'97 SL2 Clutch problems (go figure)

[hdironhead78]

I've been going through the archives, I'm sure I'm having a similar problem as many of you lucky saturn owners have... Anyways my SL2 clutch has been giving me issues for about a year, you know the hard going into gear business, blah blah. In heavy city traffic, it was to the point where I had to shut the car off to get it into first. For the most part my driving was not city, so I dealt with it.

I was at a junkyard the other day with a buddy of mine, and I said what the heck I'll grab a new hydraulic system, as I thought I had air in my old one from a previous engine rebuild. Went home, put it in, and had no pedal at all. put my original system back in, no pedal. I stuck a broom handle through the fender to where the clutch fork is, and I cannot push on the clutch fork.

What is the likely cause of that? Did the clutch fork fall off the release bearing or maybe the fulcrum point opposite the release bearing?

Biggest question, will I be able to rectify this through the slave cylinder hole, or is this a 'separate the engine/trans' job?

Im sure Im not the first this has happened to... Thanks for the insight guys.

[RC1488]

Originally Posted by hdironhead78

Went home, put it in, and had no pedal at all. put my original system back in, no pedal.

as in the pedal will not move?

I stuck a broom handle through the fender to where the clutch fork is, and I cannot push on the clutch fork.

expected if the pedal would not move.

What is the likely cause of that? Did the clutch fork fall off the release bearing or maybe the fulcrum point opposite the release bearing?

As long as the center of the end of the fork is visable (there is an indent at this point) through the slave cylinder hole it has not moved from the throwout bearing.

Biggest question, will I be able to rectify this through the slave cylinder hole, or is this a 'separate the engine/trans' job?

Im sure Im not the first this has happened to... Thanks for the insight guys.

Depends on the issue. If the fork cannot be pressed then you will have to remove the tranny away from the engine to find out why. It should be able to move. However I am not sure a broom by pure physical means will be able to release the pressure plate.

When you remove the old hydraulics did the end of the salve cylinder come out also? There is a plastic rubber cap with that is on the end of the metal rod. It has two legs coming from it that will pull it off the metal rod and leave it stuck in the tranny

[hdironhead78]

there is a yellow plastic bushing, with two ears coming off of it, at the end of the rod to be actuated by the slave cylinder. Get this: I also put a 3/8" deep socket in between that rod and the slave cylinder to get about an inch extra travel, still no pedal. By no pedal, I mean there is full travel, but no resistance.