EVERYONE, change your clutch fluid!!!!!!!

Post by **joe603** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 9:55 am

After reading about how the clutch fluid can affect the clutch engagement, I decided to change mine. The idea is that during heavy use, the fluid will boil and water will be present, eventually making the color a nasty brown.

To change it, obtain the following: - syringe (turkey injector works perfectly) with clear tubing that will fit. - DOT 4 synthetic brake fluid - Lint-free towels- plastic container to store nasty fluid

1. Put some rags around the clutch reservoir (this stuff can remove paint, so be careful!), and observe the color of the fluid. If it's clear you're good...if not then proceed!

2. Draw out the nasty fluid until you see the bottom of the reservoir. Put it into the plastic container, and clean the reservoir and cap with the lint-free towels. Again, be careful because this is the messy part.

3. Add the new, clear fluid and put the cap back on..stay within the max level

4. Pump the clutch about 30 times, and repeat the process. It took 6 times before my fluid looked like this.

After your done, take her for a ride. You should notice an immediate difference in the feel of the clutch. In combination with the clutch adjustment, the car should feel like a totally different car! Enjoy!

Post by **G_whizz** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:59 am

looks like someone made a pootsy in your resevoir

Nice work Joe...get this in the "How To" section

Post by **C-Kwik** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:13 pm

I'd look for another source of contamination. I haven't looked specifically at the G's slave cylinder, but it should be well isolated from excess heat. Slave cylinders are generally attached to the bellhousing and actuate the Clutch through a clutch arm and a TO bearing along with it's carrier. To further the heat transfer from the slave cyulinder, the pressure plate's contact surface is isolated from the TO bearing and it's carrier by the splines. To heat the slave cylinder up to such a temperature, the tranny would likely have to heat up to a temperature that it shouldn't ever see. You may want to look for a source outside of the clutch system. There may be a better solution if the problem stems from a different cause than you seem to think...

Post by **joe603** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:44 am

If there is another source of contamination, its a common problem. I've seen other G35s with similar looking clutch reservoirs. I think that a change to DOT4 instead of DOT3 will help due to the higher heat absorption. That burning clutch smell has to come from somewhere when the pedal sticks to the floor under hard acceleration...

Post by **C-Kwik** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:46 am

Dot 4 fluid doesn't absorb more heat. The boiling temperature is just higher which keeps the clutch/brake working correctly under high heat (no air in the lines).

Thinking about it some more though, Brake fluid tends to change color as it ages. IIRC, some of it due to absorbing water. I've never had brake fluid get that bad though as I tend to change fluid often.

As far as heat being the source in general, think aboout your brakes. they see a lot more heat then a slave cylinder typically will and it likely isn't that dark...

Post by **joe603** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:42 am

There was a topic about this in the Corvette forums...new Z06's have this issue as well. The picture I posted wasn't from my car, but the color of my res. was just as bad. After the change, the clutch is like new.

I'll keep you guys posted. I have to re-check it this weekend, we'll see if the color is back.

Post by **Q45tech** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:42 pm

The higher the DOT grade and dry boiling point the more hygroscopic the fluid is and the shorter the life interval until it becomes wet.

Same problem when used in brakes........................oem uses DOT 3 to prolong the interval.

Post by **joe603** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:35 pm

Not sure I understood your post Q...will the DOT 4 require more frequent fluid changes? Is that what you meant to say?

Can the same thing be done with the brake fluid? What are the rules to consider when using DOT 3 or DOT 4?

Post by **ATLG356MT** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:07 am

This is good info. I have about 17K on the odometer and have the same color fluid as well. I will be doing this fluid change this weekend. Thanks, -Parker

Post by **joe603** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:32 am

Cool, let us know the results and how easy it was.

Post by **maxnix** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:40 am

joe603 wrote:Not sure I understood your post Q...will the DOT 4 require more frequent fluid changes? Is that what you meant to say?

That is exactly what he did say.

Post by **ATLG356MT** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 6:00 am

I went ahead and swapped out the clutch fluid last night. I bought a suctioning pump and a bottle of the Valvoline Dot 4. I cost me just over $10.00 and took me about 15 minutes to cycle the fluid several times. I wiped out the inside of the resavoir as well. I experianced a noticable improvement in the operation of the clutch and got some peace of mind. Well worth the effort IMO.

Post by **verbal assassin** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:03 pm

is there any way to drain out the entire fluid? using a syphon only rids the fluid from the resevior...

on my integra, all i have to do is loosen a bolt from the slave cylinder and let it all drain out. then fill it back on from the top.

Post by **jlo0109** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 7:37 am

where can I get suctioning pump and a bottle of the Valvoline Dot 4???

