clutch pedal help

[radmar1]

I am having a hard time with my clutch pedal now, for some reason now when i took it out of storage, with the car off when you push the clutch pedal down it does not come back up, its like there is no sprig popping it back up, and i got a picture out of the manual and everything looks like it would be in place, if you guys could help that would be great

[cadet]

master cyl or slave cyl, just look to see if teh master cyl is pushing fluid.

[sdtouge]

im not shure, but it could be a spring on the back of the transmission arm or throw out bearing, when i moved mine around when the transmission ws out it wouldnt go back in, but i think the clutch should push it back in, or the pressure plate i mean...

that happened on this old bmw i had, i never knew what is was so i just sold it to some other kid whomtohught her could fix it.

[cadet]

nah its prolly just a problem with his lines.

first thing I'd do is fill the resevoir with brake fluid and give the lines a quick bleed, and see if the problem has gone away. If it hasn't, your slave cyl has probably gone bad. it won't hold fluid so when you push the pedal down there isn't any pressure in the system, which lets the pedal go to the floor. There are no springs on the clutch system. It rises back up because of the pressure in the hydraulic system. however, it could also be your master cylinder just not sealing anymore (same reasons) If you slave cyl went bad and your master is going to the floor, there is a good chance you'll end up needing a new master... if your master is blown and you put a new one in (especially if you have a new pressure plate in your car) then you'll probably blow the old slave one out. Its around 40 for a new master and less than 20 for a slave, I'd say go ahead and change out both. In fact, since the rubber line that goes from the hardlines to the transmission is such a piece of **** I'd go ahead and order the stainless one that is like 20 bucks from spl parts. that way you'll just have everything taken care of and you'll get a nice firm pedal if you bleed it in right.

[radmar1]

good thinking thanks a lot

[float_6969]

I'm having a similar problem also. I just put a new slave and master cylnder. The lines were completely empty, and had been for months. The wierd part is that I am getting fluid down at the bleeder on the slave cylnder, but I've still go no return on the mastercylnder. Maybe my new one was bad already? The car was jacked up in the front when I was doing it, so maybe it wasn't working because it wasn't level. I set the car back down last night and I'm going to try it again later and see if it works.

[cadet]

no it doesn't need to be level. It works using hydraulic pressure. check your lines, maybe you have a leak. also check that silver box, maybe you will want to bypass it, it doesn't do anything but make your pedal softer. take your slave cyl off and push the master cyl in gently. Is it even moving the slave? if you have to change both, you may have to bleed out like a quart of fluid to get it to stop bubbling...

[float_6969]

I didn't think it needed to be level, but I was grasping for straws. I don't think I have any leaks and I'm not getting any bubbles. The silver box is already bypassed. The slave isn't moving at all.

[cadet]

and its not leaking any fluid when you press it in? I'd say you have a dead master cyl, maybe exchange it from the place you got it at if you still have the receipt, they usually have warranties. I didn't have to do it on my clutch MC, but I know some brake MC's you have to "bench bleed" before they will work correctly... again, grasping at straws... but if you press in the pedal and nothing comes out or leaks, you've got a dead MC. When you loosen the bleeder screw and depress the MC, does fluid even come out? If it does, then it makes me wonder if something inside your transmission isn't amiss, either on the fork or the bearing or maybe the pressure plate itself..

[radmar1]

if i have to replace the slave cylinder, do i get a regular 240 one or should i be trying to get one for a ca motor

[float_6969]

