Focus 51 reg 1.8 Ghia My son is stuck in Wales with clutch prob- cannot engage gears with engine running . AA called out and it seems fluid is leaking around union /slave cylinder area . He has tried tightening union but doesn't seem to have improved things ...... I understand that if it is slave cylinder prob this is in bell housing which will have to be removed etc. How big a job is this and how much am I looking at having to pay ?
Thanks for any help
Worth checking carefully in case it is just the pipe, but if it is the slave then it is a major job involving splitting the engine and gearbox apart, the slave cyl is 72 quid pattern and about a hundred genuine. Labour is up to the garage, it is listed as a 3.5 hour job. depending on what is found/mileage it may be a good idea to change the clutch at the same time. I did one last year and charged 500 for the whole job.
Thanks Mr C for rapid reply Is it the sort of job a moby mech could do or is it best to book it in somewhere ?
Cheers
it would be very difficult and a long job without a vehicle lift, but I expect there are some mobile blokes that would do it.
Thanks for that
I still say get the pipe checked before spending loads.
asking round there is a problem with the end of the pipe on that model, it is 39 quid for a new pipe
Cheers
Slave cylinders are usually bolted on to the outside of bell housing case and not inside it.
McK.
Not in this century...
Chris
Not in this century...
Chris
Not in this century...
Chris
Not in this century...
Chris
on later vehicles (starting in about 1995 for Ford) the manufacturers have changed the design to what is called a 'concentric thrust cylinder' or something along those lines. They very rarely give trouble compared to the old external type, probably because of their vastly larger seal surface. BUT some cars are now written off rather than replace one due to the high cost of labour (rover 75 springs to mind)
Out of curiosity, did they stick the slave cylinder in the bell housing just to piss people off or is there some sort of unusual clutch design?
The cylinder is shaped like a doughnut, and is part of the release bearing mechanism. The clutch in all other respects is normal.
It has a number of advantages; chiefly, there are no mechanical linkages as the cylinder is acting directly on the release bearing. This gives a much better feel to the clutch operation, and consistent movement as it is inherently self adjusting.
Clearly the down side is the difficulty of replacement; in practice, if properly designed, it will last the life of the vehicle. Some are better designed than others, however...
As the fluid used is usually normal brake fluid, it suffers from the same problem of contamination from water in the air. This drops to the lowest point, usually the slave cylinder, and is a common cause of seal failure.
It is essential to change the fluid at the same time as the brake fluid in order to maximise the cylinder's life. Many systems use the same reservoir for both clutch and brakes.
Rover use a different system where the master cylinder and reservoir are sealed; the system is slightly over-filled when supplied to allow for bleeding. The idea is that the fluid can't become contaminated with moisture from the air. Trouble is, they seem to suffer more failures across the range, including the Freelander, than any other.
Chris
Not always. When I had a '96 Omega the slave was inside the bellhousing, and that's going back a few years now.
I expect it was done as a cheaper method, less parts, more reliable etc. Most cheaper cars do not get to wear a clutch out before being scrapped and this internal type slave rarely fails before the clutch in any case.
"Chris Whelan" wrote
I put it down to fashion. My first couple of cars were hydraulic (early
70's) before a period of cables and our two current cars are hydraulic again. I haven't identified any characteristic that would enable me to tell how they're actuated without looking under the bonnet - my all time favourite happens to be cable, one of our current pair is ...ok. Other confounding factors are more dominant.
Not really fashion, no.
Clutches were originally coil spring operation. Actuation pressure was such that a cheap mechanical method of operation sufficed.
As average power outputs increased, coil spring clutches struggled to cope. Consequently, in the mid-sixties, diaphragm clutches were introduced. These required more actuation force, hence the change to hydraulic operation.
As improvements were made to the diaphragm clutch, chiefly with improved friction materials, it was possible to return to cheaper mechanical means of operation.
The development of the concentric slave cylinder has led to a return to hydraulics. For the majority, this has given increased reliability. (Broken clutch cables used to be high on the AA's breakdown list.)
All aspects of the clutch were as made when I wrote my Focus off at 100K miles; I would have thought it likely that I would have replaced at least one clutch cable in that time had it been so equipped, so I have to say I prefer the current system.
Chris
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.