So my clutch hydraulics haven't been working quite right since I pulled my 7 out of storage. The clutch wouldn't disengage until the last 1.5" of the clutch's pedal travel. I figured that I would bleed the system to see if somehow some air got into the system, and sure enough there was lots of air in the system this morning when I bled my clutch. However, bleeding the system apparently didn't cure the problem, because as I got toward the end of my 20 minute commute, it was getting very hard to get my 7 into gear. The slave cylinder (which was just replaced last May) gave up the ghost as I went to back into a parking spot at work. Cursing to myself, I pushed her into the spot, and now have to find a different way home.

Oh well, a new slave cylinder is a whole $30.

 

Make sure you change both the master and the slave together.

 

I've heard people say this before, but haven't ever gotten a reason why. Why do you do this?

 

Because if one goes out the other is not far behind.

 

I think I'll hold off on replacing the master cylinder until at least this weekend, as I don't have the daylight/time around my work schedule (9am-7pm) to replace both in the parking lot at my office. I have a freshly rebuilt MC sitting in my garage, but based on how well the current one is moving fluid right now, I think I'll be fine for the rest of the week.

Thanks for the info tho.

 

New parts have better tolerances and can take/make the pressure better.

When you have a new part that works hand in hand with another part that you
haven't replaced, it puts extra stress on the older part that has been worn over the
years. Replace the booster and you could blow out the slave in a moment's notice.

 

+100!

The new part WILL couse the old part to fail. Ask me how I know!

If you do not change them together no only will you spend more time and money on brake fluid and bleeding the system twice. Your next post will be: "I left me stranded this morning".

 

See, I replaced the slave cylinder April of 2009, and didn't replace the master (though I ordered both at the same time). Slave died (fluid in the boot).

Brake fluid is cheap, and bleeding takes a whopping 10 minutes (if I'm doing it by myself, less time if I have help). I don't have time/daylight during the week to climb under the dash to swap out master cylinders. I'll replace the slave for now, and replace the master when I get around to it (probably this weekend when I have time and am digging into my brakes...).

 

Your car...

I also don't understand why you were "stranded". I have driven my FB and other cars without a working clutch. You simply rev match (like in the old days). I can understand if you do not want to practice on your FB, but it really is not hard to do.

The most important tip is ensure your car is pointed in the direction that you want to go when you start it.

The second most important tip is don't stop till you get where you are going.

 

I can rev match, I just don't want to overstress my starter by trying to get her fired without any way to disengage the clutch. It normally takes between 5 and 10 seconds of cranking to get my FB to fire.

I'll probably replace the master this weekend, but like I said, I don't have the time/daylight during the week (I run 5+ miles after work every day...) to replace the master cylinder.

 

Clutch died on me coming back from a meet. Know what I used?


2 stroke. Got me home

 

Hahaha.

 

15 minutes from start to finish (including retrieving tools from hatch, etc.)

I love working on FB's.

 

I replaced just the slave about two years ago when it went out. Never replaced the master, and no problems here.