My buddy (yes, really, a buddy, a coworker, NOT ME) has a old 1984 Subaru Legacy. Its got a good 200K+ on it, but the engine runs fine. Its a manual.

However, just today, he was trying to get up a hill, and all of a sudden the car simply stopped moving forward and started rolling back. He managed to get toe a safe place, and I came to take a look at it quickly. The clutch pedal appears to have absolutely zero effect on the transmission. I can feel the gears/synchros moving aound while I move the gear selector, but whether the clutch pedal is in or out has no effect - the engine just revs and revs. I can clearly see the clutch cable (its mechanical, not hydralic) moving, and returning, so its got to have something to doi with the clutch pressure plate, flywheel, throwout bearing or something.

What might we be looking at here? How much to replace with the cheapest thing there is? Yes, I know we need to get it looked at by a mechanic, and its being towed there right now.

 

The springs on the pressure plate probably snapped...meaning that there isn't anything holding the clutch against the flywheel. Time for a new clutch.