Has my clutch had it?

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slim jim

slim jim

Active Member
Posts
575
When leaving the house this morning I found it very hard to get reverse gear and when I finally managed I noticed that there was only an inch of travel from the floor to the biting point on the clutch. I drove for a half mile or so and had to stop at a roundabout but I could not get first again to pull away. I managed to get it in third and turned back for home and took the car to work instead.
When I got home an hour ago I had a look at the clutch fluid resevoir and it was almost empty so I filled it which was less than half a cup full then pumped the clutch about 20 times and it seems to be ok again but the level of fluid never droped when I was pumping the pedal. I'll have a look again later to see if its still ok or if the fluid level has droped again. Could this be a simple leak in a seal or pipe or is it lightly to be more serious? What do ye think.
(Its a td5 1999)
 
try bleeding it, if the fluid is old it could be knackered or scored master cylinder if the bubbles return after bleeding=n
knackered master cylinder
 
check the various places it could leak from, master and slave cylinder, and the lines running betweeen them. the line running into the top of the slave had managed to loosen slightly on mine resulting in the same thing.

bleed it through, see what happens. if none of that comes up trumps itll be master or slave, both not too hard to replace. it doesnt sound like the actual clutch has had it to be honest
 
Thanks for the fast reply, I 've just been out to at it again and it seem fine now. I'll bleed it tomorrow just need to look around for some links on how to bleed now, Thanks again.
 
I found my clutch biting point had become really low a while ago. I hadn't driven it for a week, as the girlfriend has it half of the time, but she didn't notice that it had changed. half of the pedal travel was just play before you got any kind of resistance, and then the bite point. My reservoir was empty, so I filled it up, bled the clutch, and it's been fine ever since :)
 
Yea as above try bleeding it first, certainly sounds like hydraulics. You can get slave cylinders for about £8, so might be worth trying that next if bleeding doesent work. Easy to change, only fidley bit is the plastic clip that holds the push bar to the clutch fork, worth ordering a new one usually as they can brake on removal.
 
I've been working on the slave cylinder since lunchtime today (yesterday was to wet and cold ) using Busterbus's guide. I'm down to taking the two bolts that hold the cylinder to the block out but I cannot shift them. A 10mm socket slips a 9mm is to small and 3/8 is also to small. I used the vicegrips on the bottom one but it kept sliping, the top one will only come out with a socket anyway so no point in rounding off the other one. Its gotten dark here now so I put the tools away and gave both bolts a spray with wd-40 and I will start again in the morning. Has anyone any tips no how to remove these two knuckel busters.
 
slim jim said:
I've been working on the slave cylinder since lunchtime today (yesterday was to wet and cold ) using Busterbus's guide. I'm down to taking the two bolts that hold the cylinder to the block out but I cannot shift them. A 10mm socket slips a 9mm is to small and 3/8 is also to small. I used the vicegrips on the bottom one but it kept sliping, the top one will only come out with a socket anyway so no point in rounding off the other one. Its gotten dark here now so I put the tools away and gave both bolts a spray with wd-40 and I will start again in the morning. Has anyone any tips no how to remove these two knuckel busters.
Click to expand...

Bugger! And ah was just goin' tae stick these up..

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f41/clutch-slave-cylinder-renewal-92504.html

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f41/clutch-master-cylinder-renewal-76092.html

When ah changed the slave cylinder ah found out it was actually fine... it was the master cylinder that turned out to be knackered!!!! So ah changed that again and everythings grand now;)

Just out of interest, are ye usin' a normal 5 sided socket or one of the multi ones?
 
bustersbus said:
Bugger! And ah was just goin' tae stick these up..

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f41/clutch-slave-cylinder-renewal-92504.html

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f41/clutch-master-cylinder-renewal-76092.html

When ah changed the slave cylinder ah found out it was actually fine... it was the master cylinder that turned out to be knackered!!!! So ah changed that again and everythings grand now;)

Just out of interest, are ye usin' a normal 5 sided socket or one of the multi ones?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the guide Buster I found them meself anyway. I have tried every socket I've got both 5 sided and multi ones, ring spanners too,still no good.
When I went to bleed it I saw the bell housing was soaked in what I think is clutch fluid and so little fluid came out when I started bleeding it that I knew there must be a seriuos leak. I hope I have'nt made the same mistake as Busterbus because I already have the new cylinder genuine part and not to cheap. Has any one any ides how to get the bolts out?
 
slim jim said:
Thanks for the guide Buster I found them meself anyway. I have tried every socket I've got both 5 sided and multi ones, ring spanners too,still no good.
When I went to bleed it I saw the bell housing was soaked in what I think is clutch fluid and so little fluid came out when I started bleeding it that I knew there must be a seriuos leak. I hope I have'nt made the same mistake as Busterbus because I already have the new cylinder genuine part and not to cheap. Has any one any ides how to get the bolts out?
Click to expand...

Nae wurries mate;)
Wonder if it's maybe a different spanner or socket ye need like a whitworth or summit?
Where abouts is the fluid on the bell housin' comin' from? Do a sniff test to see if it smells the same as yer clutch fluid. If it's not clutch fluid then it 'might' be the seal from yer gearbox and contaminated yer clutch plates.
Ah wouldn't really say mines was a mistake... more of a ' ah've not long ago changed the master cylinder, so it's more likely to be the slave or pipe' kinda thing. Never knew until tryin' to bleed it and it wouldn't even after checkin' all that was just done. Oh well, at least ah've got a spare slave if ah need it;):D
 
When I drained the fluid off today I had a half gallon can ready to catch it in but an egg cup would have done. I'm pretty sure that its leaking the question is where from, its not running down the pedal and I read somewhere that if the master cylinder had a leak it would. When I topped up the fluid Monday evening and pumped the pedal for a minute the clutch was fine would that have worked if the clutch plate had been contaminated with gear oil?
I'll find out in the morning about the sockets. its in such a tight space that its hard to see. I.ll put up some pics tommorow
 
slim jim said:
When I drained the fluid off today I had a half gallon can ready to catch it in but an egg cup would have done. I'm pretty sure that its leaking the question is where from, its not running down the pedal and I read somewhere that if the master cylinder had a leak it would. When I topped up the fluid Monday evening and pumped the pedal for a minute the clutch was fine would that have worked if the clutch plate had been contaminated with gear oil?
I'll find out in the morning about the sockets. its in such a tight space that its hard to see. I.ll put up some pics tommorow
Click to expand...

The fluid might not run down the pedal like mines did the first time. Just for piece of mind, take the plate off the the top of the pedal box and peel back the rubber boot to see if there's any fluid in there. This is how ah found out it was the master cylinder that was at fault and had the part replaced under guarantee.
It does sound as if it's a hydraulic fault tho';)
 
bustersbus said:
The fluid might not run down the pedal like mines did the first time. Just for piece of mind, take the plate off the the top of the pedal box and peel back the rubber boot to see if there's any fluid in there. This is how ah found out it was the master cylinder that was at fault and had the part replaced under guarantee.
It does sound as if it's a hydraulic fault tho';)
Click to expand...
I'll do that in the morning then and I'm glad you agree that its proberly a hydraulic fault, gives me more confidence :D. I'm not going to fail fixing this.:mil44:
 
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