My Clutch is engaged (pressed to the floor). I was driving and noticed that my shift was difficult to put into gear. I try to get back home and had to get the car towed. Is it possible the fluid in the reservoir leaked out? if so, is this a big repair job? How much should i expect to pay to get it repaired?

 

The clutch master and/or slave cylinder seals are toast. Replace them both with OEM parts plus a remote bleeder line and you'll be set up for another 20 years of use.

 

Thanks Oharal. That should be inexpensive right?

C5gray

 

when i changed my master, it was about the worst part of the whole clutch install...good luck

 

No more than, say, $2500.

You have to pull the transmission out to install them.

So you might as well replace the clutch while you're in there.

I am sorry to break that to you. For some Godforsaken reason, Chevrolet thinks that the practical joke of actuating a clutch through a slave cylinder should be something that is mounted AROUND the shaft inside the transmission, instead of outside of it with a lever, like every other auto manufacturer does.

 

The parts are not expensive but as mentioned, if you're paying for someone to do the work, it won't be cheap because you have to pull the whole powertrain... While you're there you might as well throw a new clutch/flywheel and pilot bearing in it and refresh the torque tube...

 

Sounds like you may be a bit unfamiliar with cars so I'll answer with that in mind. If you are familiar with cars, don't take offense on how my response is written. There are a few things you need to do.

1) Check the fluid level in the master cylinder. It is located under the hood on the fire wall on the driver's side. There are two reservoirs there. The one with the rectangular cover is for the brakes. The one with the round cap is the clutch. If it is empty or low, look for leaks around the master cylinder. Also check the floor, inside the car, on the driver's side for wetness. The master cylinder can leak inside the car. If all is good there, look under the car towards the back of the engine. If you see dripping there, the slave cylinder is likely the culprit.

2) If fluid is full, try pulling the clutch off the floor. Does is stay up and function like normal again? Did the problem occur after doing some spirited driving? If yes, it could be really dirty fluid. The only way to really flush the crud out is to bleed it through the slave cylinder. Not an easy task and some people try the "Ranger" method of sucking dirty fluid from the Master cylinder, filling with clean fluid, pumping the clutch pedal, then repeating the process until the fluid is clean. This isn't really a thorough flushing because of how the clutch system is designed. The fluid gets pushed down the hose as you apply the clutch and then the fluid returns up the same hose when the pedal is released. You will get some mixing of the fluid at the slave cylinder but not much so the really dirty fluid remains in the slave cylinder.

3) If fluid is full and no leak under the car, you may have an internal leak. One way to test is to put the car in gear (engine running / foot off the brakes) and hold the pedal to the floor for a couple of minutes. If the car eventually starts to move or engine bogs, then the fluid is bypassing a piston. If this is the case, the least expensive repair is to replace the master cylinder. Test should be done with the engine up to temperature. If after replacing the master cylinder you still have issues, then the slave cylinder may be suspect. That is where the real labor costs kick in and as others suggested, replace the clutch while you're in there.

My advice is start with the easy / cheaper stuff and work your way towards more complicated and expensive repairs. How many miles are on the car?

 

Moved to C5 Tech.

 

Thanks 3sAcrowd,

I'm not very familiar with cars, other than driving them! You broke down in laymens term for me and I appreciate that. I checked the Master Cylinder, it had a lot of dirty fluid in it. I whiped out with paper towel. It appeared that it was empty. I put some Dot 4 in it, I think i see some leaking spots underneath right around the area directly below the Master Cylinder. Is it possible that it is leaking somewhere from the hose? I thought that if refilled the MC and pump the clutch that it might restore itself. Any more words of wisdom before I start searching for someone to do the big job?

 

If it was truly empty and you pressed on the pedal, you probably pumped air bubbles into the line and now it won't work until you get the air out... I have heard some people successfully bleed the slave cylinder by removing the intake manifold and reaching down behind the engine, but I don't know if I could pull it off myself. The real way to bleed it is the same task as replacing everything since you have to remove the powertrain.

 

When my slave failed a year or so ago, I suddenly found similar issues with shifting and driving. Review of the master showed the fluid had indeed leaked through the slave to the point of non-functional. I knew that replacement was required, but had places to go and things to do between finding the issue and getting the car into a shop. I filled the master reservoir with fresh fluid, pumped the pedal several times (perhaps two dozen), and it returned to functional for a brief spell. Checked the fluid level every day until I could get the car in to the shop, topped off the fluid often, and was just fine.

 

Usually the master cylinder piston cup is cracked and leaking. It is an easy fix to replace it through a cover in the left wheel house. Bleed the system by using a vacuum pump with a tapered rubber plug that fits into the reservoir opening with a small hole drilled through the plug. Fill the reservoir then pull a vacuum on the reservoir for a few seconds. Release the vacuum and pump the clutch pedal a few times. If clutch action is not restored refill reservoir and try again. This should fix it. You do not have to bleed the system by the bleeder.

 

Sounds like you may be in need of repairs if you're losing fluid. I'd start with the master cylinder. It is the cheapest and easiest to get to. Go with an OEM master cylinder. You don't need anything fancy. I'm assuming you would pay someone to do the work. Labor will be as much as the part or maybe a little higher.

If YOU replace the master cylinder you can bleed the system using a pump as irfgt stated or gravity bleed. Gravity bleeding the master cylinder can be done outside the car (bench bleed) or after installation. I prefer after installation so I don't spill any fluid on the paint. Brake /clutch fluid and paint don't like each other. The method is the same. Fill the reservoir with fluid and push the ball at the end of the hose to let air out and fluid to gravity fill the hose. (Hose must be lower than the reservoir) Just don't let the reservoir empty while doing this so you don't reintroduce air.

You mentioned seeing oil drips. Were the drips under the pedals (master cylinder) or more under the engine (master cylinder or slave cylinder)? If under the engine, check to see where the oil is dripping from. If the drips are forming on the bottom of the "engine" it is the slave cylinder. If drips are following the hose, likely still the master cylinder (cheaper less involved fix)

 

3sACROWD,
Thank you for your past responses. I had a guy look at my car and he believes that its the Slave Cylnder. Gone bad. I refilled the reservoir and let the car run about 15 minutes pumping the clutch pedal. Afterwards look for leakage underneath, which we found none. The Clutch Pedal did not restore itself (come back to normal position), so he seems to think its probably the Slave. With that said I have 2 Questions for you:
1) Does this logic jive with your thoughts
2) if so, what should i figure on paying for repair of the Slave Cylinder?
Thanking you in advance,
C5Gray

 

Like the above suggested. Start out with M/C. U dont want to tear everything out from engine back and plus over a 1k bucks thats on the low end.

 

If I read your post correctly, you had to refill the reservoir and pump the pedal again? If yes, you are losing fluid somewhere and should be able to find the leak. If you cannot identify the leak, I would replace the Master Cylinder. This can be accomplished in a garage or driveway as there is minimal disassembly. If you need to replace the slave cylinder, that requires significant labor to remove the rear cradle, rear differential, transmission, and torque tube. If you are going that far, then I would recommend replacing the clutch "while you're in there". The clutch is exposed when getting to the slave cylinder. You can anticipate $150 - $300 for the slave cylinder, $500 - $750 for a clutch, and $1100 - $1300 for labor.

The Master Cylinder would be around $150 - $200 for an OEM (factory) unit (recommended) and about the same for labor. These are ballpark figures but will illustrate the costs for each.

 

If you are losing fluid and can't find the leak, check inside the car under the pedals. The Master Cylinder can leak into the cabin.