My clutch went some weeks ago, i suddenly felt a bang en everytime i let the clutch out i vibrated en it was very heavy. Everything that had to do with the clutch got changed.
when my clutch went, the mechanic proclaimed that it was "almost certianly the most bastardised clutch assembly that i have ever seen"
He showed me what was left of it, a drive plate with all the springs blown out of it, all the rivets exposed, and most of the friction material also blown away, a pressure plate with all the fingers blown off it and also broken into several bits, and a decimated thrust bearing, looks like the whole lot literally exploded.
And all i knew of it was firstly very tight gears, a sudden loss of clutch pedal about 30 seconds later, 2 or 3 gear changes done by rev matching and then a sort of metallic "CHING" sound and no drive in any gear, and metallic jingling, and a rock solid clutch pedal that wouldnt go down, then it stopped going into gear altogether, and then finally i was able to jam it in gear with the engine off and roll along on the starter motor briefly, for about 10 yards, then i got another "CHING" noise, quieter and slower jingling and all drive was lost.
So one clutch later and its as good as new, the only thing it does now that it didnt before the clutch went is that there is slight clutch judder on take off, but thats not a major issue as far as im aware, plus the gearbox howls like an old transit diff when the power is on, and screams like an old mini metro on run down, but its always done that anyway, it did it for the 4 years my mate owned it and its done it for the near on 2 years i have and never gets worse, so god knows lol.
i really wouldnt know, but would it be a differential, or are we past that/am i missing something?
EDIT elaboration:
so if the clutch is working fine, and the transmission is also working fine, but the diff is gone, then there would be virtually no resistance on the engine anyways. the limited resistance that it *does* have, would explain why it would be easier slightly if the clutch is disengaged.
right thinking?
EDIT2:
theh bangs you hear, may be the gears on the diff shearing, and finally they just let go?
The problem is obviously a clutch problem, you would have known if it was something else.
What I would do, personally, is freak out and pull out the tools.
You have one of those extremely obnoxious slave cylinders that is located within the bellhousing so either way if it is hydraulic or mechanical, you are going to have to pull the trans and get to the clutch.
My guess is that slave cylinder busted or got jammed and is pushing on the pressure plate (Pulling if you have one like my 944) keeping the clutch from grabbing. It has probably been leaking for a while.
My Dad's had another suggestion... I always park in gear, and so it's been pretty much permanently in gear for the last year and a bit. She's never laid up much (being my daily drive and all) but my Dad mentioned that I might of damaged the idlers (or something like that).
He's also had a look at the driveshafts and declared them working fine.
That is why you use gearbox oil. To damage the gearbox you'd need to bleed it dry and allow the elements to get into the box to rust shit up. So assuming you check gearbox fluid at your annual (or 10k, whichever is sooner) to make sure you actually have some, that isn't a problem.
I'd put £5 on it not being the gears damaged by parking in gear. If they ain't movin' they ain't wearing and because you use the car regularly and had oil in the box, they won't get the time required to seize up and cause damage.