Hey all,

Did a search but only found one similar result...need more details to diagnose. What's the case with mine?

So my clutch pedal has started to stick about 2 weeks ago. If I were to stay in first or reverse long (say about 5-10 seconds), the clutch was stick since the clutch is used longer than any other gears. Just this past weekend, a buddy and I bled just from the clutch line for now (brakes later). I never bled before but read about it. My buddy has bled before on his pas FD's so I trust his experience so I didn't question him. However, when we bled, we only bleed like 3-4 times (press clutch pedal, press clutch pedal, pres clutch pedal, HOLD clutch, open bleed valve, let fluid spill, close, release clutch pedal). I did notice that we didn't use any airline tubing to a bottle w/ 1/4 fresh fluid as many walkthroughs say. How could we see what air is coming out if no tubing was used I thought? Plus, we didn't keep retopping off the main clutch/brake reservoir. We just simply let the fluid spiill onto the floor (he owns a shop). Again, we only did this like 2-4 times. The clutch pedal seemed okay as I drove back home w/o stickyness...but later in evening, the freakin' clutch would NOW stick if I just barely tap the clutch pedal even just for 1-2 seconds (I could see it slowly sinking to the floor) AND the clutch would no longer allow me to engage into any gear MOST times. Occasionally, I could go in gear while car is off but it would lunge forward a bit when turning back on. I'm assuming since we didn't do the entire process correctly (no tubing, keep topping off reservoir w/ fresh fluid, see constant spewing from clutch bleed valve) which is why my clutch is now sinking and has no pressure? Any tips or info in advance would be appreciated. Thanks to all for reading.

P.S. ....I'll be ordering some Speed Bleeders today so I can redo the air-bleed again by myself and carefully. Hopefully, this is the case otherwise I'll have to change out the MC/SM.

 

It's either air or a worn clutch master. If the slave is bad you would have seen it leaking when you went under there to bleed it.

I've always found everything on this car easy to bleed. I have never needed to use the pump, hold, bleed technique on it. I attach a hose to the bleeder and insert the hose into the bottom of a bottle so the end is submerged. I then open the bleeder and continually pump the pedal slowly until I see no more bubbles or until I see clean fluid (if I'm flushing the system), then I close the bleeder.

Doing it this way the system can't suck air because there is a hose attached to the bleeder which is now full of fluid. If the system tries to pull anything backwards it won't get air, only fluid. Be certain to keep the reservoir topped up; this is a must.

 

Thanks DamonB for input,

...see. We didn't do the step of having tubing w/ the extra fluid to submerged through...instead we just let the bleed valve exposed to the open air w/o tubing and let it spill onto the shop floor. Also, we had fully pumped the clutch pedal to the floor too on each hold (some guides said not to?). When I do the bleeding again shortly with the Speed Bleeders...I'll have the tubin' w/ jar (a step not takin previousy). And I'll flush it with repetitive retopping off the clutch/brake reservoir (a step not takin previousy). Hope this is the case with a more thorough process. I still appreciate my buddy that helped.

DamonB, my clutch not only sticks easier after this incident....but now what would make my clutch pedal (when pressed) not allow me to go in any gears most times? I can still lift the clutch pedal back though. I just hope it's full of air which would explain the reason...

 

...double post.

 

Because the pressure plate is not fully disengaging due to the fact that your hydraulics are not working correctly. If there is air in the system you lose travel at the slave cylinder. If the clutch master is worn and won't hold enough pressure the slave cylinder will lose travel as well. This means the pressure plate doesn't completely (or possibly at all) disengage.

 

Hi, thanks for the great info. Just earlier that day before the bleed, I was driving the car around like normal to my buddies shop knowing my pedal would stick. The shifting was always fine it was just the clutch pedal my only concern (so I hope!).

Anyhow I was doing some more search just now. I was just reading up on broken clutch forks too...so I hope that isn't the case as well considering I just had had the tranny removed last year and car shifts fine. Thanks again, I will report back later this week when I get a chance to redo the bleeding process. If that fails as well (at least have some pressure in clutch again so I can engage to shift), I'll look into replacing the MC/SM.

 

Sorry if I'm repeating anything....

Check to see that your clutch master isn't leaking. Mine was leaking in the cabin side (by where the plunger goes intot the clutch master cylinder). Obviously it was otast. My car sat for about a month at a body shop and all of the brake/clutch fluid leaked out, and when the body shop people went to start my car up for the first time in a month, the pedal went to the floor.

