Clutch Master Cylinder or Pedal Problem?

I have about an inch of travel on my clutch pedal before I meet with resistance from my clutch master cylinder. When I do, the resistance is immediate, and shifts without problem. What do you guys think... Is it a problem with the clutch master cylinder or the pedal?

Thanks for the help!

-Larry

Reply to
LC
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It could be a problem with either. If it's the pedal, the cause would be wear on the metal where the pedal is pinned to the master cylinder piston. If you stick your head down there and look (might need to remove knee bolster), you would see an oblong hole in the clutch pedal rather than a circular hole.

If it's the master cylinder, it would likely be leaky seals, though it could also be the return spring inside the cylinder (I replaced one of these springs myself a few months back). Taking the cylinder out isn't extremely difficult, but you will have to bleed the clutch when you are done.

John

Reply to
John B

I _just_ had my clutch m/c on my '86 900 fail. The bolster can stay, but if you have an air distribution duct (black plastic thing), that needs to be moved out of the way to see what you're doing.

In the case of mine, the "saddle" wore through & broke off the end of the pushrod going into the m/c. I'm going to drill and tap a thread into the pushrod, screw the saddle back on, and _then_ braze it together (belt & suspenders approach).

If the bore of the cyl is good, you can do the whole job from inside the passenger compartment if you enjoy being upside-down more than you enjoy getting at that one fitting. But, unless you have huge forearms, it's easy enough to go the one extra step and take the fitting out of the front of the m/c. Dave Hinz

Reply to
Dave Hinz

You can tell by pumping the clutch pedal. If the resistance point moves, it is probably the cylinder. This is because the pressure is built up as you pump. You may also notice the travel is more when the the car is cold - this is the cylinder.

Reply to
ma_twain

I've had that symptom every since I rebuilt my MC... either I screwed it up somehow or the seal kit I put in allows a small leak. Maybe the bore is a little scratched from the broken return spring I was replacing.

Whatever the cause, it's good as new once the engine is warm. And it's way better than it was with the broken spring, even when cold. In short: not nearly bad enough to warrant taking it apart again.

John

Reply to
John B

Did you pressure bleed it? If not, that could be the problem. Else maybe worth doing again to see if it fixes it. How's the slave cyl? Prob worth checking 'cos they're not too horrible to fix. Cheers

Reply to
hippo

Not too bad. Couple of ways to do it, and if you're careful and get as much air out of the m/c first, and if the tube is still full of fluid, you might be able to do without.

Dave Hinz

Reply to
Dave Hinz

Yes, I did pressure bleed it. I bled it again when I was doing the brakes a month or two later, just to be sure, and I think that improved the situation slightly. Anyway, it doesn't bother me nearly enough to do anything about it just now. Maybe if I have time to kill over the summer.

John

Reply to
John B

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