I haven't driven the Sonett for a few months, and when I decided to take it out the other day I couldn't get the clutch to let go. I bled the system and from what I can tell, the throw out bearing is doing it's job. I've been keeping a stick wedged between the pedal and drivers seat to hold the pedal down in hopes that it will free up. I've been trying to bump it with the starter in hopes that it will break loose. Is there anything else I could be doing to free this thing up? I've got a new clutch assembly, but I really don't want to resort to that unless I absolutely have to. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Clutch is rusted to the flywheel or pressure plate. Bump start it, then drive it around with the clutch pushed in goosing the gas and it should pop free.
wspohn
SuperDork
9/8/22 2:12 p.m.
Exactly.
My MGC used to do that after being idle in storage all winter - probably too mach ferrous content in the disc? Just started it and warmed it up in neutral, the shut it off and restarted it in first and went on and off the accelerator with the clutch pedal held down until it broke free.
I expect that some cars can't be started in gear, they would just stall mind you.
Is it different because it is a Sonett? Those have some weird slipper clutch or some such thing because some of them were two stroke, right?
It has a freewheeler built into the transmission, so when you coast it doesn't spin the engine. That's independent from the actual clutch. I've driven it around the block a couple times, but it still won't break free. I've heat cycled it, I've left it in gear with the clutch pushed in and rocked it back and forth. I even sprayed a bunch of brake clean into the bellhousing. I'm starting to think I might have to replace the clutch.
What are the symptoms? How did you start it and get it in gear.
In reply to wvumtnbkr :
If you put it in gear and then start it, it will start the engine and start moving at the same time. Once it's going, you can shift it without a clutch. You can drive aircooled VW's the same way if the clutch cable breaks.
Finally got it to free up this afternoon. I had convinced myself I was going to have to put a new clutch in it, but I wanted to try one last thing. Took the garden hose and ran water into the bellhousing with the engine running, shut it off and tried to start it in gear. The way it lurched and the bang when it popped free made me worried that I had broken the input shaft on the transmission. It worked as well as always when I took it for a test drive around the neighborhood. Just to be sure, I have the stick wedged in there holding the clutch down. I hope I never have to do that again.
rustyvw said:
In reply to wvumtnbkr :
If you put it in gear and then start it, it will start the engine and start moving at the same time. Once it's going, you can shift it without a clutch. You can drive aircooled VW's the same way if the clutch cable breaks.
And watercooled VWs when the plastic end of the cable snaps off. Or EA82 Subarus when the cable breaks. Or hydraulic clutch Mazdas when the master cylinder takes a dump again.
BTW, you can "drive" an old Subaru in 5th gear on the starter for at least an eighth of a mile 
