I have an 2004 Acura TL, the clutch started to slip so I decided to replace it, I have done lots of other work on this car and others, but have never taken on a clutch job. I got everything removed and installed a brand new LUK clutch, flywheel, pressure plate. I followed the MT garage Acura TL clutch replacement video, and used the same clamp tool to install it as he used, instead of the OEM Acura tool. Everything else went back smoothly, but then when I went to start it, it just clicked, the battery is charged, and the starter wires are all in place, it clicks like the engine is locked up, it doesnt matter if it is in gear or not. I tried to spin the engine over clockwise, and it wouldn't budge when it was in neutral. When the clutch is pushed in, the fork gets pushed out, but when the clutch is disengaged it, stays at the floor. I bled the slave cylinder and it felt like everything was right, then I tried to start it again, and it just clicked again, now the clutch pedal just goes to the floor and won't come back up. The slave cylinder is now leaking from the boot so I think the seal is blown. While I am waiting for a new slave, is there anything else I should check?

 

Just to clarify, as a result of the starter not engaging to spin the flywheel, you tried to manually bar the engine over, clockwise, at the crank pulley, with the transmission in neutral and you are getting no turning movement of the engine?

If this is the case, one would think there may be some kind of binding within the clutch case involving the newly installed FW & PP / clutch kit?

 

Yes, thats exactly right, I wanted to see if I had incorrectly installed the starter, and it might be binding up, but when spinning the engine over at the crankshaft the engine wont move at all. I do think something is binding up, but I really don't want to remove the transmission again unless I'm out of other options, but I just didnt know if there was a way for me to diagnose it without removing the whole transmission again.

 

Unbolt and remove the starter, and pray to Allah it spins easily by hand.

Even with a non-operational master/slave cylinder, you should still be able to spin the motor by hand, regardless if in gear or in neutral.

 

The hydraulics only disengage the clutch, brother.

OP absolutely needs to be in neutral to spin the motor by hand (with a 1/2 drive breaker bar).

Clockwise only, OP!

My guess is that something is wrong with your starter. Maybe some unrelated issue with your clutch hydraulics.

There may also be something wrong with your clutch install, but I can't see how that would prevent you from turning the engine over. Unless something is so backwards that the pressure plate is now hitting your transmission case.

A video is not what you want to use for help with a clutch install. You can reference a video, but always always use the factory service manual as your instructions.

One weird thing you might wanna check is the crank/cam timing. If you turned the motor backwards at some point, you may have slipped timing.

 

Yep, only have turned it clockwise, I will check if it jumped timing. I pulled the starter out, with it in N and starter out, it doesn't spin clockwise. I started pulling everything apart and will take a picture when I find out what is hitting.

 

I just did this job a few weeks and used the same components you did. The engine should be able to spin freely whether or not the clutch disengages (unless the flywheel or clutch is binding on the bell housing or starter itself), so long as the car is in neutral. Even in gear, you should be able to feel the car want to move when barring the engine over (I forget to put my car in neutral occasionally before barring over a motor and you can feel/see the whole car move - even with the e-brake on you should be able to feel the car shift an inch or two). Only thing that I can think of is that the shifter cables were not installed correctly AND your clutch is not releasing (the slave leaking does point to an issue here).

Other things I'd check would be if the clutch disk was installed the correct way (should have been writing on it saying which side faces the transmission), as it will fit either way, but won't release if installed backwards (not 100% sure on this). You should be able to see this using a mirror/borescope after removing the starter OR *maybe* after removing the clutch fork boot/slave.

Regarding the clutch pedal sticking to the floor, this can be caused by air in the system. Personally, I like to replace the factory master/slave hose with a flexible line and then vacuum bleed the slave while holding it as high up in the air as the flexible line allows. Easier to get trapped air out when the bleeder is the highest point in the system!

Good luck and please do let us know what you find!