Clutch stuff (help needed!)

[bronson@inwave.com (Nate Mellom)]

-Mk1-

A few weeks ago I took to replacing the clutch on my '81.  Ever since I 
got it, it seemes to engage very high in the clutch pedal travel, and 
recently it started slipping under hard acceleration, so I figured it 
was shot.  Pulled everything, turned out the clutch and pressure plate 
were both okay, but a leaking rear main seal was causing my problems. 
 Replaced the seal, replaced the clutch (I had the Sachs set in my 
basement for a year), and now all is good.

-Mk2-

My current problem.  '84, 1.8 JH, 4K. A few months ago I was pulling to 
a stop sign, pushed in the clutch pedal and it went POP and that was it, 
the clutch pedal wasn't activating the clutch release, so the clutch 
wouldn't disengage.  Limped home (started and drove home in first, 4 
blocks), did some investigation.  Clutch pedal was fine, teh firewall 
connection was okay.  Pulled the green end cap, the pushrod wasn't 
pushing back.  The general list consensus was pushrod punch-through of 
the push plate.  Fast forward to last week.  Got parts from Potterman. 
 Pulled my tranny, the push plate is fine.  It is a recent Sachs 
replacement, done by the PO a couple years ago, it's now on it's third 
engine.  Everything looked okay, nothing seemed broken, no oil on 
anything, nothing.  I checked the pressure plate, and all the fingers 
and springs seemed okay, but it was the only thing I could see that 
could cause problems.  I had an old pressure plate on one of my spare 
motors (JH).  It wasn't a Sachs, and it did look a little different, but 
I figured it would work.  So I installed the new (different) PP, bolted 
everything back up, and the clutch pedal felt perfect, just like it used 
to (with the car shut off).  I started it, and this is what happened:

Reverse would engage with a CRUNCH if I pushed it in fast, if I went 
slow I could hear and feel the gears grinding.  First, Second, Fourth 
and Fifth would not engage, it was like pushing against a rubber wall. 
 I could get Third with no problem.

My guess is that the old pressure plate had something broken in it and 
wasn't releasing the clutch.  The new pressure plate and the Sachs disk 
aren't compatible, so the clutch won't disengage.  I'm thinking I need a 
new Sachs pressure plate or a new clutch set to remedy the situation, I 
see there is a 16v plate on Potters site for an 8v upgrade, would this 
be usable?

So many questions......

Nate
'81
'84