Hey everyone! Need some advice on how to fix my clutch.
1. My clutch pedal is much easier to move now, and it doesn't seem to be disengaging the gears any more.
2. What would be the recommended course of action to fix? Should I bleed the clutch; replace the Clutch Slave Cylinder?
Any advise would be appreciated.
Cheers!
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Need some build details? If VW pan-based Speedster - then most likely uses a cable and not hydraulics. The shortened VW cable frays and breaks.
Your master is attached to the pedal. The slave is on top of the trans. Check the line and all fittings for leaks. It should be running right down the middle of the interior of the car.
One thing that sometimes happens is guys hang the slave cylinder on the old cable bracket and just let it pull the clutch arm directly. Easy and quick and it works.
Look like this:
The problem with that is that the slave cylinder ends up slightly misaligned with the arm, and it wears the seal out on one side over time.
All this, according to the maker of this stand off bracket, which requires a bit of minor surgery on the trans case to install.
CB no longer lists the part but here's the empi version. Don't for get to order the heim joint separately if you need it.
If it's the slave, I'm thinking replace. Alas, CNC seems to be kaput as well but here's a different maker of what looks like the same slave cylinder.
Wilwood makes the same thing. My clutch M/S are Wilwood.
You can get the same seal wear that Ed mentioned at the master cylinder if misaligned to the clutch pedal also. Once the seal wears (master or slave) enough fluid bypasses to be ineffective.
Wilwood makes a good slave, but Ed's and Carey's tips are correct. The master and slave bodies are both made of aluminum, so they will wear quickly.
On my Spyder, I use a 5/8" master and a 7/8" slave. Make sure you have enough free-play at the clutch arm. Too much throw can destroy a pressure plate by overbending the fingers.
Also, one should NEVER run a hard line to a slave. It doesn't move much, but it does move. Metal fatigue WILL occur. When? Who knows.
@MichalM -- You didn't post what mfg/year spyder you have, or type/make of clutch master and slave. So, ??
Since only guessing, before I'd suggest buying anything or replaced anything I would bleed the clutch MC via the bleeder on the clutch Slave. In the process you can observe if the MC is pumping; at least a clue it is not clogged.
An experience I had (3 times) had the same symptom you describe: The clutch pedal feels like it has no pressure when depressed, or maybe some vague pressure when nearly floored. And, as a result the clutch cannot be actuated.
I had a Girling style clutch master. The first time this happened I thought the MC was defective since I had no idea of its origin, so I replaced it, with a Chinese knock-off of the Girling. Everything was okay after that, until a couple of years later it happened again. Again I replaced the clutch master, and again everything was ok; until a few years later.
At this point I needed to come up with a theory, so I concocted this idea that because I had noted the clutch fluid was really black, there must be some particulate in the fluid coming from somewhere. I theorized it must be coming from wear in the aluminum bore being rubbed by the 'plunger'. And that the particulate was settling at the bottom of the fluid reservoir and clogging the MC port.
So rather than replacing the MC for the third time, I swirled a Q-tip around the bottom of the reservoir. Then thoroughly bled the system.
I don't know if my theory holds any credibility, and someone will freak-out over the thought of a fibrous Q-tip swirling around in the fluid, but the process was immediately successful.
Every year after that (for the next 15 or so years) I gave the MC a quick swabbing and bleeding as a matter of the routine preseason annual maintenance, and I never had the problem again.
Mark, mine gets black too. I think there is a reaction between the steel plunger/piston and the aluminum bore. You pretty much need to flush and bleed every year. I'm pretty sure I had the same master as you did, but now it's a Wilwood copy of the Girling.
Also, I'm still running the same red Neal slave since 2002. Every few years I remove it and disassemble and clean the black goo out. Then it works for another 3-5 years.
