sdcvcc: the reason the car shifts when it's off is because the gears aren't spinning.. when the clutch is engaged, the primary drive is spinning making it extremely hard to shift gears - That's why you have a clutch. it stops the primary gears from spinning at the engine speed, so that you can shift.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm

-Richard

By Jonathan (68.193.6.173) on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - 04:21 pm:

Try carefully starting the car in gear, with the clutch pedal pressed down. If the car jumps forward/reverse depending on what you have it in, then you know for sure the clutch isn't releasing with the pedal.

If the car is inside, it's probably not safe to do this.

By sdcvcc (72.2.80.203) on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - 02:52 pm:

the clutch seems normal, and the arm at the front there moves pretty slow. I just dont see why it wont shift when the car is on and it shifts fine when car is off. squeals when I try to put it gear except for reverse it just grinds. thanks for all the help though. luckily I have a spare car for a week or so to try and check the cable or just put in a new clutch.

By Jarcaf (Jarcaf) (207.55.238.216) on Sunday, February 20, 2005 - 09:44 am:

You'd be able to feel a difference in the pedal if it was sheared off.

By Colza (Colza) (210.54.193.166) on Sunday, February 20, 2005 - 03:26 am:

Cos it was broken would seem the obvious answer...

By Chaffneue (Chaffneue) (66.183.190.188) on Sunday, February 20, 2005 - 01:12 am:

could be that your cable is snapping too.. if a few of the strands start to break, you'll lose tension gradually. Eventually the whole thing will snap at once. I would try the $20 clutch cable before the $200 clutch rebuild kit. Not being able to shift into any gear while running is a sign of a damaged or improperly adjusted clutch. Why did you replace the starter?

-Richard

By Jarcaf (Jarcaf) (207.55.238.216) on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 06:19 pm:

Did you tighten the cable or loosen it? It needs to be tightened, and you shouldn't be able to feel any slack in it. Just keep trying to tighten it and see if it goes away. It seems unlikely that you messed anything up internally w/ your tranny just by installing a new starter, unless there was something wrong w/ your flywheel and starter bent it a bit when you installed it, but I've never heard of that.

By sdcvcc (68.101.197.93) on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 08:32 am:

I worked on it a little. The car shifted, but it squeals when the clutch is being pushed on. I parked it and now it wont shift again. I cant feel the cable slack since it is inside a tube/hose/protector. Maybe just time for a new clutch setup.

By sdcvcc (68.101.197.93) on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 06:12 pm:

due thats awesome. I will try that tomorrow as soon as it gets light outside. I am hoping it is just the cable. will update.

By Jarcaf (Jarcaf) (207.55.238.216) on Friday, February 18, 2005 - 08:46 am:

Have someone else push on the clutch pedal and see if it moves the throwout arm on the front of the tranny. If it's moving then the cable is connected, but if is won't let you shift then try adjusting the cable by turning the knob on the housing that attaches to the bracket. You'll want to pull on the whole cable a bit while you turn the knob clockwise if you want to tighten the clutch cable, and counterclockwise if you want more slack.

By Kyle Thomson (24.83.29.123) on Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 10:46 pm:

it really is a hose eh? hmmm I dunno, don't have one one either of my tranny's. Maybe a vent tube of some sort?

You said the bracket was one the front of the tranny though right? does the clutch cable have a bracket holding it? maybe we're talking about the same one and the cable has been knocked out?

By sdcvcc (68.101.197.93) on Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 08:14 pm:

no. its actually a small hose. I can see the hole in the middle. Attaches to the farthest pass. side of the tranny, 2 feet long. Doesnt connect to anything, just hanging on the bracket. but I am checking the cable too.

By Kyle Thomson (24.83.29.123) on Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 07:14 pm:

Umm, thats not a hose, its your clutch cable, and it needs to be secure in order to do its job =)

By sdcvcc (68.101.197.93) on Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 06:53 pm:

the only thing i messed with, is a small bracket toward the front of the tranny that is holding a hose. one bolt. I havent put that back. dont see why that matters though. gonna check all the connections when I get some daylight. thanks.

By Jarcaf (Jarcaf) (207.55.238.216) on Thursday, February 17, 2005 - 05:38 pm:

Did that fix it?

By Jarcaf (Jarcaf) (207.55.238.216) on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 09:00 pm:

Make sure your clutch cable/slave cylinder is adjusted. You definitely could have accidentally slipped it off when installing the starter.

By sdcvcc (68.101.197.93) on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 07:54 pm:

Installed new starter, went good. When car is off the gears shift. When car is running, wont shift into gear. Makes squealing noise when I try to shift. Hmmmm.........