Clutch Issues

TheBlizzard · 10-26-2004

Last night when I went to go to work I went to back out of my driveway and the clutch seemed to engage really low, I thought nothing of it. Once I got out of our driveway I put the car into first and it seemed to do the same thing (almost made me kill it). Went to shift into second and the clutch pedal went right to the floor and stayed there. It was completely on the floor and would not come up on its own.

So I was already running late for work so I just took Jets car to work and didn't mess with it. Well I get home a little bit ago Andy and I looked under the hood to see if the slave or master cylinder was leaking/blown. Couldn't see anything obvious. I go into the car and pull up on the clutch pedal by hand, it comes up and then I push it down. Well its starts to build pressure at the very bottom, a couple more pumps and its fully pressurized. I get in the car and start it up and go through the gears and it shifts fine. WTF? Then it idles for awhile and I get back in it to check again and I push the clutch in and it goes to the floor after a couple pumps. Wait awhile, then pull it back out by hand and sure enough it pumps back up.

Any ideas before I change the master cylinder?

Fluid is full and there are no leaks.
Mods are MBC, 3" exhaust, Intake, otherwise its basically stock.

CRAIG

stikx · 10-26-2004

bleed your clutch, you just got air bubbles

TheBlizzard · 10-26-2004

Doubt it. If there was air bubbles it would be shitty all the time wouldn't it? Its either really really stiff likes its supposed to be or its goes to the floor and doesn't come back up.

CRAIG

LightningGSX · 10-26-2004

Sounds to me like the master cylinder is leaking internally

A//// Guy · 10-26-2004

Check the slave cyl, if you cpull the boot off it and fluid leaks out thats bad.

If you dont see fluid on the firewall inside the car the master prolly isnt leaking. But internally it might.

And also do this check- push the clutch to the floor. let it come back up by either pulling it up slowly and letting it stop normally up top. Then grab the pedal and pull up. If it moves at all then the pedal assembly is worn out and a little bit of slack goes along way because of how the lever is designed.

Stock clutch I wouldnt think it should be worn out already but you never know.

I would try bleeding it also before doing anything becuase there might be air but how it just got in is strange.

stikx · 10-26-2004

we had the same problems and we just bleed the clutch and everything was fine

TurboMeTroy · 10-26-2004

YOu may want to check the adjustment on, the adjustment rod located under the dash, on the driver's side.

TheBlizzard · 10-26-2004

It works sometimes good and sometimes it goes right to the floor, so I doubt that it out of adjustment. I suspect the master is just periodically working. Because when I pull the pedal up by hand and pump it back up it will work just like new, but then when it goes it goes to the floor and doesn't come back up on its own.

CRAIG

A//// Guy · 10-26-2004

Typically master cylinders dont fail they will just leak a little. I dont think it can work periodically and then not work sometimes. Its just a valve that pushes fluid through a small hole. Seems like pressure is low so maybe it is the master but Id check the slave too.

TheBlizzard · 10-26-2004

Well I will pull it off and see if the boot is messed up at all, then when Andy wakes up I will try to bleed it. I am not sure if air in the lines would cause the symptoms I am describing though. But its worth a shot I guess.

The fact that it works sometimes is whats causing the problem.

CRAIG

SlowWhite · 10-26-2004

Check the resevior first..... a little while ago out of no where my reseviour was empty and this happened. (I noticed my slave cylinder was wet)

Anyrated filled it back up and it fixed the problems (took a while for the fluid to go through and I know I have to replace my slave cylinder)

TheBlizzard · 10-26-2004

The fluid is full Brian. And there is no leaks that I can see, the slave cylinder is not leaking at all. I am going to try and bleed it and maybe pull the slave and see if its bound up or something. If all that fails then I will replace the master cylinder. I did some searching on NABR and there are a few threads that are similar to my problems and it ended up being the master cylinder so.....

CRAIG

Speedfreak · 10-26-2004

Check for a leak on the inside of the car(by the pedals)... on the firewall. Thats where my master leak showed up. Based on your symtoms I would bet on a bad master...

TheBlizzard · 10-26-2004

Yeah Mo, Andy checked under there this morning when I was looking under the car for leaks, he didn't see anything up by the assembly inside the car. I am suspecting the master also, but I think its a internal leak, and thats why it will work and build pressure from time to time but eventually it will fail again.

CRAIG

TheBlizzard · 11-01-2004

Update:

Replaced master cylinder on Saturday and have been driving it since with no problems. So I am pretty sure that it was the culprit.i

So if your clutch pedal ever falls to the floor on its own pretty much, even if you can pull it back up and get pressure for awhile, its more than likely your master cylinder.

CRAIG