1999 2.0L TD Suzuki vitara the clutch pedal was low and grumpy when pressed and hard to select 1st or reverse. plenty of movement in clutch slave arm and no fluid leaks to be seen.so i removed the gearbox to fit new clutch hoping its a pressure plate? but found the end or pilot bearing had collapsed with only 4 ball bearings found rolling about.Could the missing bearings be the problem as they could of worked them self into the pressure plate springs & so on thanks

This could be more than one reason. Could you please comment below describing exactly what happens when the pedal gets 'stuck' down?
Does the pedal feel correct as you push it down? Does it change gear normally even when the pedal does get stuck?
If the clutch pedal feels wrong when you use it, the clutch fluid may be low needing to be topped up and the system might need bleeding. Is the pedal slack when you press it or pull it free? This could be a faulty return spring on the pedal.

Change clutch release system fluid first then if no change gearbox fluid fluid next if you hear squeaking noise when pushing in clutch need new release bearing

check the clutch operation if it is hydraulic--press the pedal and see if the slave cylinder movers the throw out arm
It suggests a problem with the clutch master cylinder or a failed hose in the system that blocks off when the pressure is applied
hard to select the gears indicates that the pressure plate is not releasing
if it is a cable operation then replace the cable assembly as it is jamming up inside.

Check the fluid level on the clutch master in the engine compartment. The clutch slave is located down on the bottom by your transmission.

Hi Highland Oak,

By the sounds of this problem, your transmission is failing and may need to be replaced, Gears grinding, Not capable to use certain gears, A smell will rise (egg smell) This will indicate trouble while cvhanging gear.
Regards,
EnableElite.

Hi if the sidekick is the same as the uk vitara then they don't have a slave cylinder just a clutch cable with a nut near the end to adjust it. If its like a grand vitara they have got a slave cylinder, just crack the bleed nipple off put one end of a small pipe on the end of the nipple and drop the other end in a bottle that is roughly half full of break and clutch fluid, ask someone to pump the clutch pedal until no more air bubbles are coming out then tighten the bleed nipple back up. make sure to keep a check on brake fluid levels while doing this.

Sounds like a clutch problem to me.
So, with the engine off, can you select all gears? If yes, your gearbox is probably OK.
And now with the engine idling, can you select any gears with out crunching? If this is difficult, then try this next test in an area where movement forward or backwards won't be a problem.
With the engine OFF, foot ON the clutch, the handbrake OFF, and in 1st gear, start the car. BE READY TO TURN IT OFF.
If the car moved forward as you cranked the engine, then your clutch is not adjusted properly or has worn out. That is more-than-likely the smell you got before - burnt clutch disc from it slipping.
You can drive it, but every time you want to start off, you'll have to turn the engine off, select 1st then start the engine. Accelerate slowly, making sure the revs don't rise faster that you're speeding up, and change gear by judging engine revs between gears.
Don't keep driving it as it is, as you WILL have gearbox problems if you don't fix the clutch.

you may have a faulty clutch master cylinder or faulty clutch slave cylinder- leaking clutch fluid. most of the time both are replaced at the same time which should be recomended by your mechanic, the bolts to the master cylinder are very hard to get to and require the right tool.
you should be able to move car forward by selecting 1st then cranking engine till it starts, gear changes while driving are hard but not impossible. i recommend a tow truck to a local repairer.

did your clutch work ok before you replaced it ? if so recheck the clutch action at the tranny it should move 5-6 inchs when you depress it if not rebleed it ?clutch fork should move if not you still got air in it ?

Either the clutch plates don't have sufficient clearance when the clutch pedal is pressed or they do have the clearance but are failing to separate.

Air in the hydraulic system, worn or maladjusted linkage or cable are the common causes of the first and oil/grease contamination or rusty splines the second scenario.
A failing clutch pilot bearing, if fitted, could also the symptom.