So i get my car back from a buddy of mine who changed the fuel pump for me(for those that remember the thread, that was the problem) and i drive it around for a couple hours today, no beating it (its raining and im not taking chances) and ever so suddenly, while leaving my street, the car is extremely hard to get into gear! also, from a dead stop, the clutch rattles and makes other terrible sounds, and the car is very very jerky. if im rolling, say, at 5mph, its smooth. it actually sounds like the clutch is loose, could this go along with it being hard to get into gear(any of them)? let me know what you guys think.

ive owned the cursed thing for almost 2 weeks, and have driven it problem free for maybe 2 of those days.

 

check the tranny mount...it may be worn out and allowing your trnny to move a little. It can cause some noises and hard shifting

 

would it cause the clutch to 'rattle' and engage harshly from a stop?

 

Does the "rattle" go away when you apply just enough pressure to the clutch pedal to take the slop out of the throwout bearing?

 

not sure what you mean, the rattle is only there when im starting from a stop..

i looked at the tranny mount, its fine.

except, now, i drive it around the block, and the clutch wont engage at all.. no burning smell, fluid looks good.. car is easy to run through the gears with it off, but impossible to get into gear with it on now. im clueless. pedal pressure is normal, comes back up normal, just no clutch... all i know is that this car has some kind of curse.. first the fuel pump, now the clutch, opti is probably next...

 

could it be the throwout bearing? i just spent close to $500 for the fuel pump and installation... just my luck that this crap happens the day i get it back.

 

guys i really need some help with this, ANY advice at all will be good..

 

porbably a combination of T/O bearing and pressure plate

 

how many miles are on that clutch?

 

i dont have a clue, but right before the fuel pump went out last week, it grabbed 3rd with a little sideways action... the only damn time ive even opened the car up! ive only had it since the 27th of last month... i never got any burning clutch smells, the pedal felt great, it grabbed fine, then, it started to rattle, and then wouldnt engage at all. i'll be talking to the family mechanic today after work.

 

That's why I asked you if the rattle goes away if you apply a pressure to the pedal. That would indicate a worn T/O bearing. Its really hard to understand exactly when its rattling... when you are "starting from a stop" and still have your foot on the clutch, or "starting from a stop" and have fully released the clutch?

Its really hard to diagnose problems like this over the Internet, when you can't actually hear it, or observe the exact process that produces the noise. Hence, the request for what may appear to be unneccesary detail and annoying, but it may help diagnose the problem.

 

If the clutch isn't fully disengaging that would make it hard to go it gear. Rattling with the clutch released in neutral is normal. My car does it. It's louder sometimes than other times.

 

well, it was rattling while releasing the clutch, but today, it didnt grab at all.. had to turn it off at every light on the way to the shop i wish i had the space and tools to do this crap, its too cold to do it in the driveway, and gets dark way too early. when i lived in texas, we had a full tool set and a nice 6 car garage, we built a turbo regal out of a carbed regal in there.. now that we live in ohio, and my dad lives in west virginia(long story) i have no tools, and no place, makes me feel stupid for having to take it to the shop twice in one week. oh well.

its getting a new clutch in the next couple days, bringing the grand total to this car to way more than i can afford.. i bought it for 3k because it ran perfectly, there were no rattles, the suspension felt new.. and in 2.5 weeks the fuel pump and clutch both take a dump.. this sucks.