Another Chevy question

brother chris · Apr 9, 2006

My bud is wants to sell me a 1989 Chevy S-10 4x4 5-speed 2.4litre. He tells me that there was an oil leak, but he does not know where(we think it is the rear seal). When you start the truck, with the clutch in and change it into any gear, and let go of the clutch....nothing. It does not make a whining noise or anything. He wants $300 for the truck. It does start and run fine, except for the clutch thingy. Any ideas where to start to diagnose the problem(s)? Thanks, B.C.

brother chris · Apr 10, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

^bump^

Bondo · Apr 10, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

It does start and run fine, except for the clutch thingy .

Not to be Rude,.............. But,....... It Sounds like You're not the sort of fella that should be buying vechicles that are in need of somewhat Serious Repairs................ What I would consider a Walk in the Park,........ Would Probably be Your Worst Nightmare............. Without being Equiped with Many of the Proper Tools,+ Knowledge,........... It'll be Very Easy for You to become Overwhelmed,+ end up with a Yard Full of Junk,+ Still Walking................. Even though I don't have the particular knowledge about your particular truck project,.......... I Wouldn't Even Hesitate,+ would have whatever pieces of the driveline,... whether it's the Engine or Trans, or transfer box,... sitting on the Bench in a Hour or 2................ If you're going to be Paying a Labor Bill,............ $300.00 is probably WAY Toooo Much......... Unless it was nearly Showroom Mint,...... I shy away from it......It's almost 20 Years Old...........

dolluper · Apr 11, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

Always look for oil at the highest point as gravity takes it down and eventually to the ground,check valve covers common place to leak at the back close to the firewall,then maybe onto the clutch plate,good luck with the beater if you buy it.I'm sure you will be back here.

brother chris · Apr 11, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

Originally posted by Bondo: 

It does start and run fine, except for the clutch thingy .

Click to expand...

Not to be Rude,.............. But,....... It Sounds like You're not the sort of fella that should be buying vechicles that are in need of somewhat Serious Repairs................ What I would consider a Walk in the Park,........ Would Probably be Your Worst Nightmare............. Without being Equiped with Many of the Proper Tools,+ Knowledge,........... It'll be Very Easy for You to become Overwhelmed,+ end up with a Yard Full of Junk,+ Still Walking................. Even though I don't have the particular knowledge about your particular truck project,.......... I Wouldn't Even Hesitate,+ would have whatever pieces of the driveline,... whether it's the Engine or Trans, or transfer box,... sitting on the Bench in a Hour or 2................ If you're going to be Paying a Labor Bill,............ $300.00 is probably WAY Toooo Much......... Unless it was nearly Showroom Mint,...... I shy away from it......It's almost 20 Years Old...........

Bondo: It is in really good shape. I would not take on anything like this, unless of course, it was worth it. And as for my termonolgy "Clutch Thingy". I was in a hurry....next time I will type in "clutch problem/issue". Maybe I won't sound like such an amateur.

This truck it totally worth it. I'm going to take it to a shop if I can't figure it out and get a free estimate on repairing it. The truck runs fine.....it should not be more than $800 to fix. I can do the clutch...that part is easy. Time to put jack it up and take a looksee at it, before I take it to the shop. Once you see the pics of it, you'll understand that it is totally worth it.

rwise · Apr 11, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

to replace a clutch you have to remove the trany, there should be a dust cover you could pull on underside of the bell housing. It could be covered with oil and a weak pressure plate. does it try to pull at all, even in 4 low?

rwise · Apr 11, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

also if the rear main seal is leaking oil, then it is likely to need an overhaul as well (bad rear main bearing)

Bondo · Apr 11, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

If I misunderstood your posts,..... I'm Sorry........ If you're looking for a REAL Pickup truck,.... A company I'm involved with has a 1990 Chevy Dually with a 454FI engine, Auto tranny, 4X4,.. 180,000mi showing on the clock,..60,000mi Actually on the engine,+ tranny...... It'll be for sale in a week or 2,... $1500.00,+ You can Drive it Home........ The Catch is,.... It's New York Titled,+ licenced....... How you'd Import it is up to You.... It's sitting up at a Condo, alittle ways from the Town that's hosting the Winter Olympics in a few years,........ I Don't Remember the Town,.. Didn't write it down......I Know it's in B.C.

brother chris · Apr 11, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

Originally posted by Bondo: If I misunderstood your posts,..... I'm Sorry........ If you're looking for a REAL Pickup truck,.... A company I'm involved with has a 1990 Chevy Dually with a 454FI engine, Auto tranny, 4X4,.. 180,000mi showing on the clock,..60,000mi Actually on the engine,+ tranny...... It'll be for sale in a week or 2,... $1500.00,+ You can Drive it Home........ The Catch is,.... It's New York Titled,+ licenced....... How you'd Import it is up to You.... It's sitting up at a Condo, alittle ways from the Town that's hosting the Winter Olympics in a few years,........ I Don't Remember the Town,.. Didn't write it down......I Know it's in B.C.

