Not good news. Thanks.
Son Having Some Clutch issues...HELP!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,582
Likes: 968
From: Communist Colorado
Son Having Some Clutch issues...HELP!
I usually do all the work on our Vettes, but my son (Willymo), is in the USMC in California and I can only help him on the phone from here in Colorado.
The symptoms are that he lost clutch fluid and his engagement was coming in with the pedal about an inch from the floor. I walked him through moving the computer outta the way and getting the master filled back up. This got him back to base (about 20 miles) It was ok for a bit, then it got bad again.
He says he was only a tad bit low on fluid, but the pedal was still engaging very close to the floor. I think theres air in the system.
Is it absolutely needing to be bled with the bleeder on the slave or will it eventually work the air out on its own if he pumps the pedal?
I told him to feel down in the footwell behind the carpet to see if it was wet, he said it wasnt.... also nothing on the ground under the car....where is the fluid? Car has around 40k on it. 1995
The symptoms are that he lost clutch fluid and his engagement was coming in with the pedal about an inch from the floor. I walked him through moving the computer outta the way and getting the master filled back up. This got him back to base (about 20 miles) It was ok for a bit, then it got bad again.
He says he was only a tad bit low on fluid, but the pedal was still engaging very close to the floor. I think theres air in the system.
Is it absolutely needing to be bled with the bleeder on the slave or will it eventually work the air out on its own if he pumps the pedal?
I told him to feel down in the footwell behind the carpet to see if it was wet, he said it wasnt.... also nothing on the ground under the car....where is the fluid? Car has around 40k on it. 1995
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 1,917
Likes: 109
From: Crystal lake Il
2022 Corvette of the Year Winner -- Modified
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The system will bleed itself, chances are the clutch slave is shot. Your fluid may be in the bell housing, when they leak it wil come out where the actuator rod is.
If you add fluid and it turns black, thats the actual seals coming apart in the master cylinder or slave.
LGAFF
90 ZR1 #966
92 ZR1 #234
If you add fluid and it turns black, thats the actual seals coming apart in the master cylinder or slave.
LGAFF
90 ZR1 #966
92 ZR1 #234
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,582
Likes: 968
From: Communist Colorado
Awww CHIT man! 
Go out to the car tomorrow and try pumping the pedal. You need to do it 30, 40 times, slowly deliberately. See if it helps. If not, you may need a slave. Its so frikken easy to change if you can get it on a lift. Talk to your buddy with the mechanical knowledge and you two should be able to figure it out. Its 2 nuts and a hydraulic line fitting and thats pretty much it. I'll help by phone. I did the one in the ZR-1 already. I'll look for one and see how much it costs.
*edit* looks like about $130. for the stamped steel OEM type..... not too bad!
Go out to the car tomorrow and try pumping the pedal. You need to do it 30, 40 times, slowly deliberately. See if it helps. If not, you may need a slave. Its so frikken easy to change if you can get it on a lift. Talk to your buddy with the mechanical knowledge and you two should be able to figure it out. Its 2 nuts and a hydraulic line fitting and thats pretty much it. I'll help by phone. I did the one in the ZR-1 already. I'll look for one and see how much it costs.*edit* looks like about $130. for the stamped steel OEM type..... not too bad!
Last edited by 81c3; Jan 18, 2010 at 11:26 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 7,999
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From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
Cruise-In III Veteran
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St. Jude Donor '12
No bleeder on the master cyl, its on the slave and pretty obvious.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 414
Likes: 0
From: Oxford CT
I just flushed and bled my clutch master and slave system using the ZFdoc method (fluid was black and needed it). I used a mity vac to pressure bleed and everything works perfectly so far.
http://www.zfdoc.com/clutch_hydraulic.htm
Like lgaff said, sounds like you may have to replace the slave.
http://www.zfdoc.com/clutch_hydraulic.htm
Like lgaff said, sounds like you may have to replace the slave.
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