2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.

CLUTCH? problem. i need HELP

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Old Dec 16, 2007 | 11:18 PM
  #1  
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Angry CLUTCH? problem. i need HELP

I'm having some problems with the fc i just bought. I took it to a mechanic for a checkup and he said i may need a new master clutch cylinder. My friend noticed that the clutch pedal felt a bit soft and he recommended i tighten my clutch plate. The car already had problems grinding (sometimes) when i put it into gears (especially high rpms and while racing around and reverse gear). I took it to another mechanic to change the tires and do their full check up and he didn't notice anything wrong. The next couple days later my clutch or something started messing up bad and when i put it into gear, the car bounces around, like when you let off the clutch too fast. It also hardly accelerates, regardless of wot. Tonight it felt somewhat normal again. The clutch pedal feels soft (but it's my first manual car, I've only borrowed my friends honda's and occasional other cars in the past), and the whole pedal does nothing except for the last like inch or two before it's fully released and it's hard to have the car throttled enough because it's hard to tell where the action of the clutch is since it only has like an inch or two of action at the very end before you release it. I told the guy I bought the car from over the phone this story and he thinks I need a slave clutch cylinder!! Everyone says something different and I don't know what part(s) to replace!

It would be very, very helpful if someone could offer any advice on what needs to be done? I would like to put on a nice clutch (possibly a top of the line racing clutch) as my car is fairly modded.. what would a good clutch be and what else could the problem be??

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
-Erik
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Old Dec 17, 2007 | 12:14 AM
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replace both the slave clutch cylinder and master clutch cylinder itll help alot...plus check the oil in the tranny as well could be low
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Old Dec 17, 2007 | 11:44 AM
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yes replace slave and or master...they are cheap really have done it to 2 of my rexex...slave was like 29$ master a bit more...easy job and fixed same descript prob immediately fairly easy to do , bleeding was toughest but ...not really...
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Old Dec 17, 2007 | 11:46 AM
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no it was plain and simple...lol..wo mine in total cost a bit more...$36 for slave and $70 for the master
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Old Dec 17, 2007 | 01:08 PM
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if you dont like the freeplay your car has you can adjust it with the rod behind the clutch pedal.
but like the two said in front of me might was well replace the mc and sc.
and also if you are goign to replace the clutch disk,which you have to take your tranny out to do, you would need to replace the pilot bearing and throw out bearing.
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Old Dec 17, 2007 | 04:10 PM
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be careful with the high rpm grinding that might be your gear syncronizers going bad
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Old Dec 17, 2007 | 04:13 PM
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wtf are you talking about. he has said nothing about grinding gears in high rpms.

are you just trying to get your post count up?
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Old Dec 17, 2007 | 04:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Andrizzanizz
wtf are you talking about. he has said nothing about grinding gears in high rpms.

are you just trying to get your post count up?
Are you blind?


Originally Posted by erik550c
The car already had problems grinding (sometimes) when i put it into gears (especially high rpms and while racing around and reverse gear).

....

-Erik
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Old Dec 17, 2007 | 04:27 PM
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From: eureka
^^ I suggest you read the OP post again.

Change the clutch fluid
Change the tranny fluid
Inspect or replace the shifter bushings. These bushings are common to go out and cause grinding. I had a customer recently want to trade in their rx7. They were told they needed a new tranny cause it wouldn't go into 5th and reverse. I told them to put in new bushings. WHOLA went in to reverse no problem. It's a cheap fix to. Mazdatrix has a great write-up with pics. REALLY EASY TO DO!!!
Welcome to the club
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Old Dec 17, 2007 | 07:24 PM
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ha i guess i am blind. but still that guy was posting in every thread saying the same **** other people said.
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Old Dec 18, 2007 | 03:44 PM
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Ok I am backing what others say because i am not an a** thats going to say something other than the truth and having others back a good decision is usually helpful, at least to most people.
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Old Dec 19, 2007 | 01:31 AM
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Thanks a lot for help... The problem became worse after posting this thread. I had to shove it into first. I put in a new slave clutch cylinder and that became a bit better. When I took the old one off it was loose as hell. So I'm going to change the master and try the bearings cause it grinds in 3rd and reverse and 1st now too. I also tightened the clutch pedal and that helped a lot. My car is becoming slower and slower!!!!!! How come?? It's like it's half as fast and everything was great a couple weeks ago. I have intake, exhaust, piping, headers, new valves, plugs, cables, and some other stuff. It was all solid but now my car is way slower. What gives?
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Old Dec 19, 2007 | 08:34 AM
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Originally Posted by 2gTURBOrx45
Ok I am backing what others say because i am not an a** thats going to say something other than the truth and having others back a good decision is usually helpful, at least to most people.
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Old Dec 19, 2007 | 08:45 AM
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Originally Posted by erik550c
I'm having some problems with the fc i just bought. I took it to a mechanic for a checkup and he said i may need a new master clutch cylinder. My friend noticed that the clutch pedal felt a bit soft and he recommended i tighten my clutch plate. The car already had problems grinding (sometimes) when i put it into gears (especially high rpms and while racing around and reverse gear). I took it to another mechanic to change the tires and do their full check up and he didn't notice anything wrong. The next couple days later my clutch or something started messing up bad and when i put it into gear, the car bounces around, like when you let off the clutch too fast. It also hardly accelerates, regardless of wot. Tonight it felt somewhat normal again. The clutch pedal feels soft (but it's my first manual car, I've only borrowed my friends honda's and occasional other cars in the past), and the whole pedal does nothing except for the last like inch or two before it's fully released and it's hard to have the car throttled enough because it's hard to tell where the action of the clutch is since it only has like an inch or two of action at the very end before you release it. I told the guy I bought the car from over the phone this story and he thinks I need a slave clutch cylinder!! Everyone says something different and I don't know what part(s) to replace!

