clutch pedal prob.

[scruffy63]

ok first after a day of driving my car hard my clutch had a shifting problem it wouldn't go into gears. like the clutch wasn't doing anything. so over the next weekend I removed the dampner then added dot 3 brake fluid and bled the clutch at the slave cylinder. now after about a week of driving i'm having the same clutch problem as before. can anyone :help :help :help .

[IvoryJ30t]

are you leaking/losing fluid?

[allthrottlenobottle]

does the clutch still feel normal or is it slack? my 91 was doing the same thing and it was a fight to get it into gear but all it needed was some trans fluid!

[scruffy63]

no i'm not leaking fluid. would I just add transmission fluid to my oil? right now i'm willing to try anything.

[scruffy63]

any other ideas what it could be????? could it be air in the hydralic system?

[allthrottlenobottle]

use trans fluid to what oil?

[allthrottlenobottle]

is ther eclutch fluid in the resevior?

[scruffy63]

yes there is i'm sure its at least half full. but i'm missing the top to the resevoir could that be it I never had a problem with it before.

[allthrottlenobottle]

i woul;d fill it up and get a top cause the top creates a seal so it has pressure.

fill it with dot 3 fluid and if you cant get a top try putting a rubber glove over it and putting an elastic band around that to try and get it sealed then get e cover

then try shifting,you should also check your transmission fluid level

[allthrottlenobottle]

you might have to bleed the clutch line for air bubbles as well

[IvoryJ30t]

ok. seeing as how theres no top to the resevior, your master cylinder is most likely shot. brake fluid is hydroscopic, meaning it absorbs water. also not having a top means contamination from forigen matter.

youve done shot your master cylinder.

[allthrottlenobottle]

hard to say but anythings worth a shot,good insight ivoryj

[scruffy63]

if my master cylinder is blown why did it work for a week after i bled it the first time?

[IvoryJ30t]

im a mechanic, ive seen it all. from no top on master cylinders to brakes worn down to the pistons.

that was the worst. one guy in a grand prix let the brakes wear to the point of the metal backing rubbing through the rotor to the ventilation pillars. the pad backing was so thin the piston was about a millimeter from what was left of the rotor.

[IvoryJ30t]

the piston seals. the fresh fluid made the seals expand a little and seal, but once the exposed fluid absorbed enough water from being exposed to the atmosphere, it was all over.

as long as there is no leak in the system, its the master.

[IvoryJ30t]

one thing to do first, is have a buddy hold the clutch in. crawl under the car and pull back the dust boot on the slave cylinder. if its not leaking fluid out of the piston, its the master cylinder.

[stillmatic]

How many miles do you have on your clutch?

[scruffy63]

so would it be worth a try to bleed it and cover the master cylinder?Is it possible to be fixed like that. It would be alot cheaper.

[allthrottlenobottle]

excellant info ivoryj i guess you can learn something new everyday!

[IvoryJ30t]

if it was the clucth it would go into gear fine, but not hold power.

[scruffy63]

i'm not sure the guy I got the car from said he only had to change it once and that was no more than 2 years ago.

[scruffy63]

so ivory what do I do if brake fulid does drip out???

[IvoryJ30t]

yup. one thing to remember with brake fluid is that you may not allow it to be exposed to the atmosphere. it sucks up water like a sponge. once the fluid is saturated, the water goes to town on the seals and the lines. eats up the system.

dirt is even worse.

[IvoryJ30t]

if the fluid is dripping out of the slave, you have your culprit.

is the car experiencing the symptoms right now?

[IvoryJ30t]

have a buddy get in the car.

pull back the dust boot.

have him push the clutch in and hold it.

check to see if the slave cylinders piston is expanding, then contracting while the clutch is being held down.

if it is, and leaking fluid, the slave is bad.

if it is, and not leaking, the master is bad.

also, trace the steel line from the master to the slave and make sure there are no leaks.

[scruffy63]

yes it is. but if I open the slave cylinder and press the clutch the brake fluid will come out.

[IvoryJ30t]

just remember, exposed fluid is a BIG NO-NO!!!!

[IvoryJ30t]

no, not the bleed valve. there should be a rubber boot that covers the piston. the piston goes from the end of the cylinder to the clutch release fork. that is the boot im talking about.

[scruffy63]

ok thanks for all the help ivory.I'm gonna get on the prob this weekend.

[IvoryJ30t]

you got it. just be extra careful when you look for leaks. you dont want to replace something thats not broken.