Not Quite the usual Clutch problem..
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,793
Likes: 7
From: Santa Maria Ca.
Not Quite the usual Clutch problem..
1998 Coupe,63,000 miles/daily driver/not sure if the clutch is the original one or not-so here's my sad story:
About 3 weeks ago after work,I get in the Vette to go home,push in the clutch,start her up,let out the clutch,and the pedal comes up about an inch,and stops.
So I'm thinking "hmmmm,wtf?",so I push the pedal down again to see if it goes into gear,and it goes in fine-no grind,no drag,smooth as silk.
So,I slowly let it out,and it works fine,except that now there's appx 1/4" of travel from disengaged to engaged(little touchy)
Hmmm? again.
So I shut it off,get out to look at the clutch fluid level(which is fine,but a little dark) and by the time I get back in,the pedal is back where it belongs,and all is as it should be.
Drives fine for a week,then after sitting all day,I get in ,push the clutch in,and it does the same thing.
Up to this point,it was just kind of an annoyance,since it was still driveable,even with the pedal ALMOST on the floor,and it had only done it twice.
That was a week ago,and today it did it again,except I lost that 1" of useable pedal,and it was right down on the floor,and no way is it going into gear.
Well,I said a few words(this adds a new dimension-it's not driveable),and sat there contemplating my next move,and I noticed that the pedal was slowly coming back up,and in about 10 seconds,it was where it belonged,and the clutch worked just fine again(temporarily,apparently)
When it first began this 3 weeks ago,I began the "Ranger Method" of changing the clutch fluid,and for the first week,the fluid was pretty ugly-but then it cleared up,and I was hoping all was well,but evidently it's not.
I'm going to replace the master cylinder first,but I'm not 100% sure that's what's causing my problem-although from previous experience,I've found that when the clutch mechanism itself is broke,it usually stays that way-and this one works great,when the hydraulics do their job.
Of course,it could be the slave,but it really kind of feels like the master is just not pushing the fluid like it should.
No leaks,either.
Any Ideas?
About 3 weeks ago after work,I get in the Vette to go home,push in the clutch,start her up,let out the clutch,and the pedal comes up about an inch,and stops.
So I'm thinking "hmmmm,wtf?",so I push the pedal down again to see if it goes into gear,and it goes in fine-no grind,no drag,smooth as silk.
So,I slowly let it out,and it works fine,except that now there's appx 1/4" of travel from disengaged to engaged(little touchy)
Hmmm? again.
So I shut it off,get out to look at the clutch fluid level(which is fine,but a little dark) and by the time I get back in,the pedal is back where it belongs,and all is as it should be.
Drives fine for a week,then after sitting all day,I get in ,push the clutch in,and it does the same thing.
Up to this point,it was just kind of an annoyance,since it was still driveable,even with the pedal ALMOST on the floor,and it had only done it twice.
That was a week ago,and today it did it again,except I lost that 1" of useable pedal,and it was right down on the floor,and no way is it going into gear.
Well,I said a few words(this adds a new dimension-it's not driveable),and sat there contemplating my next move,and I noticed that the pedal was slowly coming back up,and in about 10 seconds,it was where it belonged,and the clutch worked just fine again(temporarily,apparently)
When it first began this 3 weeks ago,I began the "Ranger Method" of changing the clutch fluid,and for the first week,the fluid was pretty ugly-but then it cleared up,and I was hoping all was well,but evidently it's not.
I'm going to replace the master cylinder first,but I'm not 100% sure that's what's causing my problem-although from previous experience,I've found that when the clutch mechanism itself is broke,it usually stays that way-and this one works great,when the hydraulics do their job.
Of course,it could be the slave,but it really kind of feels like the master is just not pushing the fluid like it should.
No leaks,either.
Any Ideas?
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 10,649
Likes: 32
From: Central Florida
You're on the right course. Likely seal stiction as the root cause.
You will need to ensure any trapped air is disgorged after the swap. Once that's done, clutch engagement point should return to middle-third of pedal travel.
Let us know how it goes.
You will decrease the likelihood of future problems by not allowing clutch dust to accumulate in the hydraulics. It's the dust that kills the seals.
Ranger
You will need to ensure any trapped air is disgorged after the swap. Once that's done, clutch engagement point should return to middle-third of pedal travel.
Let us know how it goes.
You will decrease the likelihood of future problems by not allowing clutch dust to accumulate in the hydraulics. It's the dust that kills the seals.
Ranger
