Engine Coolant Effects Manual Transmission?
 

Been lurking for years. I finally have a problem I can't figure out using my search skills :P (search the words coolant and transmission, well, you can imagine)

Driving home today, clutch was feeling weird and I was starting to smell clutch smoke. I stopped in neutral in an alley by my house. While sitting still the smoke was billowing from under the hood. Yikes! I depressed the clutch pedal and the engine RPM dropped and I could hear and feel friction like the throw out bearing was ceased. Okay fine. Clutch was slipping while I was driving? Okay weird/fine. I put her in 1st and got a boost of speed, enough to coast home. I park it and popped the hood. Coolant blasted everywhere.

Note, the engine was not overheated as per the temp gauge, and I could sense no excess heat, actually, I have had a slow coolant leak near the filler cap as of the last few weeks and I guess it just got bigger just now.

Is it possible that a plume of coolant could make it into the Manual Transmission and screw with the clutch and/or throw out bearing?

Thank you in advance for any ideas!

Regards,

Jonathan.

There's no way coolant can get anywhere near the clutch assembly short of a bath in it. Two separate issues it sounds like.

Cracked block, I can't remember for sure but I think there was also a freeze plug in the back, one of those threaded plugs.

Oh please don't say that lol.

But yes, thank you for the tip. I will investigate a cracked block.