'86 CGT Clutch Update

[Don Muirhead <dmr@kwic.com>]

Great cars, fantastic engines but when things go wrong they do go wrong in 
droves.

Driving to London today, I depressed clutch, a heavy mushy feel underfoot 
and then nothing.
Released foot peddle stuck on floor for about 5 seconds and sprung back.
Checked peddle, nothing...I'm thinking pushrod must have come off.

Do I stop, or turnaround and go home...I decide to head home 'cause if I 
stop I'll end up paying for a long tow.
Get off highway and take back roads home (all right turns).
I'm practicing my clutchless shifting works great no grinding if you get 
the rpm's just right, I just can't stop at stop signs or get any lower than 
2nd gear so I pick roads where I have good visibility to oncoming traffic.
About an hour later I pull into driveway.

Get changed, look under the dash, I can't see a thing.  I pop the hood and 
look around then I see clutch cylinder protruding from the fire wall.  Get 
the light in there and the firewall had split in a "Y" where the cylinder 
is supposed to go.  About 1" in all directions.  I stick my hand to push 
the cylinder back and the metal literally brakes off in my hand.

What happened was the clip had come off the pushrod near the piston.  So no 
clutch.  However, it appears the firewall has be deteriorating from the 
inside at this point for years.  I checked other areas and they seem solid. 
 I called a friend from town who has a welding business he came out to look 
at it.  I have to remove everything within 6" of the area, yank the car 
into his shop and he's going to cut it out and weld in a new 4" piece.

Then I got thinking...well of course its going to rust, there's no gasket. 
 In fact I've replaced this 2 times and never has been one.  Dumb me, I 
should have picked up on this years ago.

Don