HELP Neon Clutch

Hi Mike,

2 things come to mind. 1) The clutch may have had a throwout bearing go bad, causing to be very stiff which in turn caused the cable to break.

2) You just don't have enough leverage to push the lever. They are pretty stiff to begin with.

I doubt the end ball is lodged anywhere.

The biggest thing that bothers me is where that end ball for the cable has gone too. That is why I did not proceed to pry the lever. One question, would you know if the bottom of the Bell housing comes off in a simular fashion to the bottom plate in an automatic transmission? I think that the cable broke due to age and milage, as the car is over ten years old, and has an almost unheard of milage on it. (380,000km give or take) I am going to take another look at it tonight, but probably will have to bring it in as my girlfriend is getting cranky without her car, and I hate having to drive her to work at 6am in the morning.

Mike mlawrenc(at)rcc.> Hi Mike,

considered a

housing end.

As per previous postings this week, I have a 95 neon with a piece of the broken clutch cable stuck somewhere within the bell housing. Called arround to get quotes on dropping the tranny to get this piece out so that I can connect the new cable and get the gf back on the road so I don't have to drive her to work. The only two places that will touch the transmission is the Dealer and Mr. Transmissions. What is the big deal with transmissions? If there was not snow on the ground, I would be dropping the transmission out of the car, right where it sits in the driveway. One of my neighbors ones a garage, but said that I could use the equipment in it, but I was on my own to work on it.

Still don't see what the issue is. I would figure that messing with the timing belt or anything inside the actual engine would be more of a risk then droping a transmission.

Mike mlawrenc(at)rcc.on.ca

The only two places? H'mm. Where-all did you call?

Nothing. That's why I want to know who-all you called.

DS

Called Speedy Auto Service, Canadian tire (was originally looking for part and labor price before I bought the cable at the dealer) Mr. Transmission (they would drop the trany for $425 + tax) Dealer (they would do it for $95 an hour, forgot how many hours they quoted) and a couple of other places. Not very many people will touch transmissions. Also keep in mind that I was calling places within 10 to 15 miles from home, as I would have to tow the car there.

Mike mlawrenc(at)rcc.> >

Well, there's your problem. You're calling all the wrong kinds of places. Speedy and Canadian Tire are not real shops. There are no real mechanics there. They are *parts changers*. They can remove an old exhaust system and install a new one. They can remove old brake pads and install new ones. They can remove an old brake caliper and/or rotor and install new. They can change oil and other fluids. They can change filters and wiper blades. They can change tires. They can remove an old alternator and install a new one. They can replace dead headlight bulbs.

They cannot diagnose beyond the very rudimentary. They cannot competently do "involved" jobs that require disassembly and reassembly beyond the very rudimentary.

What you need to find is a *mechanic*. Get in the yellow pages. Every town has lots of independent car service shops. Call half a dozen of them, describe the problem, find a shop that sounds good and go there -- problem solved.

DS

The real scary part about transmissions is the low level of integrity of most transmission shops. They know most people are not prepared to do any of the work or even understand the problems. They have a open door to take advantage and they do so.

That is the kicker. I know the problem, and what has to be done. I can not justify paying $425CND + taxes for them to drop my tranny to take a half inch piece of wire and a washer out of the bell housing.

So do it yourself. You said you had a facility available to you. The time you spent in here, you could have fixed it by now...

$425 CND to drop the tranny in a front drive car? That's fair. It's a pain. Maybe I'm used to getting paid too much, but I hate misery, and that's not much money.

So take off the access plate and fish it out yourself. Even if you leave it alone, odds are it'll just sit in the bottom of the bellhousing and never interfere with a thing. The odds of it happening to get kicked up while the starter is cranking the engine (the only time it could do any real harm) are next to nil.

well its not the dropping thats the problem ... its the catching a very heavy and expensive part at that

id do it though

remind me to never let you near a car of mine ... thats just disgusting ... would you like it if i slashed your tires ... you could drive to work on the rim

just hope your kid dont need to get to a hospitol pronto

Well... after $1350 with in labor and parts, the car is ready. As I had figured, the clutch was finished. This is getting very close to being a new car. I think the only thing left to replace machanically is the block and heads. ($500 for complete engine assembly with 100,000km on it)

As for the thought of running the car with the broken cable piece in the bottom of the bell housing, um... Isn't that kind of like leaving tools inside someone after heart surgery?

Mike mlawrenc(at)rcc.> mike wrote:

No, it isn't at all. Do not attempt to analogise that which you do not comprehend.

DS

How is it going to cause a major problem? What is it going to harm? How is it even going to get up off the bottom of the bellhousing? If there were precision exposed parts inside the bellhousing, I'd agree. There aren't, though.

You don't get out much, do you?

Have you ever even LOOKED inside a bellhousing?

Yes, it's a major component of the car. No, you really don't understand.