I have an 98 Spyder GS. Recently I have noticed that it is very hard to shift into gear. I'm up in CT at school now and the temperature is pretty cold. Sometimes I have to pump the clutch a few times to get the car into 1st gear. Also, it occasionally will grind when I try to put it into reverse ( it also stalled out once or twice when I finally got it in reverse). I have heard from a friend that it might be my clutch master cylinder. Anyone have any ideas?

 

All right first off pop your hood and check your clutch fluid. obviously if it's low then you likely have a leak. First check the slave cylinder and the connections for the line on master and slave cylinders. Then check the line itself for leaks. It may also be that your clutch is going on you. How many miles on the car and when was it last changed?

 

I checked the fluid earlier and that was fine. The car does have 96k on it and I bought it used from a guy and I think he saidthe clutch was relatively new...but who knows I guess I'll get that checked Monday morning, thanks.

 

No problem. Just remember SOME people aren't exactly honest. They'll tell you anything to get you to buy the car and as close to their asking price as possible.

 

this topic needs to be put in the FAQ section or something. it has been an issue SOOO many times

 

I had very simialar problems. I just bought my self a 95 GSX from a guy a few days ago, he said the clutch was only a couple months old. The clutch ended up goin out 3 days after i got it and i was havin the same problems you were.

 

Best way to check if its the clutch then try flooring it at low rpms and see if the RPM's go up really fast with the car going

 

Yup.

You will either move accordingly or your RPMs will just go up as you sit still.
If you believe the clutch to be fairly new, adjust the clutch pedal.
Mine was new with only 1000miles on it, but when I moved, I had to have my car shipped to Oahu, well, apparently the guys that drove my car had to slip the clutch....A LOT. Anyway, I got it back and it would slip (I did the troubleshooting process TE stated), it turns out I had to adjust the pedal (a lot of the clutch most likely got burned up by the shippers, but what can I do?). Moral of the story, adjust the clutch pedal...actually adjust the master cylinder rod that attaches to the clutch pedal and see if that helps.

Oh Andy, does your clutch act like this all the time? Does it shift easier after the motor has warmed up? When was the last time your clutch fluid was changed? When was the last time your tranny fluid was changed? If either one of those fluids are too "cold", they may be worn and it may be time to change both.

So, check your tranny fluid and sniff it, does it smell "burnt". It should not smell burnt. It, also, shouldn't be really thin or thick. So check the tranny fluid cold and hot (just be careful). Clutch fluid, does it feel syrupy? It should feel oily and semi thick. Check that cold and hot also.

 

oh yea good point on the clutch pedal. I had that problem when i went aftermarket. It wouldnt fully disengage causing some grinding

 

Alright thanks a lot, I'm droppin it off a the garage tonight for them to take a look at it and I'll see what's up with it.