YACT: Hard shifting?

[Eli]

My brothers girlfriend is having problems with her car, an '88 Prelude. I'm trying to help them narrow the exact problem down.

Here are the symptoms:

It first started intermittenly. It would get difficult to shift, to actually push the shifter into the slot.. in all gears. But after a while it would go away and it would be normal again.

It's gotten worse and worse to the point where she can barely drive now because it takes so long to get the car into gears. She can't get it in reverse unless the engine is off, because it grinds.. even with the clutch slammed to the floor. It slips right into gear with the engine off. That lead me to think that maybe the clutch isn't disengaging properly, causing the synchros to work extra hard, explaining the hard shifts.

Make sense? If not.. what are your ideas? If so.. what would be causing that? Bad throwout bearing? .... ?

There is no "clutch adjustment", is there? lol.. My dad insists there is, but I've never heard of such a thing.

 

[PeeluckyDuckee]

Prolly not a resolution, but has the tranny MTF fluid been changed? With my prelude it's hard to get into 2nd gear while cold, but after it warms up a bit it becomes easier. The guys on the prelude forum seem to favour the GM Synchromesh MTF fluid.

Other than that I wouldn't know. *shrugs*

 

[RgrPark]

I know in most cars, U can adjust the clutch pedal engagement height.
If her clutch engages near the bottom, your clutch definitely needs to be adjusted since it's not toaly disengaging even when the pedal is fully depressed.
Have it adjusted so that it engages at a higher point so that when you do press it down all the way, it is completely disengaged, allowing you to go into gears.
Once you do that. i would just bleed the clutch anyways to make sure to get rid of all the air trapped in the lines if you haven't bled them in a while. Air in the clutch lines often make it harder to press the clutch pedal and change the engagement point once the car warms up due to the air in the lines expanding.

if you can't find how to adjust the clutch pedal for the prelude, i would just go to a prelude forum...i'm sure there are a ton of them.

 

[LAUST]

check the clutch master cylinder

 

[Quixfire]

Yes check the clutch master cylinder fluid. If it is low then find the leak, most likely the slave cylinder, repair and bleed the system. Else the clutch master cylinder may be wearing out and will need to be serviced.

 

[NutBucket]

I say bleed the clutch. If that fails check the master/slave cylinders. Both should be under $100 at the parts store.