328GTS Sat for a month, Clutch gone?

Check your clutch cable and see if it snapped, or perhaps the SD coastal salt air has stick the disc to the flywheel.

 

As already mentioned there is a cable on the 328 not hydraulic cylinder, so even if there is an actuation problem you will not see leaks. What do you mean by gone ? does the pedal go to the floor without resistance ? can you get the car into gear ? please clarify.

 

Is it that the clutch does not engage, or does not dis-engage?

 

Ferris Bueler comes to mine. Who had access to your garage while you were out of town?

 

If the cable snapped, the pedal will be at the floor all the time (tensioning spring).

If it's that the clutch doesn't disengage, it's probably rusted, put it in 5th gear and rock the car forward and back to try and break it free.

 

Yes, please clarify "gone". It doesn't sound like it's stolen...

I'm going to guess you mean it won't disengage and that it's rusted tight.

If you can't rock it loose, will a 328 start in gear like my 308? Get the thing out to the street & start it up in 5th (that might be a challenge, too) then get it up to speed, then you've got to dance around on the pedals so you've got the clutch pedal depressed and you'll use both the gas and the brakes to strain the clutch and it might pop free. Driving like this may not be an option depending on where you live...

 

Mine has done this a couple times, especially when left after a damp journey.

As Mr Don 16th says you have to break it free by starting it in gear, parking on a slope, jamming the brakes on etc. If you're lucky it'll free up before the starter decides its had enough

 

So the clutch does not DISengage...!
It certainly sounds like the clutch disk has rusted itself to the pressure plate/flywheel. And that long downhill driveway is a gift!

 

The old rusty flywheel thing. If all else fails, hit it with a hammer. Carefully!

Ken

 

Here is how I fix this.
1 Warm up the motor for a few minutes.
2 Start the car in 1st gear with the starter motor (make sure the car is facing OUT of the garage)
3 Hold the clutch on the floor, and drive the car.
4 Accelerate and Decel until the cluch pops free.

Please note that is is best done on EMPTY roads, not an urban environment.

Tihs procedure is for entertainment purposes only - use at your own risk.

 

Cool!

Glad it worked, you owe me a beer

 

now we can fix it, how can we prevent it?

 

Leaving the car in or out of gear while it's garaged won't prevent this problem. When the clutch is not disengaged via the pedal, the pressure plate clamps the disc to the flywheel whether the car is in or out of gear.

 

Blackandtan is exactly correct - doesn't make a difference if the car is left in gear or not as that does not affect the relationship of the pressure plate to the flywheel.

Best thing to do is a) not leave the car is a damp environment, and b) start the car and take it for a drive (get it up to full op. temp) once in a while.

 

Good to hear it worked out.

Reminds me of a story my dad, who was into the hot rodding scene when younger, once told me about convincing a friend to grease a clutch before putting it in. I bet it wouldn't rust then.

I've never had it happen to me, but putting a 110v dehumidifier in there would prevent it I'd say. I have one of the plug-in-the-wall types sitting in my garage; run it all spring, summer, and fall (in the winter it just runs dry so no point). In the spring/summer I empty it everyday, now in the fall, maybe every 2-3 days. Nothing ever rusts (including the various engine, etc. parts I always have lying around on the work bench).

 

Washed the engine compartment lately ?