It would be very, very helpful if someone could offer any advice on what needs to be done? I would like to put on a nice clutch (possibly a top of the line racing clutch) as my car is fairly modded.. what would a good clutch be and what else could the problem be??

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
-Erik
You did bleed the clutch, right? You do have fluid in the cylinder right?

If the master cylinder is leaking, time to get a new one. I would never trust rebuilds since the old cylinder is probably too f'ed up anyway.

If you do get a new master, make sure you get either OEM Mazda, or Tokico (They make the OEM Mazda cylinders.) Do not go with a parts store discount cylinder, those are usually all rebuilt, and will have problems MUCH MUCH sooner than the OEM. Mazdatrix sells the Tokico cylinder in their clutch hydraulics section. (www.mazdatrix.com)

If it was a problem with the slave, your fluid would still be pushing through, but the slave wouldn't do anything (i.e. make the throwout bearing disengage the clutch). You would have a hard time shifting; you'd have to float the gears (shift without the clutch). Actually, those are the same symptoms as a pilot bearing seizing on the input shaft.

Your symptoms definitely sound like a leaking master cylinder or a cylinder that's on the verge of failing. Make sure the clutch is properly bled and that the fluid is at a sufficient level. You should have barely any pedal play. If you still do have play, you probably should order that new cylinder, as well as a new clutch hose. (might as well) For the hose, a lot of people get the SS braided line. (myself included) However, after reading about it more, you find out that, because the SS line has less expansion than the stock OEM line, you punish your hydraulics more. I think the best line to get is just the stock OEM replacement.
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Old Dec 19, 2007 | 05:39 PM
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When you said the car feels slower and slower does it seem like your rpm's are going up and you are hardly accelerating then there is a possibility that your clutch is slipping causing the car to accelerate slower(I have the same issue on my 300zx) so you would need a new clutch. What is your cars mileage, what mods have you done and how much boost are you running. If your making enough power the engine is more powerful than the clutch can hold causing it to spin slower than the engine (hence the word slipping). The only way to fix this is to buy a stronger clutch.
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Old Dec 19, 2007 | 05:52 PM
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Originally Posted by erik550c
Thanks a lot for help... The problem became worse after posting this thread. I had to shove it into first. I put in a new slave clutch cylinder and that became a bit better. When I took the old one off it was loose as hell. So I'm going to change the master and try the bearings cause it grinds in 3rd and reverse and 1st now too. I also tightened the clutch pedal and that helped a lot. My car is becoming slower and slower!!!!!! How come?? It's like it's half as fast and everything was great a couple weeks ago. I have intake, exhaust, piping, headers, new valves, plugs, cables, and some other stuff. It was all solid but now my car is way slower. What gives?

valves?

what valves?

when the clutch is depressed (IE when you are going in gear and all) is the car revving but not going faster? or is it just like the car has no power?

clutch could be slipping and thats not good
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Old Dec 19, 2007 | 05:53 PM
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whoa i read this entire post and when i posted, there was a post almost identical to mine

haha

sorry about that
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Old Dec 20, 2007 | 12:10 AM
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clutch depressed usually means clutch disengaged from the tranny.......
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Old Dec 20, 2007 | 09:50 AM
  #19  
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my bad haha

i coulda swore that depressed was the opposite of pressed
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Old Dec 20, 2007 | 09:55 AM
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no prob,

FWIW, you know those sticks that look like popsicle sticks, that the doctor uses to hold down your tongue? Those are called tongue depressers.
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Old Dec 20, 2007 | 10:17 AM
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i always call them "keep that thing away from my mouth" haha
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Old Dec 20, 2007 | 05:21 PM
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Originally Posted by bunnybunny
whoa i read this entire post and when i posted, there was a post almost identical to mine

haha

sorry about that
its cool dont worry about it it just backs what I said
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Old Dec 20, 2007 | 06:11 PM
  #23  
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yeah backing up always helps
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Old Dec 20, 2007 | 09:28 PM
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Originally Posted by erik550c
My friend noticed that the clutch pedal felt a bit soft and he recommended i tighten my clutch plate.
Fire your friend...
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Old Dec 20, 2007 | 11:20 PM
  #25  
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Originally Posted by Roen
If it was a problem with the slave, your fluid would still be pushing through, but the slave wouldn't do anything (i.e. make the throwout bearing disengage the clutch). You would have a hard time shifting; you'd have to float the gears (shift without the clutch). Actually, those are the same symptoms as a pilot bearing seizing on the input shaft.
I had this problem and I did have to shift without the clutch and slam the shifter into gear. when i replaced the slave everything was fine again. do i need to rebuild my tranny or is my pilot bearing seized? every shop i take it to, will not let me order parts and put them on (so they can make more $$). these three shops located in the same u-shaped parking lot all worked to together to "test" my car and do basically nothing and tell me that "they could never make me happy", etc.. basically they made me BEG them to work on my car and then he told me i need to rebuild my tranny. then the tranny shop there wouldn't even rebuild mine. he tried to send me to this guy to just by a rebuilt one. anyway, they got me good till later that night. i'm first going to do the bushings and other stuff and hope that works.
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