Hi All, After successfully sorting out many "bugs" when I first got my 84 QV last year, we had a pretty successful season of driving. Our work included new belts, fuel pump tlc, and oil and filter upgrades as well as new relays and fuses. She did well after all that work. We parked it for the winter and started her today. She started right up but had the usual post storage roughness issues. We let her idle a bit and I thought I would take off for a maiden voyage. Discovered I had no clutch. Worked when I parked it. Fluid levels were fine. No leaks on the garage floor (climate controlled for the winter). So I let her run to see if warming up and pumping the clutch and brakes would have an impact. Brakes felt ok. Still no clutch, and then the "slow down" light came on followed by glowing cat and hot smell and some smoke. Neither problem existed at time of garaging. Any thoughts?
check to see something (mice) didn't build a nest in the exhaust there by clogging it and causing that side to run hot. Not sure why they like to do it, but they do. I've had that more than once in my old corvettes. I've got an 85 QV cab and sadly don't know if it's hydrolic or cable actuated clutch, but if hydrolic there is a valve/gasket that can stick and not let the fluid do it's thing. Other possibility is pressure plate is surface/slightly rusted to the flywheel and will need to be broken free.
I've argued time and again against letting these cars sit unused. There was a poll in another thread about this, and most people thought it was perfectly fine to let their car sit for 6 months. Here you go. Clutch - not sure what you mean by "no clutch". Sometimes the pressure plate can rust onto the flywheel, then you can't engage any gears. Try getting some WD-40 in between the two. There is an access panel by the oil filter. There are various ways to break it loose. Cat/warning/rough running - clean, or replace the fuel injectors and spark plugs. Sounds like some cylinders are not firing, and you are getting unburned fuel into the cat.
If by no clutch you mean you can't put in gear with the engine running. I had a similar problem when I woke my 348 from her winter nap. With help from Fchatters I put the car in 5th gear and cranked the engine. On the 2nd. try the disc broke free from the pressure plate. If you try this make sure your front is clear as the car will surge forward when you hit the starter.
Yes. Can't get it into gear. We'll try the 5th gear approach and then the wd40 method if needed. Also, we'll check to see that all cylinders are firing. The plugs have about 100 miles on them. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll let you know what happens. Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk
The slow down is for the cat over temp sensor. Glowing cat is a confirm your system works right. Congrats 😉 This is generally too much fuel getting to the cat and burning there. Likely as said a plug or two or a bank not firing. Stuck clutch. If you have pedal pressure it is as was said. Stuck. If following instructions above have you foot on clutch fully depressed. The goal is to put stress on that junction. Some break them loose by starting in gear and driving then hitting the gas while clutch depressed. Same thing. Trying to get the torque to break loose the stuck surfaces. I did use WD40 on noisy brakes when I was very young. It was a big mistake in that circumstance.
What do you propose people do when they live in a place that gets below 0 for months at a time? Try to drive around in circles in their garage? Fact of the matter is there are places in which cars have no choice but to sit for long period of times
not sure what that would accomplish as you are looking for the (rolling) resistance to produce torque on the flywheel/pressure place to break it free. Unless you are suggesting starting the car on a jacka nd then quickly dropping it to the ground to get the "lurch" one is looking for.
Move to a warmer climate ! No need to drive around in circles. Warm up the engine - this is the most important thing. Even in a garage, you can operate the clutch, go through the gears, apply the brakes, turn the steering wheel, operate the horn, blinkers, windows, and all the switches. Leaving these mechanisms unused for long periods of time is asking for problems.
I totally sympathize with people that live in very cold climates. There are situations that don't allow drives. That being said - I do believe at least turning the car on and trying to do as much possible every once in a while (even if it's just the garage) is a good thing. My friend Kevin Enderby has 300K on his 328, 150K on his 355, and 130K on his 430. I asked him, wow - how do you keep your cars so reliable? He simply said. I drive em' I truly believe long term storage is bad for these cars. Just my humble opinion.
I usually start my Ferrari every 3 or 4 weeks and back it out into the driveway and back into the garage...that way the clutch gets used and also the fluids circulate a bit. Also better for the tires to be on a different spot from time to time. Good luck sorting everything out.
In the dead of winter I don't like the idea of all the condensation that builds up if you "run the car in your garage". Plus I hear people all the time on here saying that you shouldn't just idle your Ferrari more than a minute or two. hmmmm, I don't know about doing that in winter. Damned if you do damned if you don't.
Mine sat for two years with the engine mostly on a stand. When put together it fired right up. Clutch worked, brakes fine. I've driven it a few times. Our cars are so old there are lots of variables. Lots of opinions. I have the benefit of non ethanol gas so I don't worry too much about that. I have several occasional use vehicles. I take them for a long drive before parking them for long periods. I have a battery maintainer for each one now. I like to have fresher oil when I shut them down. My European cars get brake fluid annually, my domestics every two years. I really just park and forget them. My luck will likely run out one day. And I don't suggest others follow my lead. But as said, if we can keep them on the road and use them all the time they will likely be very reliable. There is the other side too that these cars are getting old. Even a Toyota has problems at 30 years old. I did have a 1972 Mazda many years ago that had the frozen clutch so I'm not immune from that issue.
Updates: Clutch: Used the methods recommended and got some clutch. I still can't get it from a neutral idle into reverse or first. Feels like the clutch is still dragging. Any thoughts? Cat converter: Problem didn't recur. Could it have been at idle in the driveway too long while we struggled with the clutch? Otherwise, seems to be running fine. My son took it for a test ride. He came back with a smile. I needed a change of clothes.
Clutch: Try bleeding the system. Cat: The motor was probably misfiring from sitting too long. Running fuel through the FD, and injectors might have cleared that up.
I agree with bleeding the clutch. They can be a royal pain if the slightest of air bubble is in the system. I live in Maryland so fortunately even in winter we get many occasions to take a spin. But sometimes Mother Nature shows us who the boss really is so it is confined to the garage. I don't use a battery tender but instead will start the car every week or so. Thing to remember is don't start it and walk away for 5 minutes and shut it off. Start the car and after oil pressure is established raise the idle to 1500 or so. Unlike a small block chevy you don't lube the cam and lifters with oil slung out of the crank but you are lubing it with oil that is slung around. The faster things turn the more they sling. Apply your brakes and put the car in gear and go back and forth to make sure the organic clutch if you have one does not stick. Finally let the engine come up to complete operating temp for a while before stopping. When the snow is 2 feet deep at least you can sit and go uden uden till spring. Hope this helps.
It's probably a good time to change the hydraulic fluid since we didn't get to it last season. Of course that will require bleeding of the system so we'll see how that works. Thanks..
Start the car in neutral & let the engine get nice & warm. Shut off the engine. Jack up the rear wheels, start the car w/ it in gear, run it up to about 3,000 RPM, & put on the brakes. That will "unfreeze" the clutch from the flywheel. It's just surface rust, as someone earlier said.
