Clutch Pedal Problem

[arne97]

Today my '91 Legacy L clutch pedal stopped returning. It only comes
back a couple of inches . I can return it with my foot.

Bought the car 2 years ago.

Even when fully depressed I cannot shift without shutting off the
car.

About 1 week ago I noticed the clutch was becoming difficult to
engage. Until today that was just a minor bother.

Is this a hydraulic system? The weather has been quite cold, if
that matters.

I cannot afford a garage at this point so any suggestions would
be appreciated.

 

[arne97]

Today my '91 Legacy L clutch pedal stopped returning. It only comes
back a couple of inches . I can return it with my foot.

Bought the car 2 years ago.

Even when fully depressed I cannot shift without shutting off the
car.

About 1 week ago I noticed the clutch was becoming difficult to
engage. Until today that was just a minor bother.

Is this a hydraulic system? The weather has been quite cold, if
that matters.

I cannot afford a garage at this point so any suggestions would
be appreciated.

Update: it has a cable. I traced it to what I assume is the clutch
lever, mounted on the engine. From there a separate cable snakes
around to a spring gizmo near the driver-side firewall.

The clutch lever is covered by a rubber boot and the entire
assembly seemed "loose".

Does anyone know of a diagram online of the whole clutch
assembly?

 

[Sheldon]

I would replace the cable, just follow where the old one went, and see if
that solves the problem. You will also find a cable adjuster at the end of
the cable where it attaches to the clutch fork. It's not very complicated.
You should see the cable pulling the clutch when you press the cable (may
need a friend to help). If the spare tire is on top of the engine take it
out so you can see everything.

I had the same problem on a Porsche, cable clutch. The cable looked fine,
but replaced the cable and the problem went away.