okay, i've read through old threads and people keep saying how easy it is to work on the slave cylinder or to simply look at it to make sure its moving properly but i have found it to be a total pain in the butt.....you can hardly even get at the two bolts which attach it or even the fluid line and you cant see a thing.....does every one have a tool or trick that makes working on these much easier...................

I just got stuck on the road because all my clutch fluid decided to leak all out....im thinking the leak is by the slave cylinder because i saw no visible signs on the master and the fluid on the street was closer to the center between my wheels instead of to one side......im hoping it was just my clutch fluid line, which i am replacing tomorrow with an ss one (i took the old one off today and i was able to twist it off by just holding a socket in my hand after i cut the hose short to fit a deep well socket)...my slave and master are no more than a year to year and a half old......after changing them my fluid has always been pretty dark and just recently i had to top it off everyonce and a while...(i was getting around to having it fixed really soon)...does anyone have any tips for working on the slave cylinder or diagnosing it

 

Slave cylinders are a bit of a bitch to get at on the 83-85 12a with the beehive.....
You could be experiencing a bad hose, or the slave could have gone bad, again. The fluid turning dark that fast after replacing the slave and master could be from the hose.

 

The trick to getting the bolts off the slave is using a wobble extension or wobble socket. It's because the bolts seems to be alittle offset when you are trying to get to them. When putting the bolts back in use some electrical tape around the head of the bolt so that it stays in the end of the socket. Make sure they are going back in smoothly. It is a common thing to not have them aligned and wind up with stripped out holes in the trans. Sometimes it's just easier loosening up the trans crossmember bolts and let the trans drop down slightly so you can get in there but that's a last resort.

 

I sometimes use 2 or 3 long extensions on a 1/4" drive ratchet to remove the slave. If you can get the ratchet above the hood line, you have more room to apply torque. If your extensions have some play in them, they can work as well as a wobbly. I start the slave bolts by hand when I can. I have stripped one once. Pulling the tranny to retap the stripped threads taught me to be more careful.

 

you guys are right, it got a lot easier since im a little more experienced now....understanding tools and all what you can do with them really helps (like little tricks and stuff)...............so i pre bled the new slave and did eevrything right and bled the system right and my pedal has a much better feel to it (i put in an ss line) but my tranny problems/noises are gone and the clutch bites much harder, that slave really needed to go i guess.....but im still leaking clutch fluid, it drips down in the center between the wheels pretty steadily.....................the bolt on the slave nearest the brake master cylinder is stripped bad so i forced a bolt in with bigger threads (quick fix i know, but next weekend im paying someone to put in anew clutch and ill ask him to rethread the tranny).........why is it still leaking?? just before i got to work my pedal got stuck against the fire wall again like it did sunday before i lost all the fluid, but its just far enough away to still shift, like a racecar clutch [edal or something with a very short movement, but then i popped it back up and it went to normal, it did this because i was feathering the clutch a little at a streetlight launch.....what the crap is wrong, i need to fix it, my car is losing fluid as i write this and im all the way across town!!!!!!

 

Pre-bleeding the slave is tricky, I never do it. Bench bleed the master about 1/2 the time. You may have forced the internal cup too far out in the slave, or if you rebuilt the slave, it may be beyond repair. I don't rebuild them either, lazy old fart I guess, but the rebuilt usually give longer service than the home jobs.

As for the leak, if you don't see brake fluid near the slave or the master, crawl under the dash and pull the carpet back under the clutch pedal. Keep in mind brake fluid eats paints, exposes the metal so it will rust. Buy a can or 2 of brake cleaner and spray it off as soon as any fluid is spilt.

 

bit its leaking on the outside, i know where it can leak behind the firewall, that's where it leaked before i replaced the the master a long way back.......this is so stressful, i dont get why it would be leaking, the thing is brand new!! should i just get another slave and return the one i bought yesterday

sorry, im just mad at this situation ; )

 

If it's leaking from the slave, then you may have gotten a bad slave. It would help to know exactly where the leak is. It could be from the piston of the slave, or from the hose, or even the bleeder, if they are not tightened fully.
If the clutch fork is bent or badly worn, the piston could be travelling too far, and no slave will hold when the piston travels beyond the design range.

 

ok, so i need to exchange it maybe........but if the fork is worn, what can i do, and what would i feel in the pedal if it is worn...also, how tight do the bleeders need to be??

 

You stated that someone is going to replace the clutch for you soon. Sounds to me like it needs done. While it is apart, inspect the fork, and replace it if it shows any signs of wear or is bent.
The repeated issues you are having with slaves, could be directly related to the clutch needing replaced.
You can try replacing the slave again, but if it does the same, I would advise getting to the clutch replacement step as quickly as possible.
Bleeder only needs to be tightened snugly, or you may not be able to get it loose the next time you want to flush the fluid.

 

To add to Rogue's, as usual good info, have your installer check the clutch fork pivot ball too. They can wear down and I have seen the ball snap completley off. Makes shifting a bitch.

Sucks when you get a bad, rebuilt part, but it happens. I do think that is most of your problem, cheeer up, chill out. Take the bus down to the old strip for the evening and watch the light show..

 

thanks guys...i went to go look at my slave and it looks like it is juicy where the rubber ends and the metal cast begins so maybe it just is bad and is not sealing

 

D'OH! I completely forgot to mention the pivot ball. Thanks T.

Just because a part is "New" or "Reman" does NOT mean it's "Good".........

 

For those bolts, I have a special way of getting them back in...

I used a lit candle. I dipped the head of the bolts in the melted wax and put them in the socket. The wax cooled and held the bolts in the socket.

Supposedly grease works well too.

 

I use a little piece of paper to wedge the bolt in the socket. Somewhere I have a set of magnetic insert of various sizes that go in the socket 1st, then the bolt. I don't know if Sears still sells them or not.

I like the wax idea, diy all the way.