As some of you young men an ladies know I have been unable to drive my Corvettes for the last 4 years due to medical problems... Well I'm still not close to 100 percent BUT I can now use my legs and can actually feel the pedals...

Last month I got the 76, 64 and 98 out of the garage, changed all the fluids ran most ogf the 4 years old gasoline out and then cleaned them up...

Today I went out and started the 79 up and it fired right up BUT the brake penal went to the floor (not unexpected with it) so that should be a simple job to fix...

Now the problem...

I got in the 72...pushed the clutch in to the floor grabbed the gear shift and it would NOT budge...(locked in 1st) ... since it was sitting on one of my 4 post lifts I raised it up and nothing is interfering with the shifter rods... ok.. lowered the car to the ground..and just touched the key... Car jumped 2 inches (forward naturally) then I released the key so NO FOUL...

I however now have no electric......that I can look into later...(battery is fine and indicated that the battery tendar has kept it fully charged.. but boy was the terminals ever corroded

HOWEVER I have a feeling that the clutch is stuck to the flywheel.. like super glued ! I can not get it out of gear ..and the clutch does not release...

Any easy way to check if it is the clutch being stuck ..or any way to free it ..or could something else that my frustrated brain has not though of in the last few hours...????

Bob G
 

Hey Bob. First of all its good to hear your starting to get up and runnin. I have never dealt with a clutch being stuck like that. What I would do is pull the pin, unhook the push rod and see if I could move the fork by hand. Maybe try tapping on the flywheel trough the bell housing inspection cover? Or maybe the throw out bearing could be stuck. A soak with penetrating oil may loosen it up. Just a thought.
More help is coming I'm sure. "T"
my7T12010-05-08 18:38:20

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I've seen clutches that would "stick" to the flyingwheel if they sat for a long time like that. There are a couple of things you could try. One is pushing the clutch to the floor(dis-able the ignition first by pulling the coil wire), put the trans in gear, set the p-brake, hold the brake pedal down, and "bumping" the starter quickly a few times. The other thing would involve a couple of helpers...one to sit in the car with the clutch pressed to the floor, in gear, and have a couple of other folks "rock" the car back/forth.

Did you get the shifter to move out of 1st, or is the trans still stuck in gear? If you still have the original shifter on the car, my guess would be a shifter issue, and not a trans problem...



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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

You didn't say if you were pushing in the clutch pedal when you tapped the starter.  If not, the starter is probably just not able to release from the flywheel.  Rocking the car to move the engine a bit should release it.  Then, with no pressure on the drive train, you should be able to raise the car and shift the transmission out of gear.  The shifter is probably out of synch with the trans.  It might need rebuilding or just adjusting.  It will probably work if you use a little caution shifting until you get around to fixing it.   If you were pushing the clutch pedal, then try manually turning over the engine by grabbing the belt and pulling, or by putting a socket on the front pulley and turning.  If the clutch is stuck to the flywheel, Joel is right about rocking the car.  Reverse gives you the most multiplication, so is most likely to work. 

As for the electric, if the terminals are corroded, trying to crank the engine can cause that last bit of reaction that builds a film and cuts off all flow. 

Good luck
Larry

Thank you Gentleman... Since this happed Saturday and yesterday was Mothers Day (house full of family ) I did not have any time to sneak away unnoticed...and Today I spend the entire day in the WAITING rooms at the hospital (son had a in and out  procedure done)...  I will have to wait until tomorrow ....yep I had my foot to the floor with the clutch.. and since the car is already on the lift I can easily raise it up and check the linkage...(and yes I made the tool to adjust the trans years ago and still have it... I know I have it set up in short throw for 2nd and long throw for 3rd...which does not sound "normal but it works or feels better to me that way...

I'll play the one man rocking stuff tomorrow and if need be call my wife down to the garage
to give me two extra hands...

Thanks...I'll let you guys know ...

Bob G