Dead/dying clutch...?, Shift, hit the gas, watch the RPM's go up while the MPH CRAWLS... Options

[supaneko]

I've had this issue taking place for a little while now. When it began, I simply parked my little car in the driveway with hopes that the funding to get an easy repair would come along. But then my other Celica (a 1991) just died out on me and now I have to get one of them fixed... definitely has to be the stick.

I've noticed for a little while that when I would shift, any gear, after shifting I wasn't able to really hit the gas too hard. If I did, the RPM's would shoot up past 4k and very slowly the MPH would move. If I hit the gas pedal just right, the car would slowly accelerate and the RPM's would seem to travel in-sync with the MPH. Well, now it seems like that "just right" is just about gone and every time I shift or hit the gas pedal the engine screams because the car just isn't moving like it should.

I am not smelling any sort of burning or hearing any sort of grinding. The clutch pedal itself doesn't seem to be any different from the day when I first bought the car either.

What's going on? What needs to get fixed? Where do I take it?

[GriffGirl]

Sounds clutchy to me, too.

A high performance clutch is just not necessary, sorry. Plus, in the interest of... budgetary needs... for the same amount that a cheap-o clutch would cost you @ like Autozone or something, you can get an Exedy OEM style clutch kit ($120 neighborhood) and not have to worry about having to redo the clutch for a long time (unless you SUCK at driving )

My car had a craptastic cheapo Made in China clutch when I bought it 2 years ago. It was a new clutch 2 years ago. Very new. It lasted about a year and a half. It amazes me that people opt for no-name cheap clutches when for the same money basically you can get quality.

Don't forget to have your flywheel turned. This is ESSENTIAL. It's like $50 and will save you a lot of money in the long run, not to mention time.

Your best bet is to find a friend who can help you replace the clutch. Labor is a KILLER - a clutch job can run you anywhere from $600-$800 bucks. Booooo.