View Single Post
Old 05-18-2016, 07:51 AM   #5
denisond3
AF Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: VA in summer, TX in winter, Virginia
Posts: 1,323
Thanks: 2
Thanked 13 Times in 13 Posts
Re: Clutch issue on 92' Escort GT

I recently replaced the clutch master cylinder on my daughter's 94LX 5-speed. Shifting required pushing the clutch pedal all the way down, and hoping it would let you go into first or reverse. If not, letting the clutch pedal all the way and quickly pushing it back down again would make it shift okay that one time.

In removing the old clutch master cylinder I saw fluid leakage from the nose of the cylinder - looking at it from inside the car. By the way; unbolting that cylinder is easier if you take out the driver's seat, put down a sheet of plywood, and lie on your back with your head next to the pedals. On this car it had a nut taking a 12mm socket, of the kind having a u-joint as part of the socket.

Anyway, after the usual slow bleeding process, the clutch now works normally. The bleeding process involved first squeezing the rubber hose that runs from the side of the brake master cylinder reservoir down to the clutch master cylinder, to get the air bubbles out of that line, and ensure the clutch cylinder had fluid coming to it - not air. I kept squeezing the hose every five minutes while I did other work.
For bleeding the slave cylinder, I opened the bleeder screw 1/4 turn, and pushed a clear vinyl tube onto the bleeder screw, with the length of the tube coming up where I could see it from the driver's seat with the hood open. Then I worked the clutch pedal till fluid was visible in the tube, and giving it a minute or so between pushes on the pedal, I watched until I didnt see any more bubble comings up form the slave cylinder. There was slight seepage from the threads of the bleeder screw, but the brake fluid in the vinyl tube keep any air from getting into the slave cylinder. Of course I had to keep topping up the fluid in the brake master cylinder reservoir. I think the whole bleeding process took 3o minutes.
denisond3 is offline   Reply With Quote