Clutch problems

All right so i was driving home today and my cherokee decides it wants to break. When ever i try to shift gears it is really hard to shift and thats if i can even get it to go into gear. Then when i try to put it in reverse it just grinds and will not go into gear. Im thinking it might either be the clutch release cylinder or the release lever or the release bearing. If any body has any thoughts as to what else it might be i would appreciate it. And if any one has had a problem similar to this could you please tel me what you did.
Thanks,
Scott

It's happened to me twice, once with an '88 MJ and once with an '88 XJ. The MJ ruptured the slave cylinder and dumped all the juice on the ground. The XJ burst the hose connecting the master cylinder to the slave ... and dumped ll the juice on the ground.

Step 1: Check the clutch master cylinder. Does it have fluid?

Step 2: Inspect undercarriage. Is there any evidence of fluid dripping out of the bell housing or running down along the hose from the master cylinder?

i dont think there are any leaks cause its in my garage right now and there is no fluid under it, any other suggestions, anyone??

Did you open the master cylinder to check the fluid level?

Also check the carpet above your left foot, around the fuse panel. If the clutch master cylinder fails, it can leak fluid through the firewall onto the fuse panel. Or it might just fail internally and allow fluid to bypass the piston seal.

If the master cylinder is empty, there may be no drip on the floor because it lost all the fluid on the road. When my slave cylinder blew, it was sudden and complete failure. When the hose failed, it started bleeding through a cracked "sidewall" and I got a few final shifts out of it, each with a bit less pedal feel and a bit more gear grind than the one before.

It is the slave cylinder.

It will shit the bed and just slosh fluid back & forth....I have only blown one slave where it actually leaked fluid, but the throw out bearing blew and took out the slave bellow, which cause the loss of fluid. I'm on my 3rd slave now.....

But, as Eagle siad...check the master cyl first.....easier fix...if you're that lucky.........

Oh, also check the welds on your clutch pedal.....I had the pedal itself break which symptomed like a blown slave.....

No its not that, i checked the level of the master cylinder and it was full. Are there any other possibilities?? Thanks

BlueMJ said:

It will shit the bed and just slosh fluid back & forth....

Click to expand...

Under this mode of failure, there won't be massive loss of fluid. Try bleeeding it and see if that helps. If it does, it may be temporary. Or, if it's what BlueMJ says, it may push fluid with the bleeder open when there's no pressure, but not build up enough pressure to actuate the clutch when the bleeder is closed.

Originally Posted by BlueMJ
It will shit the bed and just slosh fluid back & forth....What does that mean

The seal inside the bellow gives out and instead of the slave holding pressure when the clutch pedal is depressed, it simply allows the fluid to leak through, thus not building the pressure required to release the clutch.....basically it means your slave cylinder is FUBAR and you need to replace it. I have been told failure is due to poor quality part manufacturing for aftermarket parts...but if yours is original still, it just may have lived it's natural life. Try bleeding it as Eagle said...you may be able to get enough pedal to drive it to the shop.

My MJ is sitting in the side yard requiring this very same repair...for the 3RD TIME in 5 years.....I had been recommended to use either a MOPAR slave cylinder (about $170 US) or a slave maunfactured by FTE automotive....they are the top of the line model slaves in AutoZone & Advance Auto ($130-150 US)


Also, what color was the fluid in your master cylinder? Whan 2 of my slaves went it turned the fluid in the master cylinder a murky black color. This last time the fluid was clear and I mis-diagnosed and replaced the master cylinder first.
Good Luck