That truck sounds like a good deal. Sounds like it is gas happy though, but yes, I agree, it sounds like a real truck, not an S-10. And that town you are referring to is "Whistler". A nice little town, I must say. Rwise: I tried putting it in 4 high and low, but it still does not even move an inch; doesn't even try to move. I pulled my back out yesterday, so I won't be able to get under the truck to look at it until I feel better, but thanks for the replies. I'll be posting about this in a couple days, with pics. I already bought the truck.

craze1cars · Apr 12, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

Before we go pulling and replacing the entire clutch, that may be far more than necessary since he stated the pedal it's TOTALLY non-responsive....nobody here has even mentioned checking to make sure the clutch pedal and any associated linkage is still actually attached to the clutch. I've seen many a Ford with a small plastic ball joint cracked under the dash that could be replaced for about $10. When that ball joint separates, you get a totally useless clutch pedal. I'm not sure how the Chevys are set up, but I'd put someone in the drivers seat and instruct him/her to do leg presses while I studied all linkages REAL hard. You'll want to make sure things are moving all the way to the point they're supposed to be before I ever considered replacing the entire clutch... As for diagnosing an oil leak, that's easier yet. CLEAN the entire engine thoroughly (especially in the area where you suspect the leak,) then run it, and look for the part of the motor that gets oily first. There's your leak.

Ron G · Apr 12, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

Good point CC .when mine went out you could push the clutch and change gears and it would'nt do anything,main out put shaft blew and took gears with it.its still on jacks waiting for a 5 speed good luck.

brother chris · Apr 12, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

craze1cars: I thought about the linkage, that you mentioned, but if the truck won't start unless the clutch is depressed, then doesn't that mean that the linkage is correct, since it starts with the clutch engaged? First step tomorrow is to drain the tranny fluid to inspect for water and correct level. Thanks for the tips and please keep them coming, if anyone thinks of anything else. B.C.

rwise · Apr 12, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

I could be wrong but I think that clutch is hydraulic (if it is check the fluid, but that wont keep it from pulling and neither will broken linkages). If there is no resistance whatever, I would still pull the dust cover on the bottom and look in, have some one push and release the clutch pedal is a good idea, while looking in, don't let things fall into your eyes! Before you clean the engine, while it is dirty inspect it and look for the clean place, thats your leak! The oil running across will keep everything off of it! some of the floor shift tranys have a roll pin that does the shifting, if it brakes, it no shift, if stuck in neutral, well just something to check, when you feel better. And take care of that back, I can relate as I had surgery about 12 years ago, changed my life...

Copespitter · Apr 12, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

I had an 89' S-10 4x4 with the 2.8 litre. It was the best truck I ever owned. Never had a major problem. CA had a vehicle retirement program where they gave me $1000 for it. I doubt I would have been able to get it to pass smog so selling it to them was the most sensible thing to do. It had about 265,000 miles at the time. I changed the clutch in it once. It was a nightmare. I could barely get an open ended wrench on the top tranny bolts because the firewall was in the way. I had to get a bar and beat the firewall back just so I could turn the bolts a half inch at a time. I had a major oil leak at the time and I assumed it was the rear main so I replaced that in the process. Either that wasn't leaking or I installed it wrong because it didn't stop. I just about gave up in the middle of the clutch replacement so I called a clutch shop to get an estimate. They quoted me $375 parts included. I would have gladly paid the extra $250 if I had known what I was getting into. They would also replace the rear main for another $35. I was close to calling a tow truck to have it towed to them but I stuck it out and three days later I had it back together with a new clutch. I didn't install the throw out bearing right so it made a whining noise in nuetral. I put 75,000 miles on it until I junked the truck. $300 is a good buy. A nice clean 89 S-10 will still bring atleast $2,000 around here.

rottenray6402 · Apr 14, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

Just because it starts with the clutch depressed doesn't mean that the linkage works down farther. The neutral saftey switch or in this case the clutch depressed switch usually is under the dash and is pressed by the pedal arm not the linkage. I would suspect linkage or I have seen the clutch disc explode so there is no lining at all on it and it will act like you are describing. Ask the guy that is selling it if he knows what led up to this problem. I have had 4 S-10s of various years and 3 out 4 had oil leaks from the remote oil filter hoses. They were all 4.3s so I don't know if they put that setup on the 4 cyl.

dolluper · Apr 14, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

Bondo e-mail please on 454 is it a LS7 by chance??? me at gmail.com

brother chris · Apr 14, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

rottenray: The guy who sold it to me; his son owned it and now his son is enlisted in the army, so he left it behind when he left(a couple weeks ago). Apparently the clutch went, all of a sudden, right after he bought a new tire, and was coming home after that. He went to go out somewhere and he had no gears. The clutch just wouldn't work(like right now) That is all I have been told by my friend(his dad) I have still not had the chance to look at the peephole on the clutch plate cover, since my back is killing me, but will try to check it out on Sunday, when some friends come over. Thanks for the input.

Bondo · Apr 15, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

Originally posted by dolluper: Bondo e-mail please on 454 is it a LS7 by chance??? me at gmail.com

I Think you've got mail...............

craze1cars · May 1, 2006

Re: Another Chevy question

BC, you got this figured out yet? I overlooked that a couple people commented about my recommendation until just now. As for hydraulic clutches not having linkages, not true...they just have LESS linkages. Again I'm not as familiar with an S-10 setup, but had this EXACT problem with a Ford F150 not long ago with a hydraulic clutch. Careful inspection up under the dash revealed that a plastic retainer had broken off a ball joint at the pedal linkage, the ball joint separated, and therefore the safety switch at the pedal would engage and allow the truck to start, but the hydraulic plunger wouldn't move because a the linkage joint between the switch and the plunger had become disconnected. Duct taping the joint together got it home, and then $50 at the Ford Dealer for a new ball joint assembly (naturally the $2 clip wasn't available separately, typical Ford) fixed it properly. Not a thing was wrong with the clutch itself.

Another Chevy question

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