91 accord, clutch problem?

hey, i've got a friend with a 91 accord with a 5 speed tranny. the
thing has been giving him hell for a couple of months now and he has
finally given up (which means he wants to sell the car fast and
cheap). I'd personally love the car, but i don;t want to get into
something over my head (as a novice "car person") here's the scoop.
the transmission refuses to engage at seemingly random times, leaving
the car stranded. The transmission, clutch, master, and slave
cylinders have all been replaced to no avail (granted this work was
done at Pep Boys). any other ideas for things to check (note: he got
all of his money back from PB because they couldn't find the problem,
or rather fix ANYTHING) so it still has a brand new tranny, clutch,
master, slave and I think some other stuff. all ideas are appreciated.
i still haven't had a chance to drive it.

 

I would suspect anything that was done at pep boys. Start with a clean
anlysis by a qualified mechanic. If you are interested in this
vehicle, I would take it into Honda and see what they think. Before
you go, you will need some more information such when it acts up can
it be put into any gear with the engine off? Can it go into any gear
at all when this problem is evident? When does this random failure
occurr? When the engine is cold, hot, after a long drive, details are
important. When it is shifting does it work perfectly or is it a
little difficult to put into gear? Is it fine and then suddenly go bad
or does it start to act up just a little and then the next time the
shift is tried the problem is seen? I suspect the clutch actuation
system but you have not supplied enough information for a good
diagnosis. Drive it yourself until the problem occurrs and then you
will have information that you need.

 

Please elaborate on the phrase "refuses to engage". Need more details on
exact symptoms.

Do you mean the pedal can be released all the way but the clutch disc won't
bite?

Or do you mean the pedal sticks part way up and won't travel all the way to
the top?

Or do you mean something else?

Does the problem never happen the first few pedal presses of the day?

Did the problem happen before the car was brought in for service, or did it
begin after PB worked on it?

Did PB adjust the master cylinder pushrod after installing the new master
cylinder? Did they bleed the hydraulics properly?

Any more details you may have will help us help you.

 

i believe he lets up completely and the car still acts as if in
neutral. i'll try to drive it myself and get back. thanks for the
responses, seems this forum actually has some people with
experience.