<VV> Stuck Clutch ( A little Long)

[RoboMan91324@aol.com]

Hi Gene,

Sorry to hear about your shoulder and your car problem.  We may need a little 
more info from you.  First and foremost, try rocking it again but in high 
gear with the peddle depressed.  This will give you the most mechanical advantage 
at the clutch plate.  Most people think the opposite is true.  Have you tried 
to start the car in gear and with the clutch depressed?  If your problem is 
that you can start the car in neutral but it will not go into gear while 
running It may not be truly seized and we will attack the problem differently.  If 
you haven't tried already, try starting it in gear.  If you can start it in 
gear (without the car moving), you may just have something gummed up in the pilot 
bearing.  Actually, that may be the problem either way.  If it will start in 
gear, drive it and the problem may just go away when things warm up.  If the 
car definitely must move in gear with the peddle depressed, then something is 
probably seized or there may be another problem.  It sounds obvious but, I 
would say make sure that there isn't a problem with the clutch mechanism including 
the cable.  Sometimes we overlook the most obvious answers.  Did you try 
starting it with the clutch peddle depressed and your foot firmly on the brake?  
If you stopped cranking the starter immediately when the car started to move, 
you may not have given it enough chance to break free.  Put it in 4th gear when 
you do this as it will be easier to keep the car stationary. You can try 
towing it in gear but be very careful that you don't cause damage.  You don't want 
to pull your bumper off or bend something in the process.  If this doesn't 
work, try putting the back up on jack stands with the wheels just barely off the 
ground.  Run it at a couple thousand RPM in high gear with the clutch peddle 
depressed and then hit the brakes.  You have 3 feet, right?  For this to be 
entirely effective, it would be best if your brakes were well adjusted.  Through 
all of this, THINK  SAFETY.  You shouldn't have anyone in front of the car.  
In fact, you shouldn't be doing this on the trailer or in close proximity to 
your garage, house or anything in case the car starts to move.  If you have the 
car on jack stands for the last part of the operation, they should be the 
cast variety (as always) and don't ever trust those crappy split pipe units.  
Never, ever use cinder blocks or other brittle items as jack stands.  Good luck, 
and keep us posted on what works.

Doc
~~~~~~~~~~~
In a message dated 11/1/2004 6:04:06 AM Pacific Standard Time, Ebarr 19 
writes:

> Hi All
>   I have a problem due to Moisture.I gave up a space in my back garage to a 
> club member that needed a place to work on his car and placed my Sprint in 
> the trailer under the carport to the garage. I didn't move it all summer due to 
> shoulder injury and surgery and due to being in central Florida and lots of 
> moisture the clutch is now locked up, I tried rocking it with no luck, next I 
> will try breaking it loose by pulling it with the truck. Unless one of you 
> have a better idea???
>  Gene "Clutch stuck" Barr