Civic VX clutch

[aronhk_md]

Just picked up a 92 Civic VX...runs great but has a clutch problem. Cant get it in gear while running, but if you have her off she slips right in. Start it up though while in gear with clutch depressed, and she stutters trying to pull forward. Prev. owner said it was a pretty recent and fairly sudden thing, so I'm thinking that with 134K on the odometer maybe 1 or more of the clutch pressure plate fingers broke? He already tried putting a new clutch master cylinder on it.

Three questions for any VX familiars out there...

1. Is there anthing out there documenting what parts cross with other civics?
2. Does the VX use the same clutch kit as other civics, and is there a best clutch to go with....OEM or aftermarket?
3. How involved is replacing the clutch? I'm used to good old american muscle cars...lol.

A bit of a dichotomy here..........my 73 Trans Am makes over 1000 hp....lol. But am looking forward to using the VX as a daily driver....after I add A/C You can see the TA online....and thanks for your help!

http://www.americantorque.com/page/1/62/

[GasSavers_Erik]

#1 and part of #2. You can use Rockauto.com to see what parts cross over
#3 It is a bit more involved than a rear wheel drive because you need to pull the axles out of the tranny and to do that, you'll need to pop the ball joints loose to swing the front suspension outward enough to unplug the axles from the transmission.

I had Acura Integra that did just what you described- when I took it apart, I found that on of rubber torsion "springs" (bumpers) had come out of its spot in the clutch disk and was being churned up between the clutch disk and the flywheel.

[aronhk_md]

Thanks for the reply Erik. Its sounding like about a 2 hr job with the car on a lift with all the right tools? I have a friend who is a mechanic, and he'll let me use the lift when he isnt busy. Good idea on the rock auto website.........plug in Honda VX first, then maybe the Honda DX too and see if the part # is the same.

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I should check out the civic forums and ask their thoughts on OEM clutch vs aftermarket.

[theholycow]

There's a number of easier ways to get cross-reference information than looking it up for both cars. Often you can feed a part number into eBay and someone's listing will have a list of cars it fits. For a lot of parts you can go to the manufacturer's website's online catalog and find a list. I found a local store that has a cross-reference lookup too: http://www.actionautoparts.com/auto-...-catalogue.php

[aronhk_md]

Well thanks Holy.....I really appreciate that. The VX I just bought needs some body work, but runs very well and had some recent mechanical parts added. I tend to take extended trips with my toyota Tercel to go get tools and parts when I see them at a good price, but I think the VX may become my extended hauler if everything works out. Just need to add a hitch to it as I did the tercel to pull my little harbor freight trailer

[GasSavers_Erik]

Originally Posted by aronhk_md

Its sounding like about a 2 hr job with the car on a lift with all the right tools?

It typically took me 5-6 hours for the whole job on my 87 Integra and 87 civic- but I didn't use a lift- that would make it faster.

[aronhk_md]

Thanks Erik.....yeah a lift and air tools help a lot.

[GasSavers_TomO]

One other thing to check first, if you haven't, is to bleed the clutch reservoir and slave cylinder. Sometimes leaks can develop and found/fixed by doing this. I have seen the spring issues before though on the pressure plates as well.

Hope that helps. Dropping the trans to replace the clutch isn't too bad if you're mechanically inclined and it really helps if you get to use a lift. Good luck to ya.

[aronhk_md]

Thanks Tom.....appreciate the advice. I'll check that first. I'm going to need to get myselt a Chilton manual on this thing so I know where things are and how to do things.

[theholycow]

In my meta-sig (linked in my sig) there are links to much Honda repair manual documentation online. What you need may be in there somewhere.

Of late I have found factory service manuals to be more useful than Chilton/Haynes, although sometimes they have a more backyard-compatible way to do something than the FSM. For older cars it's often easy to find the FSM on eBay for the same price as Chilton/Haynes.