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Clutch Hydraulic Question

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Old Sep 24, 2011 | 12:36 PM
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Default Clutch Hydraulic Question

I have an 86 that I retrofitted a T5 into and reused the stock 4+3 hydraulics.

Recently I have experienced a little issue:
On what appears to be random occurrences the clutch pedal has not resistance (and doesn't work). If I let up and push it again it is just fine. It does it more early in my "adventure" but still happens randomly.

Last weekend I changed the Slave and changed the fluid and bled with a MiteyVac. Did I not bleed it enough/correctly? Is it the Master Cylinder? The fluid was black when I changed it and checked it last night and it is black again - and it was not driven all week? Maybe it all needs to be changed out (one of the very few systems that has not been gone through/replaced).

It is a shame that the Hose is the most expensive thing in the system (probably just get the rubber hose section changed out at a local shop - cheaper that way).
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Old Sep 24, 2011 | 07:26 PM
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sounds like your master bypasses, is there a difference in pedal pressure when it does and doesnt work? and after you pump it and then pump it again does it only take one pump or is it a few? and then after you leave it sit, do you have to pump it again? and does it seem that you use or loose fluid.check on the firewall in side your car up where the clutch rod goes thru to the clutch cylinder. If its wet you are in need of a master. you could also have air in the system.
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Old Sep 24, 2011 | 10:20 PM
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I just replaced my master and slave about 4 months ago. Jumped in the car this morning and pedal released at the floor. Master cylinder is empty, filled it up and I am now pumping three or four times to get adequate pressure. I am pissed. I havent had time to look yet but everything is still under warranty. I am 9 days into a 10 day remodel for a customer so I cant stop to fix it. I know Monday will be car day.
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Old Sep 25, 2011 | 12:04 AM
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Went out and pushed the clutch while watching the MC top (had a whitish clear top on the old one). When I pushed the clutch the first time the fluid went into the reservoir and hit the top (no resistance on the pedal). Second time had resistance on the pedal and no splash in the reservoir.

Got a new MC from Autozone - only 31 bucks - and changed it out. It was a bit of a pain but found it easier to remove the battery. Tried to bleed it with the MityVac to no avail. Got one of the children to help as a pedal pusher and bled the old fashioned way - appears all good now.

BUT - I woke up a few other "beasts" in the mean time. Now the clutch pedal switch is acting up (just going to bypass it). Finally got it to start and getting a CEL. Hooked up the laptop and getting a code 33 (MAF high voltage). Broke out the FSM and I am getting voltage on the Burn Signal Circuit with the relay unplugged - short to voltage somewhere. I did wash the area of the battery and relays down due to the Dot3 everywhere. I started playing with the connectors for the relay and the voltage dropped from 4 to 1. By that time I had drained the battery to 9 volts. Put the charger on and called it a night and give it time to dry out.
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Old Sep 25, 2011 | 12:17 AM
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Originally Posted by HlhnEast
I just replaced my master and slave about 4 months ago. Jumped in the car this morning and pedal released at the floor. Master cylinder is empty, filled it up and I am now pumping three or four times to get adequate pressure. I am pissed. I havent had time to look yet but everything is still under warranty. I am 9 days into a 10 day remodel for a customer so I cant stop to fix it. I know Monday will be car day.
Check the connection to the slave. I had to shave it a bit to get the flat squarish head to sit flush on the slave at the connection point - mine leaked there when I first put it on. The molded in boss on the slave was getting in the way on one side.

If your MC was empty you will definitely have to bleed it again. The first bleed I did with the MityVac emptied the reservoir before I could get up to check it - damn that cup is small.

Check in the bellhousing grommet for leaks also. My old one was leaking a small amount and it was leaking into the rubber grommet where it meets the fork - never saw a drop until I removed the slave and it all came out.

Good luck. I just keep telling myself that this is fun...
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Old Sep 25, 2011 | 12:27 AM
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Originally Posted by oldalaskaman
sounds like your master bypasses, is there a difference in pedal pressure when it does and doesnt work? and after you pump it and then pump it again does it only take one pump or is it a few? and then after you leave it sit, do you have to pump it again? and does it seem that you use or loose fluid.check on the firewall in side your car up where the clutch rod goes thru to the clutch cylinder. If its wet you are in need of a master. you could also have air in the system.
When the pedal was not working it was very soft and almost always just one time. It almost seemed like it was every other time that I used the pedal it was like this until it was "warmed up". I did find that when it was soft - you could tell right away - I could just "tap" it and then it was OK.

Sitting did not seem to make a difference. Sometimes it was fine taking off in first gear and then when I went to change to second - no clutch. Made for interesting driving. I pretty much started "double clutching" all the time just to make sure it would work.

Hope that this does the trick. Next I have to replace the line. I wonder if I could get a steel braided line made up - like brake lines (just installed those and changed out the fluid - much better).
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