What happened to my 3gee?

[89akord]

Hey guys I'm just getting into cars & hondas so excuse the noobish talk. I have a beloved 89 Accord LX 5 speed. This is the first stick car i've owned and my first car period. So the clutch went out today..so I think. Please listen if you can give me any feedback

So today I was driving like normal, pulled out of a parking lot. clutch, gears, engine everything fine. I'm slowing down so I put the car in neutral and have the clutch in all the way. When I try to put it back in first, I couldnt. I let off the clutch in neutral and the clutch pedal feels like nothing is happening. No force behind the clutch just floppy. I pull over, shut the car off, start it again. Try to put it in first, no give. Shut it off, START it in first gear..and the car would start and then move, Almost as if the clutch was stuck to the flywheel and I had no control over it (clutch pedal still floppy). So I continue to have it in first and drive it down to a service station a few blocks away. I told him what happened, and he wanted to drive the car. When he got in it, he said he would try to shift without the clutch. So he did around the parking lot. Somehow he got the feel back in the clutch, but then it wasn't gripping well/burnt out. So he determined my clutch was toast, which is what he feels like now. So I limped it home..or tried until the clutch would grab anymore uphill and so i could go. Had to get it towed home. My question is what you guy think exactly happened...I know my clutch is toast now because I have normal clutch feel, and it engages but doesnt grab of course. But I thought clutches burn out overtime...Why did i just all of a sudden lose all clutch feel with the clutch disengaged in neutral. All the gears still work and it shifts fine. I'm just a bit confused. I'm thinking maybe the pressure plate broke..if thats possible. I Dont know..

[conozo]

Possibly the clutch fingers broke or bent.

[derolph]

Sorry, comments deleted. I decided my comments might be inaccurate.

[running strong]

I'm probably wrong but the cable may be stretched.

[Oldblueaccord]

By the sig picture it looks like some burnouts going on. That's the cost......one clutch.

Could also be the clutch cable popped out of the fork.

[NXRacer]

Clutch cable bad or broken pedal on the firewall. I had it happen to me twice. You get a floppy pedal when it breaks or the cable breaks/disconnects.

[89akord]

Clutch cable bad or broken pedal on the firewall. I had it happen to me twice. You get a floppy pedal when it breaks or the cable breaks/disconnects.

The pedal feels fine though now, 100% like nothing happened. Could it still be bad?

[NXRacer]

Sounds like it might have slipped off somewhere and now its back where it should.

[Dr_Snooz]

The best way to count horse teeth is out in the field. Get out there and inspect it!

[pajamas95]

This happened to my car. Pulled up in the driveway after work and it was fine. When I started it the next morning, the clutch had nothing and it was because somehow a bunch of the fingers somehow broke off as soon as I let off the clutch in reverse. Still don't know the cause, but I put in a new clutch and the car drives so much better now, so I'm glad that happened. You can get a new clutch for $70 from rockauto.com: More Information for LUK 08008 (http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=4696524&cc=1166879)

[running strong]

If your one of the guys who always holds the clutchDdown at idle, then the broken fingers don't surpriseme. I heard from a former Honda mechanic who tried to fix my old car that holding the clutch down in traffic puts extra strain on the bearing and fingers due to them being pushed down for extra period of time. I can't verify this because i have never blown a clutch however. If anyone can verify this, i would appreciate that.

[HLW]

Strong, I normally hold the clutch pedal down at lights and have never had the fingers on the preasure plate break. However every time I change the clutch plate I also change the preasure plate and the throw out bearing.

Maybe if you don't change the preasure plate, the fingers on it will break.

[running strong]

Like i said that's all say, i have actually heard something along those lines from other guys too. I have never experienced catastrophic clutch failure before, and personally i don't put much stock into say until i experience this say. Personally, I take my foot off the clutch at long lights because I'm lazy. You are probably right though, HLW, thanks for your input.