Post by **joe603** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 6:00 am

The reservoir method is easier because you don't have to bleed the system. Just a few repetitions of replenishing the reservoir, and the fluid will be completely changed.

jlo0109, I used a turkey injector and small rubber hose (Home depot). Get the DOT 4 from Autozone or any auto shop really. The brand doesn't matter, as long as it's synthetic.

Post by **jlo0109** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:34 am

what do you use the rubber hose for? oh yeah when you said cap with the lint-free towels.. do you mean wipe the reservoir with the towels :]? sorry for the dumb question.. I just wanna make sure I get the meaning correctly
Modified by jlo0109 at 12:22 PM 7/2/2007

Post by **joe603** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:46 am

Man...you set yourself up...lol

jlo0109 wrote:what do you use the rubber hose for?

It goes on the end of the syringe to make the fluid sucking easier and not as messy. The lint-free towels are for cleaning out the empty reservoir of the brown gunk.

Post by **jlo0109** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:23 am

I see.. alright I am going to change it today. One last thing.. where is this located

Post by **joe603** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:41 am

It's on the drivers side, near the brake master cylinder/reservoir. Check out the pics in the first post. You're fluid will probably be the same color.

Post by **WECHSLERL** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:46 am

I READ ALL THE ARTICLES ABOUT THE CLUTCH FLUID CHANGE.MAIN QUESTION IS: WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM WITH THE CLUTCH (IF ANY) BEFORE THE FLUID CHANGE AND WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO CHANGE IT TO BEGIN WITH.WAS ANY SHIFTING A PROBLEM?

LW

Post by **smockers83** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:13 am

Please stop using the Caps Lock key in your posts, its distracting and hard to read. Read the thread a little closer, too, because the answers to your questions are right here in the thread....... (1st and 4th posts)

Post by **zozoka1212** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:56 am

StOp UsInG A wHaT? Sorry I had to do that. Seriously you right. It is harder to read when all the letters are capital.

Zozoka

Post by **IlsG35** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 12:43 pm

hey joe when u were removing the old dot 3 fluid did u mix it with the dot 4? and i think i read somewhere that dot for takes more heat and does not absorbe water due to it being silicone or something like that. im not sure ill ask the master tech at my job on monday and ill post back.

Post by **joe603** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 5:17 am

The fluid will mix...but only a minimal amount. If you keep refiling the res with new DOT4, eventually it will all be DOT4. Also, I have not had to replenish the fluid more often, compared to DOT3 OEM fluid...

Wechslerl, this will fix the clutch pedal sticking to the floor after hard acceleration.

Post by **g35cuhlean** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:41 am

Bump for the good info from joe, i am going to change mine out this weekend.

Post by **adren77** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:47 am

If I never experienced my clutch pedal getting stuck to the floor, should I still change it?

Also, after how many miles should this be done? I imagine it has something to do with the way you drive

Post by **joe603** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 8:30 am

Try doing a burnout...if it sticks to the floor, change the fluid. It won't hurt anything to change regardless...

Post by **wjn38** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:23 pm

i was reading this topic so i decided to check my clutch fluid and it looks like crappy brown color. i was reading all the posts and i was wondering if brake fluid and clutch fluid was the same because you posted that i should buy dot 4 brake fluid?? im confusid maybe this is a stupid question?

Post by **vbx2** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:09 pm

Don't the G have a bleeder bolt on the slave cylinder? Because that has to me the most "ghetto" way of changing your clutch fluid. haha. WTF?

Sure it somewhat removes the dirty fluid in the resevior but it is the wrong way of doing it.

Imagine changing oil the same way. haha.

The right way would be to "loosen" the bleeder bolt on the slave cylinder to let is drip.

Then, at the same time, you slowly add Clean fluid in the resevior. You keep this up till the fluid dripping out of the slave cylnider is CLEAN.

Once you see clean fluid dripping out the slave cylinder, you tighten the bolt and your done.. The system is Completly flushed.

The "syphon" method is a waste of time, unless there is no other way you can do it..

Post by **joe603** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:29 am

I'm not aware of a bleeder bolt on the clutch fluid reservoir. (pics please)...and I don't see how it would make the job any easier or faster? We're only talking about ounces of fluid, not quarts! (kind of overkill in your analogy)

Quite simply, the siphon method works well! A bleeder bolt would only replenish the reservoir, not all the fluid. You would still need to pump the clutch to circulate the dirty fluid. With the bleeder method, you would have to either have 2 people (one to constantly fill the reservoir and the other to pump the clutch) or tighten the bolt, pump the clutch, drain the fluid (waiting longer for the drip), tighten the bolt, refill the reservoir, pump....repeat X5. Hardly saving time...in fact it would take longer.

The siphon method is fast and clean.

The term "ghetto" doesn't apply if certified techs do it the same way to save time...but what do I know, this is the Internet, where everyone is an expert.

EVERYONE, change your clutch fluid!!!!!!!

EVERYONE, change your clutch fluid!!!!!!!

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