Changed out the clutch master, refilled the fluid and bled the system. clutch works like a charm now, no more sticking

EDIT: you don't need any speedbleeders to bled the clutch. It took me about 10 minutes and four cycles to bleed mine. Good luck!

 

Thanks for info. I checked for leaks under/over the carpet for any noticeable leaks back when I first notice the symptoms (about 2 weeks ago). I didn't see leaks but the clutch master cylinder area the pedal plunger presses against looks "moist"...maybe that's an indication as well. I just ordered the Speed Bleeders today since I'm usually busy and my frieneds are always at work or school...hard to find time and easier I read too. Haha. Lucky to have a buddy this past weekend. Weird schedule we all have.

How long did it take you to change out the master cylinder and slave master (if you did this too)? Thanks.

 

Hello, maybe someone can help me too. Not too long ago while driving around town (starting and stoping alot) very quickly I was no longer able to shift into any gears while at a stoplight. I mean it went from being able to put it 1st with a little hesitation to not being able to put it in any gear within four stoplights. So here I was at a stoplight that had now turned green and I couldnt go any where. So naturally I killed the car put it into first and had to start it in gear to make it home. Since there was no slippage of the clutch I just assumed that it was the hydrolics. I then replaced my master and slave cylinders and put on a SS line just so I wouldnt have anymore problems. It worked great for about a day. I could put it into gear with no probs at all. Now it seams like its going down hill pretty fast again. I am having alot of difficulties trying to put it into gear from a stop. The thing is that I know its disengaging because if I put it in first while rolling to a stoplight and just keep the clutch pushed, I can still just sit there without the brake applied and the car doesnt try to go anywhere.

Do you think I have some trans problems or do I just need to see if I still have some air in the line thats letting me disengage just enough but not all the way to make and easy shift.

Any info would help.
Thanks

 

I didn't do my slave, but the master job took about a total of 2 hours. 1 hour to remove/replace, and 1 hour of bleeding. When I discovered the "proper" way to bleed, it took me 10 minutes (four cycles of pumping, check fluid, go under car). You'll need some small extensions (1/4" drive) and the thing is held in by two 12 mm (I think...) bolts. You can get to them from inside the car, right up there where the plunger fits in the master unit. That "weeping" fluid may be the sign that it's going out.

Have you been having to refill your clutch/brake resivoir with fluid lately? Let me know if you have more questions...

 

Hi, my speed bleeders should be in today or tomorrow so I'll do bleeding again after work and more thorough pump cycles since we skipped out on some steps last time. Also, I had to top off my clutch/brake reservoir weekly since last summer. (****, I forgot to note this important info!)

 

1. Some clutch slave cylinders have a little chrome ball (like a BB) in the bleeder screw hole. My original slave cylinder had this, but the reman one I got later did not (and the bleeder screw also had diff threads on the reman). If your cylinder has the BB and it fell out, you need to find it and put it back in.

2. Make sure the slave cylinder isn't just loose. My clutch stopped working and I rebuilt my master, replaced the clutch line, and then noticed that my slave cylinder had come loose when I went to install my new (reman) slave cylinder. I wish I had just checked the slave cylinder in the first place.

Additional notes:
1. You don't need a bottle with Speedbleeders -- they have a check valve to prevent sucking air in.

2. Speedbleeders don't work well when there is a lot of air in the system -- you might need to reinstall a normal bleeder to get the air out and then switch back to the Speedbleeder.

-Max

 

Hi Max,

Thanks for the hot tips. I will save this thread as it has lots of imformative information. Right now, I don't know how much air I got in my system. When my buddy and I had did the bleed process past weekend, we missed out on some steps so I'm not sure if air was allowed back in at one point. I won't know...but I will try the Speed Bleeder anyways and/or try to get a buddy to come over at his convenience to help me out with normal bleeding (you referring vacs or traditionaly 2 people tube/bottle trick?). Thanks again, max.

tC

 

Hey all, just recently did bleeding and that didn't solve my issue. Went ahead and had replaced my master cylinder and slave master replaced at a shop. Bam! My clutch pedal is no longer sticking and has lots of nice pressure again. Woo-hoo.

However, one thing I noticed...my brake/clutch fluid was filled to the Full mark about 2 days ago since both MC/SM was replaced. But just earlier this evening after work n' parking it for the night, I noticed I lost about quarter of an inch (.125) fluid in my brake/clutch reservoir..it's still full but a tad bit is gone...do I have a leak somewhere maybe? Maybe it's not my MC/SM and could possibly be my brake and/or clutch lines?I heard a few folks who can't trouble shoot this and just top it off periodically. What do you guys/gals think? Will call shop to have another look and make sure things are tighten and such