Stiff clutch in GTI

Wondering if anyone could give me an idea as to what might cause a super stiff clutch pedal? Our new to us 85 GTI has the stiffest clutch pedal i've ever encountered. The wife went to drive it this morning and said it was also popping out of gear, it was colder this morning than when driven previously. I'll have to double check the gear popping issue myself as i really only heard her get it into first and she may just not have had it in all the way.

So what could cause this? Bad clutch, clutch cable? It goes into gear fine and doesn't slip at all.

thanks!

Jacques

My first guess would be the cable.

Water freezing in a clutch cable can cause this, as can a stuck bushing in the actuating linkage. Disconnect the cable at the gearbox and see if it can be moved readily.

The cables will do that. They start to fray inside and get bound up. They're super cheap new, so hopefully that's your problem.

Side story: My girlfriend-at-the-time went out with one of her friends in her '86 GTI. She called me an hour or so later and said they were going down the street and the clutch pedal went dead. I told her it sounded like the cable broke, and I would be there in 15 minutes to pick them up. I got there, and as I got out of the car she handed me a new clutch cable. I didn't even really know that was the problem yet or bring any tools, but while she was waiting she went to the Autozone across the street and bought a clutch cable. It did end up being the clutch cable, and I installed it there on the spot in a parking lot with no tools, and they went on their merry way. Wouldn't you know it, but the clutch was a lot easier to use after that!

+1 on the clutch cable. I've had to replace at least one on every VW powered vehicle I or my parents have owned (inc. a Plymouth Horizon). You won't believe how much easier it is with a new cable. It also takes less than 15 minutes to install (the hardest part is hooking up the pedal end because it's hard to see) and they are less than $20.

Bought the cable today, hopefully i can get to it this weekend.

Also going to do the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and fuel filter this weekend to try to clear up the sputtering. It runs fine when you first set off but chugs after a minute. I'm thinking fuel filter.

thanks!

Jacques

The sputtering sounds like a fuel filter. Check the air filter box too. Small critters like to build nests in them during the winter or if you have a cold spell in the spring.

Ditto, again, on the cable. I've had problems with throwout bearings getting tight in the bores with very @)#$*'d transmissions (ones that circulate chunks of internals) that feel close to that.