15 replies to this topic

[Xiao_Bin]

Evening all,

Sorry, have no time to search much for that.
Basically, clutch pedal was not that stiff lately, had the gear crunching a bit and had to pump to get it working properly (obviously time to bleed i guess).
Today, I tried to move the car, clutch was biting as soon as I removed a little pressure from the pedal, not even lifting my feet.

I had a look in the engine bay, I can push the clutch piston by hand (maybe that's normal, i dont know)
And finally, the pedal is now totally soft, clutch isnt operating anymore

If anybody can give a diagnostic from the above description
Hope that's just a bleeding required :'( , although never done that before, doesnt seem very complicated

Edited by Xiao_Bin, 27 February 2007 - 03:02 PM.

[TOMMO0302]

Bleeding is as straight-forward as it seems, but i am not sure your problem is. When you say you can push the clutch piston, do you mean the slave cylinder?

If so, you could have a leak somewhere, although bleeding the clutch might highlight/confirm this for you.

[Xiao_Bin]

yeah the slave cylinder, if that's what is directly actuating the clutch... I can push it in by, say 1/2 inch

[Zenob1]

Look under the bonnet when somebody else pushes the clutch pedal. You are looking for fluid leaking form either the slave (on the bell housing of the clutch) or master cylinder (directly above the pedal on the bulkhead). Hopefully it's the slave and you can order an overhaul kit for peanuts.

Matt

[Xiao_Bin]

there are no sign of leakage anywhere, and the reservoir is almost full

[TOMMO0302]

Could be the seals internally then, so your not actually losing fluid, its just not pushing it down the pipes (not technical speak i know)

[fikus01]

broken spring in the slave cylinder or leaky slave cylinder or leaky master cylinder or a master cylinder with sticky valves in it!

[Xiao_Bin]

ok, so how do I proceed to find which component is faulty?

One more thing, when I operate the slave cylinder by hand, as I said it goes in a bit, then i have to move it back out as its stuck... would that be a broken spring as mentioned above?

[fikus01]

the spring is inside it, but having had a little think, it could jsut be corrosion in the bore of the slave clinder too!! remove it and dismantle it, they arent too hard to strip and re-build jsut cleaning out the bore with some fine emery cloth and brake cleaner. see what it looks like!

[Xiao_Bin]

OK thanks, i'll see what I can do tonight
Even if there is nothing wrong with the slave cylinder its not lost, as I'm willing to learn about the car

[Xiao_Bin]

Finally had the time to try to sort this out. Had a try at bleeding the cluth then, but air bubbles are forever comming...

I can get the clutch quite stiff and operate again, but when I push the slave cylinder in manually, I can hear air bubbles going back to the master cylinder (is that supposed to happen?), then the clutch is gone again. So I wonder if thats the slave cylinder leaking, or the master, or both

[The Matt]

Push the slave cylinder right back in and hold it there (maybe with a lever or pry bar), then commence bleeding. This should help.

[Xiao_Bin]

i'll try that tomorrow, thanks

[Xiao_Bin]

hey guys

tried to bleed by blocking the slave cylinder totally in as adviced above, but that didnt do it.
I have just dismantled and opened the slave cylinder, everything seems in order, except that the internal bore (the last 10mm where the piston never goes) is a bit rough, corroded. The push rod that sits on the piston is also badly eaten by corrosion (leak?)

anyway, put it back together, its still the same, clutch is pretty fine, then if i move the piston by hand its full of air again. When I bleed, air continuously comming out.

So im guessing i'll get a new slave cylinder, just want to be sure, is there any chance if could come from the master cylinder? as beeing in malaysia, I dont wish to order parts too many time. I dont want to go the reconditionned route, as I have no confidence in workmanship here, and a slave cylinder doesnt cost much.

[Xiao_Bin]

Another thing I have just realised...

I have a verto clutch (short arm, slave cylinder on a metal plate)
but my slave cylinder has the bleed nipple pointing away from the push rod side, like a pre-verto type... wonder if it was randomely replaced by the wrong one...