Help me fix my Insight
 

My wife was recently in an accident in our Insight, as is detailed in another thread in this section. I've replaced the broken suspension components, but there's a major obstacle to getting it back on the road that still remains: There's something wrong with the clutch.

At first, the car wasn't starting, and I couldn't figure out why. Turns out that when I was pressing the clutch pedal in (to the floor), the pedal was no longer pressing the clutch switch in fully:

http://i.imgur.com/qDRCS7P.jpg


Using my clutch bypass switch I was able to start the car, but the first time I tried to back it out of my garage, I discovered that the clutch is engaging waaaaay lower than it used to. I have to press the pedal all the way to the floor for it to disengage the clutch, and when releasing it, it's within the first half inch that the clutch fully grabs.

It doesn't look any different to me, and I can't see any stress lines in the aluminum indicating a bend, but the only thing that makes any sense to me is that the pedal, or perhaps where it mounts to, is bent. I don't have anything to compare it too though.

How far in is the hydraulic piston (?) supposed to go, when the pedal is fully depressed? This is how it looks now:

Out:
http://i.imgur.com/xijyUMJ.jpg

Fully in (pedal to the firewall):
http://i.imgur.com/Qh1YesE.jpg


Here are some more pictures of the pedals:

http://i.imgur.com/553HT7u.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dbTjJJe.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/eSK840s.jpg


This is where the clutch pedal contacts the rubber stop on the firewall:

http://i.imgur.com/Kjb2s3g.jpg


Any ideas? I don't want to buy a new pedal assembly, only to find it was something else entirely.

~

Also, I'm getting a LOT more vibration than I used to. Here's a video of me revving the car in neutral:

https://youtu.be/wEuEWyzpN0M

The whole car resonates at certain RPM.

I have no CEL, the engine seems to run properly and when I took it for a test drive around the block, it felt like it should, other than the vibrations. I gave a visual inspection and nothing in the engine bay is contacting the engine where it shouldn't, and all of the engine mounts are intact. I'm at a loss as to what's causing it.

I think you're looking at the wrong end of the system...

I'd guess the slave cylinder got damaged, since you had damage to the front of the car IIRC. Otherwise, check for leaks/ low fluid in the reservoir. Possibly something wrong with the clutch fork.

My guess would be the release fork got bent. Maybe an adjustment where the slave cylinder meets the release fork would help.

Vibration when running, check the front pulley harmonic balancer, when it is running, see if it is wobbling.

regards
mech

This is the switch that would normally get pressed in by the white plastic stopper. With the pedal on the floor, it only just touches the tip of the switch, and no longer pushes it in. I can't tell why it no longer pushes the switch in, but it should fully depress it when the clutch pedal hits the floor, even with the master cylinder disconnected from the clutch pedal arm.

http://i.imgur.com/EY6HgiB.jpg

EDIT: So, it makes sense to me that if the pedal arm is bent, it would both not fully press the switch and the other end of the pedal arm, when the pedal hits the floor, and also not fully press in the master cylinder.

I can't think of any other reason why the plastic stopper wouldn't press the switch anymore.

Thanks Old Mechanic, I'll give it a look when the sun is out tomorrow.

LOL, darcane beat me to it by 4 minutes, like minds.

regards
mech

Good that I beat you this time. On Daox's Civic thread you and I posted similar responses with you beating me out. :) That was a couple hours though, I guess I don't refresh often enough or take too much time to write.

It's all good. :thumbup:

In the second to last photo, it looks like the clutch master may be leaking. The rust on the lowest stud head (bracket through firewall) and what looks like a stain on the pad under the master. Also in another photo you can see rust on the shaft where it comes through the rear dust boot on the master.

It might help to bleed the system, but in my experience there is a considerable possibility of the bleeding process to contribute to the rapid and sometimes immediate failure of the master cylinder.

If the reservoir for the master cylinder is low then that would confirm a leak. Make sure it has enough fluid, but bleeding a master that old is a crap shoot.

regards
mech

The original master cylinder was leaking about 6 months ago, and I replaced it with an OEM part. Reservoir is still full, and I expect that's just the evidence of the old leak.

Didn't get a chance to look at the car today.

Copy on the replacement which explains the residue, already taken care of.

regards
mech

Had a chance to work on the car again today. There are three pulleys and a tensioner on the engine - one crank pulley, one A/C compressor pulley, and one pulley that looks like it attaches to the water pump. So far as I can discern, none of them are wobbling or could have been impacted in the collision.

I gave a close inspection of the engine mounts, and none of them are broken.

I looked around for any place there something might have been moved/pushed in, allowing the engine or transmission to transmit vibration, and found nothing.

The car definitely vibrates more in neutral, idle and when rev'd, moreso at some RPM than others, and I can't account for it.

http://i.imgur.com/dgKO72y.jpg


I drove it around a bit. The driver axle definitely needs replacement. It seems fine when driving but it clunks very slightly when shifting, and that concerns me.

I took a look at the clutch area again. To restate, the clutch pedal does nt push in the master cylinder piston as far as it should (clutch engages really, really soon upon lifting the pedal) and also does not press in the clutch switch at the top, which is required to start the car. I inspected the pedal closely, and couldn't find any signs of it being bent.

For good measure I removed the master cylinder and inspected it (nothing visibly wrong), put it back in, and bled the system. Clutch still engages way too soon.

The clutch switch is threaded, and I adjusted it fully inward - probably 5-6 threads farther in - and the pedal still does not fully depress the switch when I push it to the floor, so I have to use my clutch bypass switch to start the car.

Other than the possibility of the pedal being bent (which I can't see), the only other thing I can think of that could cause something like this is if the firewall were bent in right where the pedal stopper is, and it is not (that I can tell). Something is wrong with the geometry in this area and I can't figure out what it is, so I might try getting a replacement clutch pedal assembly and see what happens.

http://i.imgur.com/mwFnrC4.jpg

Right now, I'm looking at replacing:
-Driver axle
-rim
-Clutch pedal assembly

Plus an alignment.

Already replaced the tie rod bolt and bent control arm.

The car is drivable with the clutch as it is, but I don't like it.