My 1990 Honda Accord has little to no pressure behind it and the clutch is hard if not impossible to get into gear. What are your thoughts about it before I go get screwed by the local mechanic?
By little pressure behind it, do mean the petal is very easy to push down?
This clutch uses hydralics to activate the clutch and it sounds like your master clutch cylinder is shot, or the slave cylinder is shot. Driving the car when it is hard to get into gear is putting a strain on your transmission. The transmission if damaged will cost a lot more to fix than a new clutch.
Best option is to have the car towed to a repair shop, or at least minimize driving the car until it is repaired. I don’t think you need a whole new clutch, but the hydralic system that moves the clutch plate is not working properly. It will cost a few bucks to repair, but not too bad.
Have you checked the clutch fluid? If it’s low there is a hydraulic leak, and that’s why your clutch isn’t disengaging fully. This is causing the difficult shifting. A leaking master cylinder or slave cylinder (or both) is the likely culprit.
That local mechanic that is going to ***** you is my brother, perhaps you deserve to get **** by a mechanic. Really have some respect for the person, if you are going back to him after a bad experience I guess you deserve what you get, if you are judging him before he even has a chance to satisfy you then you also deserve what you get.