After not being able to solve my clutch disengagement problem as outlined here:

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/106800.html

I gave up on the thread since no one understood what I was talking about.

I have since pulled apart the car, and found this, what would cause this? The clutch and pressure plate are Borg & Beck, is this the original clutch? (87K miles).

Heard of t/o bearings not completely releasing and causing this, eventually working on the springs.
Didn't know it could be that significant in spring wear though...

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* 1984 Black Fiero SE (1995-1998) blown tranny - rest her soul
* 1988 Black Fiero Formula (2001-2004) Was to be a 3800SC, badly rusted rear frame.
* 1988 White Fiero GT (2009 - Present) This one's a keeper!

But the t/o bearing looks and feels fine...how would it not completely release?

I can't really tell by the pic but are the fingers bent or have the springs inthe pressure plate in that area collapsed? I can't answer if that is a stock (original) clutch. Looks like a few springs failed to me.

Looks like a bad throw out bearing or your clutch fork didn't have enough free play when the clutch peddle was disengaged

The fork did have free play, I checked before I pulled it off. I don't know what to look for to tell whether the fingers are bent or the springs have collapsed, how would a bad t/o bearing cause this? Like I said it feels fine, slides along the shaft fine, not too much play.

Looks to me like there is something lodged in the pressure plate housing that is causing this. Can you look up there with a mirror and see if there is a nut or something jammed up in there?

Did it ever work? That looks just like my V6 pressure plate "incident". I stabbed the trans and hit the key. It locked up without turning. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

Turns out the TB came off the forks when I stabbed the trans and it locked up the plate. The fingers bent like that. I could feel resistance in the pedal as the forks tried to move the TB.

Yeah, that was fun to do twice.

I don't see anything lodged in there. Yes, it worked, pedal pressure felt normal, could sit in gear without the car moving and pedal to the floor if it was started in gear. Just couldn't get it into gear if started in neutral, and the engagement point changed from right above the floor to half pedal instantly. The last half of pedal travel did not change the effort it took to get into gear.

I hate to ask an obvious question, but is it possible that the pressure plate isn't totally flush on the flywheel? ie, the bolts on the pressure plate backed out a bit on one side? I only ask because I just put my clutch together tonight, and bolted it up, and as I was tightening up the pressure plate to the flywheel, I could see the springs move in a bit at a time slightly unevenly unless i was tightening the pressure plate up perfectly evenly.. the pressure plate surface should be completely flat against the flywheel.

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Currently in the middle of my 88 + 3800NA swap

quote Originally posted by aaronkoch: I could see the springs move in a bit at a time slightly unevenly unless i was tightening the pressure plate up perfectly evenly.. the pressure plate surface should be completely flat against the flywheel.

Yeah, you should still see the clutch plate sandwiched together with the flywheel. If you used the alignment tool, the clutch plate would be in the center and no gaps when you rotate the flywheel. You should be able to turn the crank enough around either way to see if the clutch-plate is seated up to the flywheel evenly and flush.

From NJD85GT's first pic, lots of wear on the finger edges of the springs. What's the pilot bushing looking like, is it worn too?
Just weird to me to have those fingers bent like that when there's centripetal spin on both the clutch plate and the T/O bearing.

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* 1984 Black Fiero SE (1995-1998) blown tranny - rest her soul
* 1988 Black Fiero Formula (2001-2004) Was to be a 3800SC, badly rusted rear frame.
* 1988 White Fiero GT (2009 - Present) This one's a keeper!

This is a common deal on 4speeds, as the fork loves to bend.

5 speed could still have a bent fork, just not as common.

Had this happen when I first got a fiero 4spd. The bearings on the shift fork were rough and the fork was very hard to move back and forth. I can't remember if the fork was bent also. The pressure plate looked just like that. The clutch disk ended up exploding from uneven pressure I assumed. I read somewhere that the fork shaft needs to move around very easily with no effort.

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Turbo 3800 E85 5spd spec3
11.74@123

The only thing that I can think of is that the springs on the left side of your picture failed. Nothing else makes sense. The whole assembly is spinning with the crank shaft. I can't imagine anything that is not moving with the crank like the release fork could cause the springs to be deformed on one side.

Bottom line is it's bad and needs to be replaced. Of course you are going to replace the throwout bearing also so even if that somehow caused it, you should be free and clear of it

quote Originally posted by phonedawgz: Bottom line is it's bad and needs to be replaced. Of course you are going to replace the throwout bearing also so even if that somehow caused it, you should be free and clear of it

Okay, second that.

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* 1984 Black Fiero SE (1995-1998) blown tranny - rest her soul
* 1988 Black Fiero Formula (2001-2004) Was to be a 3800SC, badly rusted rear frame.
* 1988 White Fiero GT (2009 - Present) This one's a keeper!

Yes... It bad.

Diaphragm spring is split.

Very common on diaphragm type spring in Fiero and all car that use this setup.

Drill rivet apart and see...

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