92 9kT sudden clutch failure

I pushed in the clutch on my 92 9000 Turbo w/191k miles today and it went to the floor.

I am not used to sudden catastrophic failure of a hydraulic clutch. The linkage seems fine, the plunger seems to be going into the master cylinder, but no clutch. There does not seem to be any evidence of leaks and the fluid in the TCS/ABS brake reservoir is full. It seems that is where the clutch fluid comes from?

Any suggestions as to what went wrong?

If it is in the slave cylinder we are looking at $1250 here.

Thanks,

Charles.

Reply to
Charles
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You mean no pressure on it? It should go to the floor anyway.

If the problem is hydraulic then

- if it was the slave cylinder it should leak as the seal(s) would have failed.

- if there is no leaking fluid it should be the master cylinder (I had two fail on my 900s for brakes, they did so slowly not the way you describe).

If master works slave is just a piston. If fluid goes in the cylinder piston goes out and returns from the pressure of the clutch.

If it is mechanical then the pressure (thingie) of the clutch must have collapsed. You would have heard some noises ... too unlikely.

It should be no different to the price for a clutch job (and if you have to do the slave you should consider replacing the clutch too).

Sorry for your bad news. Charles

PS. Read on in case it means anything to you what you got.

Newer 9k, around year 1996 onwards got a modified flexible pipe fitted between firewall and g/box (GM part). The rubber pipe was reputed to break down internally and release pieces of rubber which eventually resulted in its collapse. They blocked the valves in the slave cylinder and reputedly also damaged the seals.

When it happened to me my then dealer took me to the cleaners (b@st@rds) and I never got the failed parts back. There was also a story that the slave itself collapsed.

Whatever caused the problem, a badly designed pipe or a cr@p slave, before the failure you would get a hard clutch pedal. Harder than normal even momentarily solid. Well, at some point when the pedal is solid, you step on it and something gives ... In my case the flexible pipe burst and then ... I was cleaned. Eventually they lost the dealership though.

Reply to
Charles C.

If the master cylinder works, then the slave is just a piston. If fluid goes in the slave then the piston goes out ... etc

Reply to
Charles C.

Only pressure was the return spring.

Funny, there was no warning. It was like a cable clutch, one day, the cable snaps! Normally with Hydraulic clutches you have some warning, feels funny, leaks, etc. I looked at the slave particularly and could see no leaks there. Nor under the car.

Well, as you know, modern clutches have the slave inside the clutch mechanism, not outside like the 95/96/97 V4's. So you replace the whole damn thing. $1,250. US dollars in Denver, CO.

I never got any warning. I bought this car about a thousand miles ago, clutch seemed normal until the moment it snapped. That is what has got me confused.

Thanks,

Charles.

Reply to
Charles

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