Clutch Plate And Pressure Welded Together

[Paulmac19 4]

Well i have been working on my Cti for a while now and have gathered up the cash for it to go to be resprayed

Having had the car stripped and up in the air on axle stands i thought i would get the power washer out and give the engine a good degunk

Seemed like a good idea at the time until i dropped it down onto its wheels yesterday and went to select reverse and it wont select any gear

It seems that the clutch plate and pressure plate have stuck together, it was fine before i washed it but it has sat for about 2 weeks since i gave it the wash.

I have tried to start it in gear to bounce it forward to free it but with no success

Today i jacked the car up and started it in gear let it run up to about 50mph and hit the brake pedal hoping that would free it but with no success so far.

Would towing with the car in second or third free the clutch or is it going to be gearbox out time.

I am not to keen on the towing it down the street as i live meters away from our local Cop Shop and they would be onto me like a shot

 

Any suggestions would be gratefully received

[welshpug 1,666]

when any of mine did that I'd start it in gear, drive down the lane in 1st with clutch held down then press the brake, never failed me.

[Paulmac19 4]

when any of mine did that I'd start it in gear, drive down the lane in 1st with clutch held down then press the brake, never failed me.

 

Well i am sort of trying the same thing Welshpug with both wheels in the air, i am starting it in second or third gear, pressing the clutch pedal in and out and stalling it with the brake pedal, but it still wont free up. Dam you clean engine bay

[welshpug 1,666]

you'll get a lot more force with the car rolling

[Paulmac19 4]

you'll get a lot more force with the car rolling

 

 

Cheers Welshpug i sort of knew you would be the one to answer my question!

If you don't hear how i got on, you will know the cops have got me

I will give it a try early in the morning thanks..

[Paulmac19 4]

I still have had no luck in freeing the clutch up

I drove it up and down the street no bonnet, lights, bumpers, tax or mot, much to the amusement of my neighbours, like i said i live no more that 500m from the local cop shop and they would of had a field day with me if they had of seen me, i tried what you said Welshpug but it didn't free up

 

So it looks like i am going to have to get the box taken out which means i cant get it painted as planned, it was to go to my paint guy on Monday morning i wish i hadn't brotherd with the pressure wash now

[Beastie 1]

If it has only been sat for a couple of weeks then I'd say the method which Welshpug suggested has a 99.9% chance of working. I came accross a clutch which wouldn't free off that way last week.... on a car which has been standing for 8 years and which has a 10 inch diameter clutch. It's the first one which hasn't behaved itself in a very long memory for me. Maybe you need to experiment to find the knack of it... a few shocks of acceleration with the clutch held down followed by braking and accelerating hard whilst de-clutched usually does the trick. Don't forget to run the engine to working temperature first - ideally let the fan cut in and out a few times as a hot flywheel is more likely to "let go" of the centre plate! Best of luck!

[Anthony 1,003]

A somewhat dangerous method but one that would probably work. You'll need two people and a bit of clear space behind the car, just in case.

 

Pull the handbrake on hard and ideally chock the rear wheels. Jack the car up (leaving it on the trolley jack) and start the engine, and put it in reverse. Someone in the drivers seat gives it some revs and depresses the clutch pedal, whilst the other quickly undoes the trolley jack to drop the car onto the floor. The car hitting the floor with the revs up in reverse should put a massive shock through the drivetrain, and if anything is going to free the clutch off, that will.

 

Please note - I am in no way responsible for death, damage or destruction caused by using this method!

[Paulmac19 4]

If it has only been sat for a couple of weeks then I'd say the method which Welshpug suggested has a 99.9% chance of working. I came accross a clutch which wouldn't free off that way last week.... on a car which has been standing for 8 years and which has a 10 inch diameter clutch. It's the first one which hasn't behaved itself in a very long memory for me. Maybe you need to experiment to find the knack of it... a few shocks of acceleration with the clutch held down followed by braking and accelerating hard whilst de-clutched usually does the trick. Don't forget to run the engine to working temperature first - ideally let the fan cut in and out a few times as a hot flywheel is more likely to "let go" of the centre plate! Best of luck!

 

 

Cheers for your advice, but i cant let it get any real heat into it as i have it stripped to go to the paint shop with no radiator in it

I am going to get a mate to give me a tow to a carpark near me and give it another shot at what you and Welshpug have said

looks better on the end of a rope than me driving as pictured above with no bonnet, bumpers, lights etc if the cops come sniffing around

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

I struggled once with a clutch that was welded solid with a Mk3 XR3i

 

I could not bust it off for love nor money. In the end I took a chance and sprayed a can of brake cleaner into the flywheel/clutch through a hole in the bell housing.

 

I then took it for a very savage stop start drive with the clutch pedal down and all of a sudden the engine revved like buggery.

 

Sorted.

[Paulmac19 4]

A somewhat dangerous method but one that would probably work. You'll need two people and a bit of clear space behind the car, just in case.

 

Pull the handbrake on hard and ideally chock the rear wheels. Jack the car up (leaving it on the trolley jack) and start the engine, and put it in reverse. Someone in the drivers seat gives it some revs and depresses the clutch pedal, whilst the other quickly undoes the trolley jack to drop the car onto the floor. The car hitting the floor with the revs up in reverse should put a massive shock through the drivetrain, and if anything is going to free the clutch off, that will.

 

Please note - I am in no way responsible for death, damage or destruction caused by using this method!

 

 

Cheers Anthony i laughed my ass off at your disclaimer

Yesterday i had the speedo up to nearly a ton on the trolly jacks thinking if this fallS off i am going to end up four houses down

I think i will put this one as my last resort

[Paulmac19 4]

I struggled once with a clutch that was welded solid with a Mk3 XR3i

 

I could not bust it off for love nor money. In the end I took a chance and sprayed a can of brake cleaner into the flywheel/clutch through a hole in the bell housing.

 

I then took it for a very savage stop start drive with the clutch pedal down and all of a sudden the engine revved like buggery.

 

Sorted.

 

Cheers i am going to give it another go tomorrow in a car-park

I am pretty limited to how long i can drive it because the radiator is out of it, i will let you know how i get on

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

Sorry, spotted typing error there, I was meant to say Mk4 Escort not a Mk3 (although it is not important)

[Beastie 1]

Anthony - I'm wholeheartedly prepared to believe that the method you suggest will work. For some reason though I'm reminded of the scene at the end of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" where the Ferrari bursts through the back of the garage after the rear wheels fall off the jack

[Paulmac19 4]

Anthony - I'm wholeheartedly prepared to believe that the method you suggest will work. For some reason though I'm reminded of the scene at the end of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" where the Ferrari bursts through the back of the garage after the rear wheels fall off the jack

 

Just like this Beastie

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

Off topic I know, but Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a poor depiction of a day off for any bloke. He never took the time to knock one out!

 

 

 

Yup, thats the tone in the gutter now.

 

 

Sorry

[Paulmac19 4]

 

Clutch sorted boys

Thanks for all your replys

Welshpug

Beastie

Anthony

Orb

 

Your help was very much appreciated

 

I got my mate to tow me with a straight bar with the ignition off and in gear, only got a few hundred yards and heard i clunk,

started it and away i went perfect..