87LB9B4Z

My 87 IROC has a T5. It has recently developed an intermittent problem disengaging the clutch. I took a 20 minute drive, shut the car down for 10 minutes and when I returned I had to put it in neutral to start it. Once started it wouldn't go into gear. I shut it down, put it in gear and started it. After about 10-15 seconds I could smell the clutch. I had to yank it out of gear and then it wouldn't go back into gear until I shut it down. So it's not fully in gear but it certainly wasn't completely out either.

The car sat for about 45 minutes while I got my pickup (lousy FORD – it was a gift after all) and picked up a clutch kit. When I returned to the IROC it started and drove all the way home normally.

I tried to get it to repeat the problem but was only successful once since then. I am afraid my IROC is going to strand me somewhere.

I replaced the clutch about 9 years ago but it’s only seen about 50K miles of reasonable use. I replaced the slave cylinder about 5 or 6 years ago. The master cylinder has never been touched and I am hoping to keep it that way.

BTY, once disengaged it doesn’t slip back in – so I don’t expect that hydraulic pressure is drops.

Anyone have any suggestions?

JohnnyIROC-Z

possibly bad clutch fork or throwout bearing?

87LB9B4Z

Thanks, JohnnyIROC-Z. I spent the early part of last night and this afternoon replacing the clutch.

A small piece of metal that retains one of the springs in the clutch had broken off and was hanging around to present itself as a problem (of course it didn't have anywhere to go did it?).

It gave me the opportunity to replace the pilot bushing (which I failed to do last time when I put the new T5 in. Boy was it worn. I had the flywheel resurfaced but the hot spots didn't cut down properly. It looks a bit like a minor rash. I know that will shorten the life of the clutch but I have a plan... when it goes next time I will use it to help justify a T56 to my wife.