Saved a Sprint Veloce from the crusher today - Page 2

**fetta78** · #16 (**permalink**) 09-08-2007, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fetta78

If it's been sittin' a while they will freeze up. BUT, you can break 'er loose!

Start the car and get the engine good an warmed up, shut 'er down. Get the car somewhere that you can keep driving.......cuz you will put it in second gear, push the clutch in, and start the car!!

Of course the car will lurch forward and start, you will be driving with the clutch pedal pressed in, and it should break loose...when it does just remember you have the clutch pedal in and the revs will go up real quick!!!!

I've done it two or three times in my life, it's a wierd feeling.....but it works.

.

**La Voce** · #17 (**permalink**) 09-09-2007, 03:30 AM

Thanks! Will give it a try today and let you know.

**La Voce** · #18 (**permalink**) 09-09-2007, 02:57 PM

Rats. No dice. Started her up in first gear, clutch in, lurched forward and proceeded to drive about a mile and a half through my neighborhood- with the clutch in. Tried rapid throttle blips up to about 4,000 rpm, and pumping the clutch pedal numerous times. It did not break free. Back up on jackstands, I looked underneath and saw no access to the clutch to pry it from the pressure plate with a tool. Am I giving up too soon, does it take several attempts and several miles of driving to break a frozen clutch loose-or is time to drop the transaxle and take the clutch assembly out?
I fear the latter.
I sense dirty fingernails for months.

Oelholm · #19 (**permalink**) 09-09-2007, 11:10 PM

I remember an old Jeremy Clarkson column,where he wrote about his GTV6 he was about to sell. It had a stuck clutch as well. He jammed a broom stick in between the front seat and the pedal, and after a few days it let go. Give it a try?
If it works, I guess it's a Clarkson first: giving useful mechanical advice

**fetta78** · #20 (**permalink**) 09-10-2007, 01:17 PM

Never heard of one not breaking free......but that doesn't mean much!

I would try it again, I don't believe it causes any damage but ya might want to see if anyone else chimes in on that.

.

**La Voce** · #21 (**permalink**) 09-10-2007, 03:15 PM

At this point I'll try anything, broomstick it is! I will also continue to try repeated lurching starts once I get the CV joints cleaned, repacked, and new boots installed. They need immediate attention before I drive her again. Anyone know of a source for new CV joints? So far all I see available from the usual sources are the boots...What does everyone out there do if a CV joint is unserviceable?
Also, look at what my wife found when she drilled out the rivets in the front wheel well fender panel

One ounce shy of two pounds of dirt, leaves, and sticks. What is even more amazing is that there was only minor surface rust in there. If you have not done so, remove these panels and replace the rivets with screws!
We found the drain hose inside, but where is the drain hose outlet?

GTVnut · #22 (**permalink**) 09-10-2007, 05:21 PM

Sometimes you can just let it idle in nuetral for about 15 mins or so, heat is usually enough to free up a sticky plate, it happens on my sud a lot...............

**La Voce** · #23 (**permalink**) 09-10-2007, 06:26 PM

Thanks but sadly, no heat soup for me. The clutch being back at the rear of the car on the transaxle means no such assistance for me. Found the drain line hole, it was neatly sealed with mud paste. Also, the drain line itself was completely sealed shut with mud- must have been sealed enough to not allow water into the compartment, perhaps explaining the lack of serious rust behind there.

gt601 · #24 (**permalink**) 09-10-2007, 07:21 PM

Quote:

What is even more amazing is that there was only minor surface rust in there.

GTVnut · #25 (**permalink**) 09-10-2007, 07:25 PM

My gf gets mad if I dont let her wash and vacuum the car. She gets mad if I get it dirty. She loves to wetsand panels and mix primer. She is already planning the next weekends jobs...........its a great life!

Colin P · #26 (**permalink**) 09-11-2007, 02:36 AM

Alfa's in HK? You must stand out from the crowd GTVnut!
I can spot a classic car at a thousand paces, and all I saw was Toyota taxi's and mini-buses, with the exception of one original mini-cooper and one VW beetle - both on the same day.

Saw a few newer Alfa's in Beijing tho.

Jim, that dirt behind your fender is scary. I dropped a small screw driver down there while fitting my wiper motor last week. Hope I don't find what you found when I retrieve it.

-Col-

**La Voce** · #27 (**permalink**) 09-11-2007, 04:21 PM

Me either! That's what, about 1 Kilometer/hour speed loss, what with all that weight...

**La Voce** · #28 (**permalink**) 09-15-2007, 03:41 PM

Completed the repack and reboot of the axles and took her back out on the street- four jerky starts in gear later she broke loose! Thanks all for the advice. Drives nicely, no clunks, no bumps, no thumps. Pressure washed the engine bay and wheel wells, and replaced the interior- now it's on to the body work!

**fetta78** · #29 (**permalink**) 09-15-2007, 06:42 PM

YEEEEEHAAAWWWWWW!!

Hang on to that steering wheel....I'll get that nut in the mail Monday!!

.

**La Voce** · #30 (**permalink**) 09-16-2007, 04:12 PM

Remove the chrome trim anywhere you see any indication of rust seeping out from underneath. In the picture below, the black spot was our initial shot of spray rust converter, hoping to then just mask off the window trim and wing vent for paint. No way. After removing the windows and trim this is what we found. Seems the factory placed strips of plastic film over the seams before pressing the chrome trim strips into place to prevent rust. Bad call. It had the opposite effect, trapping moisture instead. Everywhere I look, if it's metal to metal, the rust is minimal or nonexistent. If the plastic film is there, it's a rust-o-rama.