[HIZNHRZ]

Beautiful morning. On the way home from Cars-n-Coffee there’s a light that directs traffic onto an acceleration lane of a local highway. I make a slow left turn, hit the acceleration lane and incrementally (to avoid wheel spin) stand on it in first gear. I start my 1-2 shift at the precise time my shift light comes on. The car won’t go into second.

I let off the throttle, drift off to the side of the highway. It won’t go into 3rd or 4th. I come to a stop and try 1st. No luck there either. After trying each gear several times I’m able to force it into 2nd. When I let the clutch out it chatters and bangs like something’s broken off and is banging around in the clutch housing. No clutch plate burning smell but it smells like a piece of metal lodged next to a fast moving part getting hot and burnished. Once it’s in 2nd gear and the clutch is out, it runs fine, almost normal. I decide to try and drive it off the highway. It still will not go into any other gear.

I drive it slowly in 2nd gear and make it home. No sounds, no smells, doesn’t overheat, etc. I pull it into the garage and let it sit and cool down. Four hours later, I get in the car and depress the clutch. The clutch feels funny but it moves through its normal range of motion. With the clutch depressed, the car now will shift in every gear. I start it. Sounds like I suddenly have a vacuum leak but idles fine (no backfire). I can let the clutch out while in gear (in the garage) and rock the car. The clutch chatters but the car moves without any banging metal sounds. I back the rear wheels out of the garage. The rear wheels are now sitting lower than the front end. I put the car in 1st and let the clutch out (under load). The car moves but the burnishing smell returns and is prevalent; the clutch chatters and bangs.

I'm no expert but I have my own thoughts as to what happened. I’d be real interested in other opinions.

BTW, I was planning to take a road trip to Marc’s next month for a little maintenance and some mods. Looks like I’ll be renting a trailer and driving to Illinois with the ZR-1 and getting some repairs.