Drivetrain Problem ... Car will not move

[davis10]

I was driving my car the other day and went to accelerate in 4th gear I heard a pop and then the car rev'ed up as if it was in neutral. I could shift into any gear but it would not move, basically acted as if it was still in neutral in all gears. I am going to start troubleshooting tomorrow and am looking for suggestions on things to check.

Initially I checked my axles to see if any were broken, and they all appeared in decent condition. My next thought was that I may have blown my rear diff. So I put it into gear and let the clutch out, but the rear driveshaft was still not moving. If the diff was blown I would think that it would still rotate but the car would not move. Also when I push the clutch pedal in I noticed a rattling noise coming from what sounded like my bell housing area, so now I am wondering if something happened to my clutch. I just thought it is a bit uncommon for a clutch to completely blow like that without slipping at all. It is a SPEC stage1 clutch that has been in my car for only about 6 months.

Relevant car details. 98 impreza L ~120k miles, stock drivetrain with a stock EJ255 swap.

The next thing I am planning on doing is taking off my inspection plate to examine my clutch. Does anyone else have any other suggestions/comments/ideas?

[tnice17]

i think your trans might have shit the bed, maybe the input shaft snapped or something along those lines.

[Supers587]

I vote for a broken clutch fork. Start with the basics first, broseph!

[Hobo Joe]

Originally Posted by Supers587

I vote for a broken clutch fork. Start with the basics first, broseph!

I see what ya did there combines bro and joseph=broseph.

Anyways back on topic Its either the clutch fork or input shaft but if I were to put money on it I'd say clutch fork.

[2slo4u]

clutch/throwout bearing/clutch fork

[tnice17]

i dont see how it can be the TOB or the CF.

if he was driving in gear already, 4th, and he accelerated, i think 4th you can put some good load on the drivetrain, and with a swap and stock trans.... thats what leads me to my diagnosis.


same thing happened to my friends 04 WRX, he was driving in 3rd, hear a noise from the trans, and when we put it on jackstands, started the car, put it in a gear and let the clutch out very slow, you can hear something clanking around the bell housing.

he ended up stripping the teeth off some gears.

[Storm]

I think you're going to need to drop the trans and crack it open.

Drain the fluid first and look for chunks. Feel around inside the drain hole too....my bet is that you'll find evidence of tooth fragments.

[Supers587]

Yea, maybe I should have read the whole post before commenting

Originally Posted by davis10

I was driving my car the other day and went to accelerate in 4th gear I heard a pop

So no shifting was involved and there was no movement of the clutch fork, clutch, or pressure plate. Therefore, one of those being broken is unlikely.

Originally Posted by Davis10

I could shift into any gear but it would not move, basically acted as if it was still in neutral in all gears.

Then the clutch, pressure plate, slave and master, fork and pedal and hydraulic system are all functioning properly.

Originally Posted by Davis10

So I put it into gear and let the clutch out, but the rear driveshaft was still not moving.

Something internally is preventing the driveshaft from turning, OR preventing the gears from engaging inside the transmission casing.

Originally Posted by Davis10

I just thought it is a bit uncommon for a clutch to completely blow like that without slipping at all. It is a SPEC stage1 clutch that has been in my car for only about 6 months.

I've never had personal experience with SPEC clutches, but from my understanding, they're decent quality at least. I wouldn't expect it to blow, especially being so new. I doubt this is the problem.

Originally Posted by Davis10

Relevant car details. 98 impreza L ~120k miles, stock drivetrain with a stock EJ255 swap.

This should set off alarms in your head. You have an L transmission with STi power behind it. Chances are that you blew something internally. If you shift like a grandma every single time, then your transmission will last a little longer, but the shear torque of the 2.5 liter block will rip that thing to pieces in no time, ESPECIALLY if you're shifting hard.

Originally Posted by Davis10

The next thing I am planning on doing is taking off my inspection plate to examine my clutch. Does anyone else have any other suggestions/comments/ideas?

Drain the transmission fluid. That should sum it up for you.

[matt2point5rs]

Mine just did this too about 3 days after a new OEM clutch. I'm almost 100% positive your tranny just made a mess in its pants.

[davis10]

Ok, I just did a little poking around. The first thing I did was drain my tranny fluid and it was clean. While I was down there I noticed that the left inner CV joint was broken and had a excessive amount of play, however no part of it or anything else turns when the car is in gear. With the engine running and the clutch out I noticed that I can shift smoothly in and out of gear without disengaging the clutch, and when I do engage the clutch the lever has strange play and does not pop all the way out on its own! I crawled down under the car with it in gear and there was noise coming from the BELLHOUSING area, the flywheel is obviously spinning when in/out of gear.

This all is leading me to believe that the problem lies with the clutch. At this point i think the only thing that could be wrong with my tranny is a broken input shaft (which I have never heard of happening). or maybe a blown center or front diff stemming from the broken axle.

Should my next step be to pull my motor and see whats going on down there?? Obviously I was hoping to avoid this, but it seems like the logical next step in this case??