Needed some advice on what to look for here. I've got an 83 limited edition that has a clutch that's making me nervous. When I first picked up the car, clutch was working fine. While I was fiddling with the engine trying to coax it to life, the clutch suddenly felt like it had no pressure at all when pushing it down. After a while noticed it felt like it was sticking near the floorboard, mashed it down hard, and it had pressure again. Now that the RX is running, every once in a while it feels like the clutch goes out again. I bled the lines and got the rustiest looking fluid you've ever seen. I'm thinking about rebuilding/replacing the cylinders, but do you think there might be other culprits? Any idea how to check?

Thanks

 

Hey, if you've bled the lines, there shouldn't be air left in there unless you have a leak. if you have a leak, there should be fluid around the master or slave cylinder. Take a good look at them and even look under the rubber thing on the slave. If it's dry.. maybe you have something wrong with the release bearing.. I don't know, but if it's wet, it doesn't cost much and it doesn't take long to rebuild them both. Ask for a rebuild kit for both.

 

also if you saw rust in the fluid, you probley have some restrictions in the slave cylinder from the rust,,,they pit up,,,try rebuild kit (8 bucks) and might as well replace the short hose that goes between the master and slave (8 bucks) mine had a tiny pin hole in it causing me to loose pressure,,,,,,,,good luck,,,,,,,

 

Replace the cylinders, don't rebuild... Self rebuilds suck in quality compared to factory rebuilds.

If you have rust in it, Replace both at the same time. Also do the hose and blow compressed air through the steel line if you don't replace that. If you don't clean the system out completely, then the crap will scratch up the walls of your new cylinders and you're back to the same problem.

Master should be around US$40-50
Slave should be around US$20-30
Rubber hose should be around US$15-25

Mazdatrix had the second best prices I found in my search that included the local stores and the dealer. Local import parts shop had the best price.

 

Not arguing with you, but does anybody else agree with Pele? That's a huge price difference between the rebuild and new, but if new makes a huge difference, is that the way to go? Just wanted to get a second or third opinion before I drop $100 compared to $30...

 

Hiya, Buckaroo....

It's easier, quicker, and if you havn't done a rebuild before, more trustworthy to go ahead and get remanufactured stuff from your auto supply house.

Just muh opinion, but then I'm justa 'ol Cowboy livin' inna abandoned corncrib with a mangey orange garage cat....Shoot, new which end of this wrench should I use...the open end, or the box? Hell, I dunno, all them new cars look like jelly beans to me......

Just talkin' to hear himself talk,
Denny

 

In order to do a proper rebuild, you've gotta hone the cylinder walls. If you don't know what honing is, It smoothes the side out so a proper seal can be achieved. Therefore, you have to own a hone. Add that to your $30 rebuilds, plus the time required to perform the rebuild...

Then if you don't hone the wall or hone it improperly, you may not get a good seal or wear the new seals out faster. It only takes a couple thousandths of an inch to screw it up.

Don't get me wrong. If you know how to do it, and have the proper tools, go for it.

If you've never honed a hydraulic cylinder, don't have a hone, or don't want to deal with precise specifications. Buy the cylinders themselves.

 

Hey Pele,

Don't forget you gotta have a tool to power the hone, at least an electric drill...Then what are you gonna hold the cylinders in? Your hand? Not to accurate, eh? Oh, you need a vise? What do yuh lube the hone with? Whadda yuh mean, a drill press? Jeeeez! Hey, I don't wanna built the Taj Mahal!

Denny, from the 'ol corncrib...

 

Never honed before, so I didn't realize I needed all that... Probably why I went with new cylinders.

 

Crap...I hate having to shave anything. I figure anything I can unbolt I can usually manage to rebolt together (rebuilt the carb with this attitude...still need to get the idle adjusted right though...stupid Michigan winter weather making the tools cold...yeah I'm a whiner). Anything you trim off or cut is permenant.

All right, just hypothetically since you can't learn if you don't try, how hard is it to hone the cylinders? My father has a drill press used for woodworking I can probably draft into service (knowing the tools he buys it probably has enough power to drill a diamond). If the honing is substandard (or skipped)...any idea how long the rebuild will last?

 

How substandard are we talkin? Like I said. Only a few thousandths of an inch can make the difference. Try it.. No better way to learn than grabbin the tools and goin at it.

How do you think I learned all this **** about cars? Not a single class.

Yes, I do break **** from time to time. Part of the risk of having fun.

 

Used to hone out the clutch slaves on my collection of Volvos. You can get a hone at just about any Auto Supply House, and even Sears Hardware sells one....I used to use an electric drill and had the slave cylinder held in a vise. As Pele says, you don't have much of an idea of where you are regarding measurements, so my rebuilds didn't last nowhere near as long as a new one....I'm tellin' yuh, reman is the way to go, hear me now, and believe me later...

Denny, from the 'ol corncrib....

 

The general consensus on Brake master/slave cylinders is buy reman don't rebuild. That's the way I went, I got the parts from Victoria British. Mainly because I could drive there and get them, anyway, I have no problems now. (six months later).
just my opinion,
hanman

 

Well, my grandfather owned an autoshop back in the day, and it seems that included amongst the tools my Dad inherited were some honing bits...so it looks like I'm going for it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Yay for learning the hard way!

 

After carefullly reading the above threads i have come to one conclusion...

CHEAP ***!!!!!

J/K, i've gone the same route as you are and had success..

 

Id say if you know how rebuild it, if you dont buy a new one. At least for clutch cylinders, if its a brake cyclinder BUY A NEW ONE.

Thats just my advice