from the motor and gently bring it down and out. I'm not going to lie, you might have to get down the twist around trying to get the thing to move the way you want it to. Now your transmission is out and your pressure plate/ clutch should be exposed.

I will continue this thread again with pictures and more info to come. Waiting on the election results