'90 CQ 7A manual trans shifts only when engine off

[K Simmonds]

Unfortunatally not, the only way to inspect the pressure plate is to remove the gearbox, if you don't know why the the car was parked up I expect this was the problem sadly, though far from the end of the world.

[cgharibo]

Alright, so here is an update on the 7A CQ with the frozen clutch.

I put my son in the CQ, engine is off, put the car into 1st gear and had him press the clutch all the way down. I had a tow truck pull the CQ about 100 feet and the CQ rolled in a notch way about 100 feet. I got back in the CQ and the shifter went through the gears very nicely and felt right. I started the car and car still wouldn't shift. I have another 7A and the general shifter feel when the car is off is identical. The clutch pedal feels fine too. The master and slave are new too.

Any other thoughts to free up the clutch? I got to unfreeze this clutch!!!

Should I just keep towing with the car off, clutch pedal pressed and the car in first gear?

Thank you for everyone's help!

[John.]

I'd be for warming up the engine, then switch off. Then with the clutch pedal pressed, start in first gear and drive. Keep pedal down whilst giving it bursts of full throttle. A steep hill would also help!

[Bowie69]

Yep, just abuse it a lot, and it should pop free, first gear high revs on/off throttle snaps with clutch pedal held down.

Eventually the engine will rev to the moon and you roll to a stop, and you'll either have unfrozen the clutch or ripped the centre out of it

[K Simmonds]

I don't think you have a frozen up clutch after all you've subjected the car to it should have free off, I'm 99.9 certain the presusure plate is defective and that explains why the car was parked up.

The box shift will fine with the engine off but unless the cluch disengauges it will not go into gear with the engine running.

[Trist28]

Likely a broken retaining ring on the pressure plate, once broken (rather the spot weld fails), opens and jams meaning clutch can never be fully operated regardless of pedal location. Had this happen on my S2. If you have abused it with no change, I'd pull it apart and look before you break other stuff.

[K Simmonds]

Likely a broken retaining ring on the pressure plate, once broken (rather the spot weld fails), opens and jams meaning clutch can never be fully operated regardless of pedal location. Had this happen on my S2. If you have abused it with no change, I'd pull it apart and look before you break other stuff.

I can recall that happening to your car, first time I'd seen it, though not the last. As you say it's time to remove the box and do a proper job of replacing all consumables before you cause further damage.