Clutch Cylinders

onspeed · 11-14-2007, 05:37 PM

Recently, my clutch has been staying depressed and I've been having to refill my brake fluid once a week. After some searching of tech sites, I've pinpointed the problem down to the clutch cylinders. What i haven't been able to find online is where the slave cylinder is located. I haven't had the chance to go under the car yet, but I already have the parts. The master cylinder i think is in the engine compartment near the firewall. So if anybody could provide a detailed description of where the slave cylinder is located (maybe pics), that'd be great. Also, are there any tips/tricks i should know before I attempt to change them?

drew1 · 11-15-2007, 03:16 AM

Slave cylinder is on drivers side of bell housing, underneath the car.

New fluid, flush & bleed brakes, too. If using pressure or vacuum bleeder, bleed slave cylinder manually after you finish. a little air can still be in the slave cylinder. This is not a "pump em up, hold, crack bleed valve & tigten once you get fluid & no bubbles" like on brakes It is cracking the bleeder as somebody mashes the clutch pedal and holds it while bleeder is closed. You might have to tap on the cylinder to break up the air hanging in the high place. Be patient, mash pedal slowly. It might take a few times. Don't let resoir run dry.

VINMAN · 11-15-2007, 11:26 AM

Do yourself a favor and replace both cylinders. Dont bother to keep refilling them. If the pedal is staying down the master cylinder is shot.

adrian1 · 11-15-2007, 01:41 PM

look here i posted pics with how to do it. It is under "clutch still getting stuck" Clutch still getting stuck

Hope it helps Adrian

adrian1 · 11-15-2007, 01:43 PM

You should take out the starter inorder to get to the slave cylinder.

Eldorado · 11-15-2007, 11:38 PM

honestly, it's a really simple job.. just slightly time consuming and messy if you've never done it before.

onspeed · 12-01-2007, 02:18 PM

update- I finally got a chance today to replace the master cylinder. After a fustrating 2 hours, i managed to get it out and get the new one back in. I jacked the car up in an attempt to replace the slave but i wasn't able to find it.

Now, i'm told its near the start/clutch housing/bell housing, however i don't exactly know where those are. Also, i saw brake fluid leaking under the car, so i'm guessing my hose is also broken? Is the slave cylinder close to this silver rectangular thing?

(not my picture)

flash968 · 02:46 PM

the easy way to find it is to follow the line that runs from the master, down along the engine, to the slave, located above the starter

if you have not yet done so, save yourself having to do this again next week by changing the high pressure hose now

onspeed · 12-01-2007, 03:12 PM

Which hose would that be in this part diagram
http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/PartsLookup/search.cgi?command=show_page&Catalog_Name=944_2_USA_85_88_KATALOG&Illustration=702-00&Line_Item=22

22 or 23?

Also, why does 22 not look like mine? My piece that should be #22 has a lot more metal before it goes to rubber.

schmedes1 · 12-01-2007, 08:14 PM

Isn't the master clutch cylinder kind of a PITA to replace if its not leaking?

onspeed · 12-01-2007, 08:39 PM

I'm not sure if leaking or not makes replacement easier however, it was frustrating for me to replace due to lack of space. Where the cylinder bolts into the chassis is in an very cramped spot. Also, the pipe which goes to the slave cylinder is prebent metal as well as in a very cramped spot. Just getting it back onto the new cylinder took very many tries as since i couldn't get the screw to line up correctly.

Now back to my problem, i think my hose is leaking since i see fluid leaking onto the ground. If i replace the slave cylinder and bleed the system, the clutch should work properly despite the leak in the high pressure hose right? Also, any tips on bleeding without the pressure thing? Do i jack the car on the front or rear?

Eldorado · 12-01-2007, 09:52 PM

the cylinder itself could be leaking, it doesn't need to be the hose.

jack the car up from the rear - that makes bleeding the system much much easier.

find the starter. The slave cylinder is right behind it.

flash968 · 12-02-2007, 03:06 AM

22 is the hose

if there are any leaks, the system will not work properly - hydraulics are about pressure, not flow

the entire job should not take more than 3 hours to replace the master, slave, and hose, including bleeding

i HIGHLY recommend a Motive Power Bleeder - it makes this job MUCH easier

also, have the rear of the car higher than the front during bleeding

HondaDustR · 12-02-2007, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schmedes1

Isn't the master clutch cylinder kind of a PITA to replace if its not leaking?

It might be failing even without external leaks...like mine did. Replace it.

Oh, and nice exhaust header, onspeed! What is it?

onspeed · 12-02-2007, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HondaDustR

It might be failing even without external leaks...like mine did. Replace it.

Oh, and nice exhaust header, onspeed! What is it?

not my picture

i'm going to give it another go today, we'll see how it turns out.

onspeed · 12-02-2007, 09:50 AM

After replacing the slave cylinder, and bleeding it, my pedal still sticks to the floor. Now assuming my hose is in good shape, what else could cause this to happen?

flash968 · 12-02-2007, 10:01 AM

could actually be the blue hose - if it is hardened, it will not seal properly and air gets in - we just had this happen on a car a couple of months ago - it would bleed, and seem fine, and then the pedal would go to the floor

at any rate, pedal going to the floor indicates a lack of pressure in the system - there is either a leak or an expansion somewhere - have someone push the pedal while you watch the high pressure hose - do the same thing and look elsewhere for bubbles

i am assuming you didn't do anything wrong like using tape on the threads

onspeed · 12-02-2007, 11:32 AM

As i was bleeding it, the pedal never got harder... it was odd. The pedal seems to be spring loaded back and forth. I checked the hoses and i couldn't find a leak anywhere. Guess i'll just have to replace them all... damn. Also, the paper gasket i had around the master cylinder tore, does this matter? My car only has like 30k, is it more likely that my hoses are hardened/broken?

flash968 · 12-02-2007, 02:29 PM

it is an age thing more than mileage

have someone look at the hose - my guess is that it is expanding like a balloon as the pedal is pushed

Eldorado · 12-02-2007, 05:46 PM

i'll ask the question nobody has asked yet... do you know how to bleed it using the pedal? you need two people.

open bleed nipple on slave. I believe it's 7mm...
depress the clutch...
before clutch reaches floor, close nipple...
pull clutch pedal up...

repeat until no air comes out.