Clutch Slave Cylinder
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Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Santa Clara CA
Clutch Slave Cylinder
I had a clutch job done a few months ago, including a slave cylinder. The new slave cylinder "disassembled" (literally; it didn't break). Rather than paying the tow fee to my mechanic, I exchanged to cylinder he installed for a new one from him.
I put the new one in myself and had trouble getting it bled on the car after several master cylinder refills, the clutch pedal stopped going all the way to the floor but I didn't feel pressure plate resistace, just a hard stop an inch from the floor. After some added foot pressure, it went away. I still couldn't get the slave bled, so I took it off the car in an attempt to do in according to the book (bleed first, then install). To my surprise, this slave was also dissasembled and the piston was snapped in two!
Any thoughts?
I put the new one in myself and had trouble getting it bled on the car after several master cylinder refills, the clutch pedal stopped going all the way to the floor but I didn't feel pressure plate resistace, just a hard stop an inch from the floor. After some added foot pressure, it went away. I still couldn't get the slave bled, so I took it off the car in an attempt to do in according to the book (bleed first, then install). To my surprise, this slave was also dissasembled and the piston was snapped in two!
Any thoughts?
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 141
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From: Downers Grove IL
I had the same problem with the slave, it fell apart while bleeding. I returned it to the supplier and got a new one. That one did not fall apart. I think that some of these were incorrectly assembled. Or you got the one I returned.
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From: Santa Clara CA
by disassembled I meant... fell apart (don't know why I didn't just say that). I was considering pulling the trans to see if something inside the bell housing has gone funky, but from all of your input I'm thinking I'll just get unit #3 and give it a whirl first.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Iowa Go Hawks
Here is a disassembled slave.
1 slave housing
2 spring
3 snap ring that holds in the piston
4 piston with seal
5 slave push rod
My question is are you sure the piston broke or did the push rod snap?
the only way the slave can disassemble is for the snap ring to dislodge and let the piston travel out and that would take a lot of pressure. I wonder if you have something binding in your clutch assembly? The push rod is centered in the piston by a rubber bushing, if the push rod is knocked out of center in the installation process it could bind up.
I replaced mine about a week ago.
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From: Santa Clara CA
mesteffen:
From your diagram it would be the pushrod that snapped. The more I think about this, the more I think I did something wroing during installation, and that I caused it to bind. I don't think anything is wrong in the bell housing because when the previous unit was failing (the snap ring that is pictured in the upper-right corner of your diagram [but is un-numbered. You show 2, I only saw 1] is what dislodged, allowing the thing to come apart)) it would work fine until it drained so much clutch fluid that it couldn't generate sufficient hydraulic pressure to actuate the push rod. I'd add more fluid to the master cylinder, pump the clutch peddle about 75-100 times, and all would be well. That diagram is helpful for understanding how the unit works. Thanks for posting it.
Chuck
From your diagram it would be the pushrod that snapped. The more I think about this, the more I think I did something wroing during installation, and that I caused it to bind. I don't think anything is wrong in the bell housing because when the previous unit was failing (the snap ring that is pictured in the upper-right corner of your diagram [but is un-numbered. You show 2, I only saw 1] is what dislodged, allowing the thing to come apart)) it would work fine until it drained so much clutch fluid that it couldn't generate sufficient hydraulic pressure to actuate the push rod. I'd add more fluid to the master cylinder, pump the clutch peddle about 75-100 times, and all would be well. That diagram is helpful for understanding how the unit works. Thanks for posting it.
Chuck
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From: Santa Clara CA
I just put in a new slave, which I purchased from Eckler's. All seems well. I still have no idea how I broke the pushrod on the second unit though! It will remain a mystery, since it's now in the garbage and this problem is behind me. I think this all started with my mechanic having unknowingly installed one of the "bad" slaves on the market.
Thanks for all of your help!
Chuck
Thanks for all of your help!
Chuck
