Crap in the Clutch Master Cylinder

OK, I popped it open today just to cross the T's and dot the I's... and I have noticed that there seems to be some sort of contamination. Best description would be that when I look at it, it looks like mold, although when I fish out the bits and spread them between my fingers they seem to be nonexistance (but I can see them)..... So I guess flushing that crap might be in order as well.... how do I do that? I looked in the FSM and I couldn't find anything about flushing it. All it talked about is how it's sealed at the factory and it shouldn're require attention....

Kejtar
P.S. I'm still going to look into rebuilding the clutch though as that seems to be a whole different problem.

Sealed?

A hydraulic clutch system is just like a hydraulic brake system. The fluid should be replaced periodically, and the way to do it is just like with brakes -- bleed the system until you see clean fluid coming out of the bleeder screw.

That crap may be the master seal material....mine had stuff floating in it just before the master failed. I have been following you clutch questions....and I have one for you, Does it slip when starting from a dead stop? If not then it ain't your clutch there bubba. Try it in 2nd gear, a bad clutch will slip...allot.

Good luck, I have done my slave several times, so if you want help just pick-up my airfare and I am there.

Rev

Rev Den said:

That crap may be the master seal material....mine had stuff floating in it just before the master failed. I have been following you clutch questions....and I have one for you, Does it slip when starting from a dead stop? If not then it ain't your clutch there bubba. Try it in 2nd gear, a bad clutch will slip...allot.
Good luck, I have done my slave several times, so if you want help just pick-up my airfare and I am there.
Rev

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OK.... I have never had it slip from a dead stop. But then it doesn't slip right after gear change either (well I can make it slip there if I want to ). Under semi normal driving it slips after I as in a particular gear for a while, under hard acceleration.

In regards to the master, my question is: isn't it primarily there to help the engagement of the clutch?? So if I already assume it's disengaged (driving in the particualr gear for a while) and it slips when I hard accelarate, wouldn't it mean that extra torque on the clutch makes it slip? I'm all confused now....

Kejtar said:

In regards to the master, my question is: isn't it primarily there to help the engagement of the clutch?? So if I already assume it's disengaged (driving in the particualr gear for a while) and it slips when I hard accelarate, wouldn't it mean that extra torque on the clutch makes it slip? I'm all confused now....

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How many years have you been driving a stick shift and you don't know how a clutch works?

The (clutch) hydraulic system replaces the convoluted mechanical linkage that was used in older vehicles. The master cylinder is connected to the clutch pedal, the slave cylinder is connected to the clutch release bearing, and there is a hydraulic line between the two.

When you step on the clutch peddle, that motion has to be transmitted to the pressure plate to tell it to move away from the clutch disc. The hydraulic fluid is what transmits the movement -- just like in a brake system. The master cylinder doesn't in any way help the clutch to engage -- it disengages it.

There is no progressive force in the stock clutch. Centerforce uses centrigugal weights to increase clamping at high RPM, but for the OEM clutch think of it as either engaged (foot off clutch peddle) or disengaged (foot on clutch peddle).

As I encountered a week ago, when you lose the clutch hydraulics, you still have a clutch -- you just have no way to disengage it. I drove home 100 miles without having the ability to disengage the clutch. If I had to make a complete stop, I had to shut off the engine, and restart with the shifter in first gear. Once rolling, I was able to shift w/o using the clutch, and it only ground going into fourth.

You have the opposite problem -- the clutch is supposed to be engaged, but it's not doing the job under full power. That means either contamination on the flywheel (unlikely, since you have an external slave cylinder), or the clutch disc is worn down to where the rivets are riding on the flywheel or the disc is just so thin that the pressure plate doesn't have enough range of motion to clamp it completely.

It has to come out, and it's a dirty job to do on your back in the driveway or your home garage. Personanly, I'm too old to be bench pressing trannies any more. BTDT -- if I were in your spot, with a digit out of action, I'd take it to a shop.

Eagle said:

How many years have you been driving a stick shift and you don't know how a clutch works?

Click to expand...

But I know how it works: I push the pedal and it works

On a more serious note, I have a vague understanding of it, but not enough to diagnose it Hopefully with time it will change

Easy way to change the fluid is the same way you do your brakes - put a vacuum bleeder on the port for the slave (where you bleed it) and have a kelper keep putting fresh fluid in up top while you pull it from the bottom. When it finally comes out clear, you're done.

You should do this every two years - just like your brakes. In fact, do it at the same time...

If you have the vacuum bleed kit, you're off to a good start. I find the little jars that come with them rather small, tho, and I plan to make a much larger one when a few spare moments present themselves...

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