Hey boys,
Anything interesting going on here lately?

Oldest kid got her license today , which through a series of comical complications required me to unexpectedly need to drive the 914 so she could use my car today. While it was great to get the old girl out for the 1st time of the year, I was reminded that when I put her away last year, I noticed a problem might be starting.

When I 1st start out for a drive, it shifts great. by the time I get to the office and the car is good and warmed up, when I put the clutch in, I can feel it not quite completely releasing. Sitting at a stop, in gear, clutch in, I can feel it dragging a bit, car "grumbling" a little as I sit. When it did this at the end of last season, I tightened up the cable a little, but no change. I checked the clutch tube, and it's still solid and stationary at both ends. I'm thinking throw out bearing, but my time is so limited the days, I don't have the luxury of not getting it right on my first repair attempt. I doubt my initial diagnosis because I don't hear anything when I step on the clutch, and I've alway been able to hear a bad throw out before I've felt it.

Any ideas?

could be the little bushing behind the throw out rod fork is gonzo so you are not getting enough pull.

Could be throw out bearing
Could be time for a clutch or pressure plate..
Pilot bearing is siezed?

If you dont like doing it..do it all at the same time..
Good for another long run...depending upon how hard you drive it.

You can pull the tranny and leave the motor in the car.

Rich

I don't think it could be that fork bushing because it's shifts great when cold. I don't think that would be temp sensitive.
Pressure plate and disk are both pretty low milage (5000ish miles, high quality KEP stuff)
I think I reused the pilot and throw out bearings, since they were reasonably new at the time and $ was tight, but I can't remember (was in '09).

So Rich, you think the pilot or throw out are pretty good possibilities?

Unless the throw-out bearing welded itself to the pressure plate fingers & pilot shaft, I wouldn't think so.

Pilot bearing seizure could/would keep the main shaft turning. Don't worry, it will disintegrate and the problem will stop, but then you might get a front tranny seal leak as the pilot shaft will wobble around.

Oh, other than that ... no/low oil in the tranny.

Just my opinions

Agree with SLITS.

I would try tightening the cable a touch more as it heats up it expands. It could be that the cable may be fraying and when you do tighten it it may break but then you will know.

You say the clutch and pressure plate are new, but what about flywheel? Make sure your fork isn't bent either.

the center of the tube could be broke loose, If the flywheel was resurfaced , did the pivot get a shim ?

Fly wheel is original, so no shims, and clutch cable tube is solid in the middle too (the access hole in the tunnel is still open from when PO fixed it )

Slits and the Doc's opinion that it's more likely pilot bearing make pretty good sense after thinking it through. Guess I better order one up from Renegade.


Since I'm always trying to learn something from my little fiascos:

Slits, how could low trans oil be a factor? If the clutch is in, disk is free, so trans isn't turning. How would low oil result in that feeling like the clutch isn't fully released?

Lo oil ... box gets really hot ... won't shift due to expansion and crap starting to weld together ... yes, they can get that hot.

Renegade for a pilot bearing? Try our normal parts houses first .. GPR, Pelican, etc., If it's a V8 conversion ANY domestic iron parts house.

After a few tweaks with no success I'm pretty sure it's probably the pilot bearing.

Slits, this is the v8 I'm talking about. Are you saying a standard 350 bearing will work. I just assumed the ID would be different. Renagade wants 75 bones for one. I'm ok with them making a profit but im thinking theyre gonna have to buy me dinner before they get me to do that. If I can use a standard SBC bearing, that would be nice.

Why yes, I am a very cheap bastard. Why do you ask?