MT or Clutch problem

[JonDory]

1998 Pathfinder. 5speed, 4WD. Wife driving down interstate pulls off, depresses clutch, hears an audible sound... not able to shift into any gear. Replaced clutch master cyl and slave. Throw is in good. Clutch pedal is a "little soft" for half the throw. Clutch was strong prior, no slip under load. Any suggestions?

[Hooligan]

It's hard to say for sure, certainly a clutch problem. It could be a broken pressure plate spring.

[JonDory]

Thanks... It moves between gears no problem when the engine of off. So not internal to the tranny. I plan to drop the transmission in the next two days. this is my first MT effort. Any recommendations? What do I need to watch out for? Any good links to read?

[Hooligan]

We have the same car, 98 with 5 speed.
Go to Harbor freight and buy a transmission jack, the kind on wheels.
You will need a clutch alignment tool for the re-assembly and many clutch kits come with such a tool. Follow the step by step as listed in the service manual which you can download from this site, especially about the crank position sensor. The tranny/transfer case combo is well balanced under the crossmember for positioning the jack. 4 cable harness plugs to undo.
Assuming that you are going back with a new clutch and pressure plate, I would recommend breaking the glaze on the flywheel with some fine grit emery cloth or 200 grit sandpaper rubbing in a circular pattern. Use a piece of duct tape to keep grit from getting in to the bushing on the crankshaft.
Check that bushing for unusual wear and put a gob of grease on the bushing before re-assembly. A new throw-out bearing is usually part of the clutch kit so, change it too.
If you see any oil leaking down from behind the flywheel you will have to seriously consider changing the rear seal which requires removing the flywheel. It's actually pretty straight forward. You'll need a torque wrench and an impact wrench can come in handy.

[JonDory]

Thanks. Started in on it tonight. Removed the console covers and have exposed the shift levers. Will pull the shift lever tomorrow. Need new snap ring pliers. The 2WD/4WD selector lever comes out in a similar manner?

Harbor Freight is just down the road. Any estimates as to how much the trany and transfer assembly weighs?

Thanks again!!

[Hooligan]

They're pretty heavy maybe 130-140. You will need the transmission jack to put the transmission back onto the motor without damaging the pressure plate. Having the proper tools will make the job much easier.

http://www.harborfreight.com/450-lb-cap ... 39178.html