Quote »and its not leaking any fluid when you press it in? I'd say you have a dead master cyl, maybe exchange it from the place you got it at if you still have the receipt, they usually have warranties. I didn't have to do it on my clutch MC, but I know some brake MC's you have to "bench bleed" before they will work correctly... again, grasping at straws... but if you press in the pedal and nothing comes out or leaks, you've got a dead MC. When you loosen the bleeder screw and depress the MC, does fluid even come out? If it does, then it makes me wonder if something inside your transmission isn't amiss, either on the fork or the bearing or maybe the pressure plate itself..[/quote]I get absolutely no fluid movement when whatsoever when I press the clutch pedal down with the bleeder open at the slave. I know that I've got fluid in the MC, lines, and slave, because I've gravity bled the system and am getting plenty of fluid through it with no air. I'm going to try using a vacuum pump tomorrow and see if it helps. If that doesn't work, I'm just going to get another one. The one that I put on there was off of my old 240 and has been dry for a while, but it was in really good shape when I pulled it out and I wasn't having any problems with it before I pulled it out. The only thing that I can think is that because it's been dry for so long (almost 2 yrs) that the seals have dried up and aren't working. We'll see what happens tomorrow. Quote »if i have to replace the slave cylinder, do i get a regular 240 one or should i be trying to get one for a ca motor[/quote]Just use a regular 240sx one. Any local parts store should be able to get you one.

[cadet]

yeah I posted but I guess it didn't go up. ca, kae, kaDE, I've used them all interchangeably. A friend of mine said his kade woudn't fit his sr trans but I find it hard to believe, I think they are probably interchangeable (and probably Z32 as well, if not other apps like s13 and z31).

Anyway no fluid movement: check your pedal where it bolts to the master cyl to verify that it is actually moving the pushrod of the master cyl... sounds stupid but just running through the basics...if still no fluid movement you have yourself a dead master. go get a new one.

[F3600]

Buy OEM part .. ive read a lot of stories of non-oem master and slave cylinder failing after 1 month...

[float_6969]

I finally got mine working, but I'm not happy with it. I works, but it doesn't come back up very fast. It just feels sluggish I guess. It's mushy coming back up. It's like you lift your foot up quickly and it's slow to follow. I've got a new clutch master that I bought that I may put on there. At least it works I guess...

[cadet]

could need bled more.. what did you do that finally got it working?

[sdtouge]

i tired tto bolt up my slave cylinder and my little arm on ym transmission would retract. its somehow stuck and now i have to drop the trany i am f-ing pissed and really bumbed out. this sucks. i needed to vent. i want to just tow my car to a shop. im tired of working onit lol

[cadet]

what do you mean the little arm on the transmission would retract? The arm controls the pressure plate and the PP will push on the slave accordingly... it attaches to the input shaft at the pilot bearing using a metal clip. You should just be able to depress the slave, bolt it on, and bleed the setup and be good. What happened in your case?

[float_6969]

could need bled more.. what did you do that finally got it working?

I had to reverse-bleed it. I closed the bleeder valve at the slave cylnder, and then compressed the slave cylnder manually (I used a big C-clamp). That forced the fluid into (or air out of) the Clutch M/C and then it started working. But like I said, I don't like the feel of it. I still bled the crap out of it after I got it working and never saw any air. I still think it might be that Clutch M/C. It sat completely dry for almost 2 years. I think the seals are probabally shot on it.

[cadet]

could be, its just that it tends to be one of those parts that either works fine or stops working. The fact that it sat so long would make me suspect those rubber seals too. They are designed to sit in brake fluid and its quite possible that it would have dried out and not be sealing correctly.

[Nunook]

If u get a kaE slave cylinder from an autoparts store, the diameter is alittle smaller. I recommend the kaDE slave, it feels alittle smoother. The single cam slave makes the pedal stiff.

Also a month after i got my car running, the clutch pivot broke and that caused my clutch basically not to work. You might wanna check that while u have the transmission down.

Alittle scary when ur 50miles from home on the highway.

[sdtouge]

the throw out bearing is stuck too far out or something. also, the little clip on the throw out bearing is shot iithnk too. whatver, ill survive...

[cadet]

the bearing sits on the splines, you probably managed to monkey it far enough forward that it came off them... you might be able to jiggle it back on, but if the metal clip gets loose that would be pretty much impossible.