1997 Slave Cylinder Replacement

Ok --

I'm pretty positive I need to swap my slave cylinder.

Symptoms: Sometimes impossible to shift into any gear, heavy grinding into R. Clutch engages VERY low, ~1" off the ground. With clutch on the ground and in first gear, it begins to engage lightly. The clutch assembly not including the flywheel was changed this past summer (according to seller, I will for the time being assume this is true).

From this description I've found most people are recommending a new slave cylinder. If anyone has a reason to challenge this please let me know any more info I might need, I'd like to make this a one and done kind of repair (Kind of rare in the jeep world).

My question then is, assuming we get beyond the diagnosis, where can I find a good set of instructions on replacing the slave online. I've done the obvious, but not ad naseum, so please keep the LMGTFY to yourself :laugh:

Thanks guys!

Does the clutch require signficant amount of force? Heavy throughout entire push or just at the floor? Is the clutch slipping at all?

Did you ask if they replaced the throwout bearing? (cringe if they didnt)

1st replacement of master and slave = clutched in with normal to light effort and ground gears when i attempted to move gear shift. I think the slave cylinder was broken. Shop replaced master and slave. (After that experience, i sworn to fix my own vehicles.)

2nd replaced master cylinder only= clutch would "lock up" not allowing to depress at all but, then a moment later clutch would work fine. I noticed I could hear some popping in the dash. I believe it was damaged spring in master.

no issues with clutch pedal, feels pretty normal. the issue is really just with the fact that i can't shift and it engages VERY early. twice now i've needed to turn off the car, shift into first, then start it while engaging at the same time.

Are you losing any clutch fluid? If not, you can try a bleed, first. My '96 has a small allen head fitting down on the slave...crack it enough to drip, and do a gravity bleed. Watch the level in the master cyl, and top up as needed.

If you need to replace the slave, as I understand it, it's a complete unit: master, res, line and slave cylinder all in one, around $125 IIRC.

with the 97 being external, you can do it seperate, however the service manual says to do it as an assembly. i'll try a bleed tomorrow, it mos def has the allen head fitting so i'll try that out. very least if the slave isn't working well it may prolong it.

fyi - bought the new slave for 52 at napa

When I replaced my slave (standard Centric part from parts store - one of the chains, but brain fart has erased which one), it came with good instructions on how to install and bleed, etc. It came with a plastic retainer on the piston, and after the specified prefilling, you put it in with the retainer in place. That holds the piston in the proper location without coming apart. The first pump of the pedal breaks the retainer harmlessly, and after a few pumps of the pedal, you're up and running (assuming it's really the slave not the master!)

If you don't have any leakage, I'd suspect the master first. I had to replace my slave because the exploding clutch throwout bearing took it out....

My son had problems with the master on his 96. Specifically, the bell crank on the pedal mechanism was poorly welded together, and bent. This had the double effect of making it impossible to push the rod on the master cylinder far enough, and also cocked it, so that it eventually wore out the cylinder and jammed. A bend and reweld plus a new master cylinder fixed it. Forum member Ghost had a similar problem a few years ago, I think. It's worth taking a look under there.

Food for thought, and I hope this isn't your problem, but if the flywheel was resurfaced (Chryco says replace--don't resurface) there may not be enough travel to compensate. One fix, and I believe it was Old Man's fix, was to use an aftermarket MC with a larger piston.

I believe the brand was Howe.

well, if it were a flywheel issue i assume that i would have felt it since the clutch was replaced. it felt fine for awhile so i'm assuming it's not.

markjrs3 said:

well, if it were a flywheel issue i assume that i would have felt it since the clutch was replaced. it felt fine for awhile so i'm assuming it's not.

Click to expand...

Reported that new clutches will work fine for a short time after installation, and then fade away after a little wear. Again, hope that isn't your problem.

Good luck.

With a diaphragm clutch, free play should decrease with wear, so I'd expect quicker and better disengagement as it wears in.

I think this may be one reason why you will often notice bad hydraulics after a clutch replacement.