Well, got it back on the road. It was indeed the throw out bearing.



Overall the job wasn't too bad. Took me a while since I could only work on the weekends. Worst part was getting the transmission back on the engine. Took me 6 hrs! A tranny jack is completely worthless for that part of the job. I ended up rigging a strap to suspend the tranny and maneuver it into position. I ended up spending a little over $1000 but I did swap to a single weight flywheel, installed Powerflex bushings throughout, new power steering lines, and had to buy a couple of tools (32mm socket). Much less than what it would cost if I had a shop do all of that.

Anyway, the only issue I have is that the clutch pedal feels much lighter than it was before. I made sure to bleed the new slave cylinder when fully compressed, and again once it was back on the tranny. I've triple checked for leaks and did the "wedge a board on the pedal overnight" trick 3 times. Could it be that the new pressure plate springs have a slightly lighter feel? It's the Valeo kit. Car drives fine, but it just feels different. Any suggestions other than take it off and repeat the compress/bleed/board sequence again?

 

That's how the valeo feels, super light pedal and kind of notchy motion, very weird at first but you get used to it after a while. If it's shifting and driving fine there's nothing wrong with it

 

Yea, its a change in feel for sure, yep looks like the throw out bearing exploded, fell apart. Lucky it did not throw or damage the bell housing to much.


Well done on the fix. Taking your time gets the job done right. Now it should feel like it was new with those upgrades.

When you first use the clutch until it wears in , it will tend to grab a little harder then normal , just like with a brand new car or any new clutch/. Once you get some miles on it , it should be fine.

 

It's definitely a change but reassuring that it's normal for this kit. I was surprised the throw out bearing was the only part affected. The clutch assembly showed very little wear, all the seals were in great shape and showing no signs of leakage, and most of the other parts I replaced were not in bad shape but worth changing while in there, especially considering the cost and labor of doing each thing individually in the future. Many thanks to everyone who contributed advice and/or assistance in getting it done.

 

You are welcome. I am glad things work like they should now.