I have a 2000 Civic Hatch been converted to an Si style car.After i have driven it in stop and go traffic and its up to running temp,when i pull away in first gear the car-lurchs-surges in a violent manner..moving into second only helps a little.I have found if i put the stick in neutral it stops but it has an odd idle where it idles at 1500 rppm and kida spits every few seconds.I have to get the car rolling so i can get into 3 rd and get it moving to drive the car.
It has a freash Trans Jasper-CXT clutch and Flywheel-fresh enigine.There is no ryhme or reason it will do it daily for awhile then not at all for sometime.Here is the embarassing part i run shops .im an old dog 50 and counting first import loved the way it sound in VTEC and feel for the car.The ability to stop the violent surgeing and lurch by kicking it into neutral if it was anything else id suspect the clutch of sticking to the flywheel when it gets hot and i would bleed the slave...
Sorry about being long winded any help is surely appreciated

 

It's hard to understand exactly what you're describing. If you're saying the clutch doesn't disengage when you push the pedal down-- there's nothing unusual about the Civic clutch, it's a very conventional system. So check the fluid level, bleed the lines, and it could also be a tired master cylinder (especially if you can pump the pedal a few times and make it work). If it's not a problem with the hydraulics it would be something inside the bell housing such as broken springs on the clutch plate or bent or broken release lever.

Idling too high and misfiring are not related to the clutch. It is a MAP controlled engine, so an air leak anywhere into the intake will make it idle too high. Also clean the throttle plate, if it has gunk on the edges the gas pedal will stick at idle and the car will seem to "surge" forward when it breaks free.

 

No the clutch lets go fine,if i try to pull away like normal the car lurch's back and forth in a violent fashion i kick the trans in Neutral and it stops.Second gear only a little better,it is something i have never experienced and i have done this 20+ years..and only when it does this it has an odd idle.
The lurching is a mechanical thing im sure but trying to see if anyone has any idea of what the heck is going on.

 

With engine off, lift one wheel off the ground and have someone hold the clutch pedal down. Shift into each gear and see that the transmission turns smoothly when you turn the wheel by hand. If the gears were stripped though it would do it every time, not intermittently.

Pushing the clutch in should be exactly the same thing as kicking it into neutral. After you have to kick it into neutral keep holding the clutch down, stop the car and try to shift to reverse. If the gears grind, the clutch is not releasing.

But a bad clutch or transmission is not going to affect the idle, so it may come back to the real problem being that the engine runs like crap.

 

sounds like a flywheel surface isnt smooth

 

Thanks guys.I am going to try the reverse thing.Darn thing runs hard,runs well and being my first Honda have come to truly enjoy the hatchback/SI conversion.