So I'm driving home the other day from work, all of a sudden I press the clutch and I can't get into gear easily, the clutch pedal is feeling strange, so I limp home hoping that I don't have to stop and have to clutch in, and change gear. With some luck I hit no red lights and make it home. When I get in my driveway I try to get the car in gear, and I can't, no matter what, it won't go into gear, the only way that it does is when the car is off, and when I try and start the car with the clutch pedal depressed and in gear, it lurches foward as if the clutch wasn't depressed and it was engaged. So now I'm stuck and can't move anywhere, so I call my friend up and tow my car to a friends shop where I can work on it. I ask around to a few people, and SPEED_NYC explains to me that he's seen this happen before and that it's probably the retaining clip on the clutch collar that is broken. So upon inspecting through the transmission window under the transmission, it seems as though it does seem that the clip is broken, because the collar is moving, but the pressure plate isn't while I depress the clutch, and the so I order the clip, and a new collar from Mazda, take the tranny out, and there it was, a broken clip. I replaced the clip, and put it back together, and it worked, problem solved, funny how $30 in parts will make your car inoperable. Just wanted to know if this has ever happened to anyone else, and if so has it happened more than once with the same pressure plate installed. Just wanted to let anyone on the forum who has this problem in the future the heads up.

Did the clip break from abuse, or just normal wear and tear?

damn abused! https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.png

as i was telling rx794, ive seen this happen twice with act clutches. i wouldnt call it common, but it does happen. i know that act uses dk or exedy cores for thier clutches, i dont know what kind of core was used in rx794's RPS clutch, but i wonder if theres some kinda connection there...



glad you got the car back up and running

That sucks... Glad to hear you got it fixed for only 30 bucks though.

My car is doing kinda the same thing. I thought it was an internal problem with the trans. I just installed an ACT extreme PP with the street/strip dick about 3 weeks before this happened.



I can shift gears fine, but if I put it in N and let the clutch out the car moves foward and stalls, unless you give it gas at the same time. Then you can hear the clutch slipping. I can drive it and shift fine but it makes alot of noise and vibrates alot.



Might not be the same problem, but its something to look for....thanks

Well I drive my car everyday as it's my only car, and I've never had to change this part before, so I can't say if it's abuse, or if the part was just old and worn.

The saga continues................ to everyone that has read this thread, you're not gonna believe this, my car is having the SAME exact symptoms AGAIN a week later!!! I'll let you know what I find now when I take the tranny down again, but it seems like something is causing the clip to break, I think it may be related to the clutch arm, I'll keep you guys updated as soon as I find out.