Hi guys, I've recently rebuilt and Impreza engine and I dropped it into the car over the weekend. I bought the car with the engine removed and the gearbox already in the vehicle.

The issue I've got is I'm unable to engage any gears when the engine is running - when the engine is off I can select gears. If I turn the vehicle off, select a gear, and start the vehicle (with the clutch pressed) the car doesn't juder forward (sometimes in first gear if you start the car you can feel the car pull forward slightly then stop). When I lift the clutch in this situation the car behaves normally but if I try to pull it out of gear it's very difficult.

Anyway I installed an exedy stage 1 clutch kit on my 2003 blob eye WRX and did/replaced the following:

1. Replaced the spigot bearing
2. Replaced Clutch slave cylinder
3. Clicked the release bearing in to place
4. Changed the gearbox oil
5. Lubed up the splines that the clutch slides on
6. Lubed up the clutch fork bar
7. Bled the clutch system with new fluid
8.Checked that the release bearing is pulling the pressure plate outwards when the clutch is being pressed

What I didn't do was lube up the start of the Gearbox input shaft that's eventually inserted into the spigot bearing. As the car was outside for a while the gearbox input shaft had some surface rust (yes stupid I know I didn't think to clean all of it off with a wire brush before installing the clutch - it was very late) and I never got my flywheel skimned.

The only thing I can think of is that the gearbox input shaft is stuck (due to surface rust) inside the spigot bearing and is somehow constantly spinning the gearbox input shaft regardless to whether the clutch is pressed or not.

Any help guys that would be great....

 

Try starting it up in gear - should be enough to disengage the clutch plate away from the flywheel.

 

By starting it up in gear, you mean starting the car in gear without pressing the clutch down?

 

Yes.

Have you pushed the arm and release bearing onto the clutch?

 

Yes I've pushed the clutch fork along with the release bearing into the pressure plate. I'll try starting it in gear this evening, just out of curiosity how will this solve my problem? (I really hope it does)