So i go to start my car today and when i pushed the clutch in it felt very odd. Basically the first half or so of the travel had no resistance and the clutch now disengaged less than an inch off of the floor.

So i was thinking that the clutch hydraulics would be to blame. I checked the clutch master and the fluid level is almost to the full line. Which leads me to believe that the hydraulics are still in working order . . . if my understanding of the clutch system is correct the master or slave would be leaking if one of them was faulty? Is the a correct assumption to make?

The thing that really throws me off however is that after 30 minutes of driving or so the clutch pedal all of the sudden felt normal again?! And i mean all of the sudden as in i downshifted to 4th on the freeway and the clutch felt sloppy and then when i upshifted back to fifth it felt like it is supposed to?

Does anyone have suggestions or experience to help me out? The fact that the clutch hydraulics aren't leaking leads me to think that the pressure plate could be failing? I hope that isn't the case . . .

 

Strange one without seeing the car.

My clutch is rather strange because of a groove in the pressure plater finger springs, and as it warms up, it gets less abrupt. This is with a new master and slave + stainless steel soft line.

Yes, technically my pressure plater is failing. Is it an an immediate "oh ****" no. Grooves in the plate indicate that the plate needs to be replaced, but thats just wear and tear. It isn't a emergency.

The unfortunate thing is, you need to remove the transmission to see that.

 

Well as of now the car is still driveable. I just worry that one of these days that last little bit of clutch travel won't be enough to disengage the clutch anymore, and i'll be stranded somewhere.

This is one of those times i really wish i had a lift . . . because i sure as hell don't want to change a clutch assembly with the car on jackstands

 

Sounds like your clutch needs bled out. After you use it a while it works OK.

 

the MC can leak internally and not leak externally.

 

Learn(and practice) driving the car without the clutch. turn it off at red lights and start it and first gear to get going.

 

Is there anyway to check if it's leaking internally? When that happens is fluid allowed to go around the piton? instead of pressurizing the system? Just trying to understand how that would work?

 

Will do, i just looked that up on youtube. I guess it never really occured to me how you would do that. Thank you for the heads up!

 

throw out bearing is another suggestion.
here: look at my old one:https://www.rx7club.com/canadian-forum-42/why-they-call-throw-out-bearing-945007/

 

Check the slave, or bleed the clutch and see if it feels any better

 

Hold the clutch pedal down for about a minute. Does it stay on the floor?

 

I will check that when i go start the car today. If it does what would that mean?

 

if it does, and doesnt leak externally, then the piston in the MC isnt sealing properly. its a 50 dollar part and quit guessing.

 

On my drive home from school, about an hour on the freeway I got to test two things. While on the freeway I tested to see if the clutch was slipping by doing full throttle runs in 5th from around 2000 rpm. The cluth didn't slip at all so that should rule out any pressure plate problems right?

Once I got home and park I tested the clutch by holding the clutch in for a minute. When I first applied the clutch it was still very soft, when I let up after a minute however if felt normal? I then procceded to cycle the clutch about 30 times and it stayed hard. What gives?

I guess my next bet should probably be to buy a bunch of dot 3 and borrow a friend and just bleed the clutch until it feels normal?

p.s. Sorry if any of this is confusing. It's late and i'm replying on my phone. Thanks for the help/patience everyone!

 

On a lot of cars, when the MC leaks internally, you can pull the carpet back from the firwall inside the car and find the fluid leaking out. That's where I would start as what you described sounds very much like MC issue.