Clutch wont shift

1994 Toyota Celica Gt
I cant shift in the car when it is running. It happened all at once. So i bled the clutch and that didnt help and replaced the slave cylinder and that didnt help either.
Sometimes when its cold in the mornings I can start the car up and it will shift perfectly for a few minutes and then it will not want to go into gear. I can make it but i dont want to.

Any ideas on what it is.
Its not leaking from the clutch master cylinder and there are no leaks at all

Have you completely changed all the fluid ? Checked the throw out bearing ? Maybe the operation around the transmisdion itself.

Yes i changed the fluid.
How do i check the throw out bearing

There should be a slave cylinder at the housing that activates the bearing. Have someone depress the clutch to see if is indeed functioning there.

The Slave cylinder is working

First, the master cylinder does not have to be “leaking” to fail. Secondly, is the car running when the slave cylinder actuated the throw out bearing ? If everything is functioning externally…then

Should have an automatic!!

The slave is working when the engine is running. It is pumping the fluid and it works

It works and it moves the lever arm on the housing… The question might be, does it move it far enough and/ or with enough force to work the throw out bearing. If it appears to, and there seems to be no adjustment that can made between the slave cylinder you replaced and the lever, my guess is that it may be internal. Now, you need a real mechanic, and a tow.

The clutch master cylinder for my Toyota Corolla failed one time, so a master clutch cylinder on the fritz isn’t uncommon. A master clutch cylinder failing is more common than a slave failing I think. When the master fails, there is no visible leak. It is an internal leak. My symptom was that it started to become difficult to shift from neutral into first. If I pumped the clutch pedal, then it would shift. It’s probably an inexpensive fix if that’s the problem.

I dont believe its the master cylinder. It does not leak at all. I cant put it in any gear while its running unless i force it. I think its the pressure plate or something in the clutch like a spring off or something. Going to tear into it today

there are 2 seals in a master cylinder: one to keep the fluid in the system, another to push fluid to the clutch.

And, a master cylinder is much easier to replace than a throwout bearing or pressure plate. Cheaper too.

What you can’t believe is not the issue. It can be the master cylinder if the slave does not move the lever with sufficient force or the require distance. The fluid can leak by the piston and stay in the system with no apparent leaks. The throw out bearing is next in line IMO. But, I woud hate to dive into it unless you definitly eliminate the master as GeorgeSanJose implies.

When it won’t shift, how does the clutch pedal feel? Is it easier to push down? It is possible that the clutch plate itself is becoming delaminated or one of the damper springs has come out of place or even the head of one of the flywheel bolts has broken off. In any case, it isn’t going to be cheap to fix, the tranny will have to come out.

Like i said there is nothing wrong with the master cylinder!!!
Ive taken the transmission out and there were springs off!

To restate Dagosa, the master cylinder does not have to be leaking to have failed. The far more common failure is where the seal sround the MC piston allows the fluid to bypass it when you push the pedal, never pushing on the piston in the slave cylinder.

Whether the 'slave" works or not is irrelevant to whether the engine is operating or not. They are totally unrelated and unconnected.

You “bled the clutch”? Do you mean the master/slave system?

Honestly, I don;t think this is gong to get resolved until you bring it to a qualified garage and let them look at it. It’ll take someone who understands how the system works.

Damper springs from the clutch plate?

Naw. Damper springs only absorb rotational differences in the clutchplate, which is spinning at the same speed as the tranny input shaft, and the pressure plate and flywheel, which are spinning at the same speed as the flywheel. They wouldn’t affect the ability of the clutch to engage and disengage, only make it grabby.

If they come out, they can jam between the clutch plate and the flywheel or the pressure plate. This can cause enough drag so that you can’t shift.