So, for starters, something clutch-related blew up while I cruising on the interstate. I don’t know exactly what broke, and i’ll find out tomorrow.

What happened was, I tried to downshift going up a hill, and I push the clutch in, try and grab 4th, and nothing. Won’t go into gear. Let off the clutch, tried it again at maybe 35 on the interstate, and it finally grabbed.

However, after that, there was a high pitched whining sound coming from under the shift lever, and sure enough, something went BANG. I mean the whole thing jerked and then I coasted over to the side of the road. There was an intense rattling sound after that, and the clutch pedal was as hard as a rock.

Now, I know it’s not hydraulically related, because the clutch pedal is fine when the engines off. But with the engine on, I can’t use the clutch pedal at all, which brings me to think that either the throw out bearing or pilot bearing exploded, or the clutch disc shattered. But i’m leaning more so towards one of the bearings exploding, because I was able to go to neutral after it happened, and I can still start in neutral.

Ive already got a new flywheel, clutch disc and pressure plate, new pilot and throw out bearing, and i’m considering getting a new master and slave cylinder, but I want to focus on what the f*** just happened. I have no idea if it caused any more damage to the input shaft or any of the gears, but i’ll find out more tomorrow when I drop it all.

In the meantime, why did this happen? I don’t ride the clutch and i’m very easy on everything, and I don’t drive like an idiot. Could it if just been the original parts decided to finally give up?

It's hard to say without pulling it. My initial speculation is the throwout bearing. A certain manufacturer used to make a plastic TOB. They have since stopped doing that, but every plastic one I've seen has had at least one ear broken off.

I sure hope you didn't suffer more damage than the easily replaceable stuff. I've seen a pressure plate explode... He needed a new transmission.

If it isn't making real nasty metal sounds like it's going to blow, probably slave or master cylinder related. If you still have fluid in the master, it is the master cylinder that failed. All the fluid gone, slave cylinder

Didn’t you just ask about something squealing after a clutch change? Went away when you applied lite pressure? Did you ever figure what was wrong with that?

sorry different guy…

Figured it out.

The throw out bearing/release bearing spun itself too much. If you spun it, it wouldn’t stop spinning and grinds the entire time.

And as far as the “hard as a rock” clutch pedal, it looks like the release bearing seized the clutch fork up (or something along that line), and destroyed the slave cylinder.

Gonna finish it all tomorrow, and hopefully be back on the road.

Also that transmission didn’t want to come off. Took me 2 hours before it finally sprung loose

i used to wrench on Bugs, Id get the engine removed for clutch change in about 15minutes usually, sometimes quicker the microbus was fastest as the motor pulled straight back, no need to raise the vehicle to clear the motor. I dread the day I gotta do the Jeep, but hey, it is an automatic.

The only thing good about pulling a manual transmission of any kind, is that they’re stupidly light. This one must’ve weighed like 50 pounds, and at one point I slid the transmission jack to the side and just grabbed it and it finally gave way.

I pulled a transmission out of my old BMW, and that sucker must’ve weighed like 200 pounds. Wouldn’t ever do it again

Yeah the ax5 is super light.

Could you tell what it was hanging up on? Hopefully it isn't the pilot bearing. Does the input shaft look ok?

As far as I can tell, the pilot bearing spun itself too much, and when it spun itself, it jerked and hit the clutch fork, and that jolt destroyed the slave cylinder piston.

But thankfully, the input shaft isn’t damaged. I doubt any damage was caused to any of the gear shafts, because when it happened, I immediately threw it into neutral. I’m pretty sure everything else is okay.