Clutch return spring removal

[Stealthy]

Can anyone provide better instructions for this please? I got the c clip out with ease but spent half an hour fighting that rod to come out and it still hasn't come out. I tried using needle nosed pliers but no luck.

[ck-GT86]

Originally Posted by Stealthy

Can anyone provide better instructions for this please? I got the c clip out with ease but spent half an hour fighting that rod to come out and it still hasn't come out. I tried using needle nosed pliers but no luck.

Remove the pin that connects to the pedal to the fork that actuates the clutch engagement. Then push the pedal till it jerks to the floor (spring uncompresses). Push the rod out with your needlenose.

.ck

[yomny]

Thanks to the man that mentioned removing the pin and rod that connects to the master cylinder assembly, this freed up the clutch pedal and allowed me to remove the spring in two minutes. I have to say that the car feels amazing, no more guessing where the engagement is, you feel the pressure, engagement/disengagement points directly. There is a slight maybe 1/4"-1/2" free play but i think this is normal in any manual car, we never noticed because we had the dummy spring.

I think for the first time i've felt the rear tires lock when downshifting hard..i guess before subconsciously i never allowed the clutch to kick back to just that point due to the lack of feedback.

PS- BTW i put it back just for the challenge and its not that hard, you just need a nice long flathead to pry the spring back down as you insert the top onto the clutch pedal. Force needed.

For those worried.. the free play is normal. I'll check other manual cars to see if they have this retarded spring.

[504]

hey guys

so basing off the fact that no RHD owner posted about removing it (google search inc.) and that it took me 4 hours worth of failed attempts and 6 hours (with frustration breaks) to actually remove the thing, I may be the first RHD 86 with no clutch spring!



Its next to impossible to even touch the spring, those two plates restrict access completely. I found that disconnecting the clutch rod from the pedal made life much easier allowing the pedal to stay full engage or full disengage only.



remove that clip and pull the rod and the pedal will be disconnected from the clutch. keep the pedal to the ground now to relieve spring compression,



the only way you can remove the spring clip is using two screw drivers and turning the clip to the open section and pushing on both ends. you cant get a screw driver to the side and pull from the inside of it, there's just no room. once the clip is off the rod is all that's left and I found that the last few mm of the rod was actually quite hard to remove, it'll eventually come out though. Then all that's left is to push up on the spring while pulling back the clutch pedal to separate the two and its off.

I've got about 1 week experience with manual transmission now and its so much easier to drive. after readjusting the clutch pedal effort isn't really that much more to be honest, its so much smoother than before to the point where you can actually make seamless shifts pretty much every time

highly recommended!

[onetime4]

Would you guys recommend doing the clutch engagement adjustment before or after removing the clutch return spring?

[yomny]

Since it's easier to do the adjustment that the removal or re install of the spring i say remove the spring first. Drive the car for a little and see if you feel the need to adjust n

[onetime4]

Originally Posted by yomny

Since it's easier to do the adjustment that the removal or re install of the spring i say remove the spring first. Drive the car for a little and see if you feel the need to adjust n

Thank you, Miami brother.

[yomny]

Anytime, let us know how it goes.

[chas3wba0]

Originally Posted by xxBrun0xx

Just a thought after having this mod for 6 months now: if you live in an area where you sit in traffic for the vast majority of your time spent driving the car and don't want to get a leg workout every day, think twice about this mod. For everyone else, I firmly believe this is THE best mod you can do to your 86, regardless of price. This is night and day in terms of driveability. Now that you have very detailed reversal instructions (could we get added to op?), what is there to lose?

Just removed my spring this morning. +1 for thinking twice before doing it if you have to sit in traffic often. Part of what made this car so easy to drive in traffic was the light clutch, and I can see how the "heavier" pedal might become a nuisance in those situations. Otherwise, like others have said: it feels like a real clutch now. Much more intuitive and mechanical-feeling!

[TouchMyHonda]

In

[Bobblehead]

Did it yesterday and I'll never go back. It feels like a real clutch now and I can shift smoothly more easily.

For anyone concerned about the little free play the clutch has after removing this spring, don't worry. Every manual car I've driven has had no spring, and had that little bit of free play. Nothing to be worried about.

[JB86'd]

Did this a week ago, took me about 10-15 minutes. I used to think I was shitty at driving stick, now this combined with the clutch pedal adjustment slightly above the brake pedal it's rare that I don't pull off a smooth shift. Feels great.

[projekkt]

My semi long review.

Removing the spring.

I used needle nose pliers. I'm not sure why but I managed to pop out the little clip. Now its somewhere but I can't find it. I used the same pliers to push the pin a bit then a flathead to push further. I ended up pushing the clutch pedal down and leveraging another piece of metal to pop out the pin. I can't find it either. I think it went into that place where the hood switch is. I pushed the clutch in again and leveraged using a wide tool to pop the spring out. This took half an hour because I was dumb. Should only take 10-15mins. Finding the parts will take longer.

Seating position.

I'm 145 lbs 5.7". The bottom of the seat is where its the most comfortable for me to push the pedal all the way in. The seat is then reclined to where the bottom of my wrist touches the top of the steering wheel.

Clutch feel

Stiff. I always feel the clutch was a bit too light. Now I think its perfect. It'll give you a leg workout maybe but that's not a bad thing. I learned stick with the habit of pushing the pedal all the way in and quickly releasing until nearing the catch point. I do this with all my shifts. That said. The overall clutch in feels short and crisp. This is probably because i go straight through the free play zone. In fact i dont even notice it. The catch point is near the top. I did not do the pedal adjustment.

Its now much easier to drive. Much much easier. Not removing the spring. Just sad I didn't do it earlier.


Edit. I should add that it still feels vague. Its not that much clearer but it is sufficient to make a big difference.

[malubawla]

Originally Posted by projekkt

My semi long review.

Removing the spring.

I used needle nose pliers. I'm not sure why but I managed to pop out the little clip. Now its somewhere but I can't find it. I used the same pliers to push the pin a bit then a flathead to push further. I ended up pushing the clutch pedal down and leveraging another piece of metal to pop out the pin. I can't find it either. I think it went into that place where the hood switch is. I pushed the clutch in again and leveraged using a wide tool to pop the spring out. This took half an hour because I was dumb. Should only take 10-15mins. Finding the parts will take longer.

Seating position.

I'm 145 lbs 5.7". The bottom of the seat is where its the most comfortable for me to push the pedal all the way in. The seat is then reclined to where the bottom of my wrist touches the top of the steering wheel.

Clutch feel

Stiff. I always feel the clutch was a bit too light. Now I think its perfect. It'll give you a leg workout maybe but that's not a bad thing. I learned stick with the habit of pushing the pedal all the way in and quickly releasing until nearing the catch point. I do this with all my shifts. That said. The overall clutch in feels short and crisp. This is probably because i go straight through the free play zone. In fact i dont even notice it. The catch point is near the top. I did not do the pedal adjustment.

Its now much easier to drive. Much much easier. Not removing the spring. Just sad I didn't do it earlier.


Edit. I should add that it still feels vague. Its not that much clearer but it is sufficient to make a big difference.

did you also adjust your clutch pedal prior to removing the spring?