I have a 1991 pontiac firebird v6 manual 5 speed, and recently i noticed that my clutch is not really working properly. for example it disengages and i am able to shift when i press the pedal less then an inch, also if you are parked for example and throw the car into first and slowly ease off of the clutch pedal it will not stall even with foot off pedal and parked. this has recently started to really bother me because i feel that there is a problem but i cant tell what it is exactly. i am relatively new to stick shift, got this as my first car 4 or 5 months ago at the age of 16, 17 now but i have taken care of the car, never abused it. is my clutch going to need replacing or is it a simple problem to DIY repair?

 

You should have a hydraulic clutch. Have you checked the fluid level? I don't know that much about these clutches, so if i were you i would buy a quality repair manual.

 

Sounds like it. Sounds like you've got your money's worth fully out of it.

Yes, absolutely.

 

If the engine isn't stalling while in gear and not moving with the clutch engaged, then the clutch must be slipping. Does the car run normally in all gears?

 

it runs fine in all gears, but to shift you barely have to even press the pedal its gotten so bad you can just tap it and upshift/downshift. and yeah the thing that its not stalling in gear at a dead stop while im not even holding clutch baffles me. The whole situation feels like the clutch's engagement point is off and not right.

 

If it's slipping then it makes sense that it would be easier to shift, because there's less torque going through the transmission.

 

How many miles are on the clutch?

 

car has 156k, but i bought it secondhand the guy says he replaced the clutch but i dont know when.

 

The only other thing i can think of is that there is something causing the clutch hydraulics to be "pre-loaded" so to speak. Meaning that somehow the the hydraulics are exerting force on the clutch fork while you're not pressing the pedal. like if the slave cylinder wasn't retracting back in, or the shaft on the master was too long. But i'm willing to bet that the clutch is worn. This isn't a car that was converted to an manual from an auto is it?

 

nope, its always been manual as far as i know.

 

Clutches back then didn't last as long as they do in cars today. Today, you could prob drive a stick and never have to change the clutch. unless you don't know how to drive one. lol Find a hill and start out from a stop while on it. See if the car can make it up the hill. Once you start moving a little, shift to third. If the clutch is grabbing, the cars gonna be bogging out. if its slipping you'll know it.