Neon help needed (1st gen. clutch)

Haven't found any pictures online so I'm starting from scratch. The car: '99 Neon Sport with the dual cam 4 cyl. and 5-speed. High mileage beast (250,000) Clutch went to the floor and won't come up.
Fished the cable out of the bell housing and it looks like this:

Is that what it's supposed to look like? There wasn't any tension on it and it wasn't connected to the fork. That can't be good. Is there something missing like a clip?

Here's a picture of the top of the shift fork in side the trans: Is there anything missing there?
The fork is sort of wobbly and I think I may have a failed pressure plate.

In reply to fornetti14: Looks like it is all there. The fork shouldn't be wobbly, my bet is a failed pressure plate too. I had the same happen to me in my 98 Neon.

It's gonna be expensive though. In the Neon, the clutch is modular. The flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate are all one assembly. About $300-$400 just for the assembly.

Apparently a clutch assembly from a PT cruiser bolts in, is cheaper, and bigger. A lot of guys on the Neon forums do this swap for better performance on the turbo cars.

The cheapest way, and the way I went, is get a clutch assembly out of a 95 Neon from a wreckers. In 95, the first year for the Neon, it had the traditional type clutch. A separate flywheel, clutch and pressure plate. (some late 95 Neons did have the modular clutch)

I paid $50 at the wreckers for the flywheel and pressure plate, then $50 for a brand new clutch. It is a simple bolt in affair. No modifications.

Good luck

If your neon was built in Mexico, you can disregard the stuff that HappyJack posted, the modular clutch stuff only applies to 96-99 US built cars.

Also, if you decide to swap from modular to conventional, you can find a MX built car and not just a '95.

A new modular clutch can usually be had for under $200.

Tony, call Clutch Dynamics in Lansing for that clutch. 517-321-7389, 3618 Scheffer Ave, Lansing, Mi.

Not related and no affiliation but they have built every clutch I have had for the last 20 years and have supplied a few to GRM members.

Forillydoe, give them a call

Thanks for the tip. Carquest has the assembly locally for $179 which is much less than I thought it would be. My vin code (11th digit) is "T".

How do I tell if I have a U.S. built car?

fornetti14 wrote: How do I tell if I have a U.S. built car?

First digit of the VIN will be "1"

(If it's 2, blame Canada )

Other info may be required...

3 be Mecksicko.

John Brown wrote: 3 be Mecksicko.

My VIN starts with a 3 so there we go. Thanks guys!

Anyone know how to fix the gears in the sunroof? I may have to start another post this spring for that repair.

yeah, to fix the gears in the sun roof, you either goto the before mentioned junk yard and grab some cheap parts.

OR

weld a patch panel into the sunroof hole.

Andrew

fornetti14 wrote: Anyone know how to fix the gears in the sunroof? I may have to start another post this spring for that repair.

There's a big sunroof discussion on neons.org:

http://forums.neons.org/viewtopic.php?t=40031

MCarp22 wrote: If your neon was built in Mexico, you can disregard the stuff that HappyJack posted, the modular clutch stuff only applies to 96-99 US built cars. Also, if you decide to swap from modular to conventional, you can find a MX built car and not just a '95. A new modular clutch can usually be had for under $200.

$200? Getting it here by dogsled must up the price, because when I needed one in Canada here, I was quoted $380! As for Mexican cars, I'm afraid to think what they would cost to get to Canada.

HappyJack wrote: $200? Getting it here by dogsled must up the price, because when I needed one in Canada here, I was quoted $380! As for Mexican cars, I'm afraid to think what they would cost to get to Canada.

Aha, I didn't realize you were from Canada. OP is from the USA. :)

Canoe

Turns out it was a broken clutch cable. I gave the cable end a good pull and found where it frayed and broke off.

Sounds like something may have fell down into the bell housing and messed up the throwout bearing.

I'll post up pics. later.