Clutch losing pressure...
 

My 1988 N/A has been running great since I have been doing some work on it, but now I have hit another obstacle... My clutch loses pressure whether I am at a stop light and stay in gear, and it also drops from basic shifting.

I havent touched anything in terms of clutch/ transmission, so I dont think it could be air in the lines. My thought would be the master cylinder leaking internally, as there is nothing leaking elsewhere.

Will a master/ slave cylinder replacement probably do the trick? I see there are quite a few different ones at RockAuto, which would be best?

Thanks!

Do the master, slave AND hose at the same time.

I've had good luck with Beck Arnley stuff but then again, it's not like I buy lots of hydraulic parts, so YMMV.
As for the hose:
There is absolutely NO performance advantage to braided steel compared to rubber.
Braided does look cool and is not very expensive, so use it if you'd like (I did) but don't expect any changes at the pedal (other than what the new MC and slave will provide).

If you're slightly more adventurous, now would be the time to streamline the system even more by replacing the combination hardline/hose altogether- use one long(er...@20") braided hose with banjos at each end and go direct from the master to the slave.
This eliminates one connection point and in hydraulics, the fewer, the better.

Also, put a speed bleeder in the slave (it's either 7 or 8mm, I can't remember offhand).
This makes removing air a one person job...I spent maybe five minutes bleeding my system when the new clutch was installed.

I did exactly what clokker said since I believe he told me the same thing in my thread about a similar issue and it solved it. I mean you can't go wrong replacing the whole system, aha. It's also not expensive since I paid 93$ for both items (i didn't replace the hose, but it's 25$ for a braided one)

and 93 bucks is actually on the expensive side for the 2 parts...

I am going to spend the extra $$ here and get the parts from NAPA, since I need them ASAP and dont want to risk them not getting here until after easter weekend if I order them online. Here in Ontario, $93 is a good price unless you are ordering from online.

Where can I get the hose I need in Ontario? NAPA/ PartSource are a no go. If I just get a 20" braided hose with banjo fittings, whate size are they and can I use pretty much any?

Thanks again,
Joe

That hose looks actually like a Flex line, Joe.
Napa should have everything you need.

The banjos are 10mm, the banjo bolts are 10mm x 1.00, the crush washers are 10mm.
Yes, you can use "any" as long as the fittings are correct.

Here in Denver I have two options:
One shop sells generic Russell AN hose and carries a buttload of adaptors that screw on the standard AN fittings.
The other shop carries Aeroquip fittings and hose, you make it from scratch. A bit cleaner looking (fewer fittings) but generally more expensive.

the slave cylinder must leak before it can actually be the fault.

the master cylinder can bypass without leaking externally, which is most likely your problem. if it is bypassing then it will be leaking in short order inside the car.

and of course check the fluid level, if it's empty it can suck in air and cause this issue and the system may have no problems whatsoever aside from a worn out clutch disc.

Quoted for truth.

Mine was having issues that I couldn't figure out. There was no fluid anywhere, but I was losing pressure. A couple weeks later, fluid under my carpet. Replaced the master, no issues since.

Should've replaced the master first instead of troubleshooting, now I have a fluid-soaked carpet and dunno what to do about it. :icon_tdow

I am picking up a master, slave and hopefully hose today, and will be replacing them over the weekend.

Thanks for all the input, I will give an update once things get underway!

Thanks again,
Joe

Any tips for the R&R of the clutch master? I would imagine there is some PITA stuff up under the dash? My clutch master started leaking externally. At least it was easy enough to diagnose when the pedal started feeling funny.

It's awkward but not terrible.
Undo the clevis pin and free the pushrod from the pedal, then undo the two nuts on the MC studs.
That's pretty much it.

I just replaced my master/ slave cylinders this weekend, and it was a breeze. I spent more time washing my car after than I did doing the repair. LOL.

If you look up under your dash on the drivers side, you will see the 2 bolts that hold the master cylinder. They are diagonal to eachother, both were accessible without removing/ moving anything. I undid the nuts, unhooked the lines, removed the cylinder and put the new one in. Same for the slave.

Joe