Clutch wont engage help please

[cmurder342]

Hey guys I got a problem and ive been researching my brain off and working my butt off in this horrible snow storm for the past week and half doing an auto to 5 speed swap on my 1990 240sx and ive ran into multiple problems first it was i got everything out and swapped with my 5 speed transmission and that in and found out that a dude sold me a f**ked transmission that was busted off in reverse so I had to drain and pull everything back out...(PITA) but did that and luckily i thought smart and had bought another transmission for a cheap price for a friend and got new throwout bearing, master cylinder and slave cylinder for it so i put all that together and put that transmission in which is guarenteed to be good and i bolted it all back up checked fluids, filled transmission back up, checked all wires, adjusted clutch pedal by the lock nut and rod where it needs to be. so i fired her up and she purred like a kitten but one problem.. it will shift through gears while off but when on its a no go... i tried multiple times and everything and its just like the clutch wont engage but i know its trying because when i try and put it into first the car will pull forward like 3 inches then stop. also my clutch pedal is very very very loose like a baby could push that b*tch down and i read multiple forums (including nico) and sites and they all say "bleed the clutch, and adjust clutch pedal or get new master or slave cylinder" well theres the thing ive done all of that and still no clutch engaging at all so please dear god if anyone can help me please do i really need this car as my daily driver and i have to leave for college in like 2 days which is 60 miles away from my house and i just need this to happen and ive been through hell workin on this thing for the past week and half, so please anyone have any similar problems or know the solution of the problem, PLEASE let me know thanks

-Clint
Modified by cmurder342 at 4:20 PM 1/9/2010

[Jah1mon]

Can you get someone else to look at the slave cylinder while you step on the clutch pedal? Then you can see if the slave cylinder rod is fully engaging the clutch

[liquid_cool]

Can you get someone else to look at the slave cylinder while you step on the clutch pedal? Then you can see if the slave cylinder rod is fully engaging the clutch

good advice bro...but you may have a fork issue too...it may have slipped out of position when you installed the clutch..its possible to accidentally hit it and pop it from its place..ive done it myself...crawl back under the car and phisicly reach for the fork lever and try to move it...if its all sloppy and easy to move..you have to drop the transmission again to fix that..if its stiff...have some one operate that peddle...keep us posted bro..and good luck.

[cmurder342]

Yea I wiggled the fork and its not going no where unless the pedal is being pressed so im pretty sure its good and the rod inside the slave cylinder is pushing the fork and engaging the clutch but i dont think its engaging it all the way i talked to my dad who is a mechanic and he said i might need to get a longer rod for my slave cylinder and try that so i got a longer rod which is probably 1- 1 1/2 inch longer than the one i got from autozone and i tried putting it in the slave but it will not depress far enough in the slave cylinder to be able to slip into the little notch on the fork even with the bleed valve open (i even tried doing it with the slave cylinder bolts on and off) i then tried to get a screwdriver and pry the fork back and then slide it on but the fork kept slipping, as im doing it one with one hand and moving the slave with the other so its very frustrating but my dad said hes going to try and help me tomorrow so i PRAY it works...... if it doesent i fear i may have to take to a professional or something but it sucks so bad because i know im so close to getting this 5spd swap to work its just that the clutch seems like its not going far enough to engage so hopefully i get it to work tomorrow if not its guna suck balls. but if anyone else has suggestions or theories please do not hesitate to try and help thanks so far and will keep ya updated on how it goes tomorrow in this blistering cold hell of weather thanks.

-Clint
Modified by cmurder342 at 10:52 PM 1/8/2010

[cmurder342]

Hey guys got great news, turns out dear old dad does know what hes talkin about and we replaced it with a longer rod in the slave cylinder by prying fork back and putting it on and it worked it engaged the clutch and drove! i was like HELL MOFU*KA YEA! then i got it out on the road and noticed it was slipping kinda so i came back and adjusted the clutch pedal and it still did it so i told my dad and let him drive it and then he said what it was was that the rod in the slave that we put in was now too long! that it would not let the clutch snap back or w/e so he told me how to fix it by cutting the rod and everything so i pulled it back out of the slave after i unbolted it while being pried with flathead screwdriver so it wouldnt strip out the threads and then hacked off with the cut off saw prolly about 1cm-2cm off and put it back on (pita) and i had to open the bleed valve in order for the slave to depress so there went fluid all over my hand (instantly turning it into a freezing block of ice lol) and i got it back on the fork pivot notch thing and got the bolts back in and then bled the clutch again and then refilled fluids and cranked her back up and headed down the road and man.... i love my dad he is so smart it works like a charm! so the swap is now officially complete even though i went through hell and high water thanks to jesus and my dad it was completed

so thanks to everyone for throwing me your ideas and stuff to help i really appreciate it and glad to know i got some people to turn to (when old dads not around) to help me with my car, Thanks.

-Clint