Weak Clutch Pedal

Angella · #1 02-01-2005, 08:27 PM

Helping a friend work on his car... it's a 95 talon 2.0 L (manual obviously), but he's a fool and blew the engine. He had it replaced at a place I wouldn't trust to change my oil, and his clutch blew out a month later.

Rather than send him back, I told him to bring it over to my place, and we'd take a look... sure enough, springs were busted up pretty badly. Looks like he got the junkyard tranny with the engine, so he now has a 96 tranny and engine... and a brand new clutch kit installed.

Nice and easy car to work on, BTW. : )

Only problem is, when bleeding, I can't get much pressure... that little wannabe resevoir isn't helpful, but I *think* it's sealed up tight. We are also seeing excessive chatter - so, with those 2 issues, I'm thinking either one of the cylinders is shot and/or the new bearing is no good.

I'm hoping someone can give me some insight... most vehicles to roll through my garage lately were auto's, except for an M3 a few months back (little different setup).

Thanks!

gthompson97 · #2 02-01-2005, 08:46 PM

did you check for kinked/clogged lines? then check to make sure the cylinder itself isn't plugged with shit, otherwise try a new cylinder.

Angella · #3 02-01-2005, 08:47 PM

slave or master? I ordered a new slave on a hunch... didn't realize that it had an independant master (not part of the brakes) until 30 minutes ago. The slave will be in tomorrow... $20. The master is around $90...

gthompson97 · #4 02-01-2005, 08:51 PM

check the pressure at the master, then at the end of the lines, and then at the slave. that should tell you where you're losing pressure. you should be able to figure it out from there.

Angella · #5 02-01-2005, 09:04 PM

how do you recommend checking the pressure? I have compression test kits, etc. but no cylinder pressure tester...

gthompson97 · #6 02-01-2005, 09:09 PM

you might be able to go to a local garage and borrow a brake pressure tester kit. otherwise just take disconnect the lines and if it squirts out when you push down the clutch then it should be fine but if it just kind drips out then that should tell you where the problem is.

Angella · #7 02-01-2005, 09:29 PM

sounds good... I can borrow a brake tester, but I will try just pulling the lines tonight

Angella · #8 02-01-2005, 11:03 PM

um... just a thought, but if the master is working properly, won't it just come flying out the slave anyway? When I bleed, I do get a good little squirt... but I've been through a whole can of brake fluid, and it still feels like I have virtually no clutch.

kjewer1 · #9 02-02-2005, 12:03 AM

I've found that sometimes you have to "prime" the master to get it to start moving fluid, especially after its been run dry. One method is to use a Mighty Vac or similar one man bleeder to draw the fluid through the master. I've also just pumped the pedal quickly a few dozen times. Both will work, if this is your problem in the first place. Also be sure to jack up the front of the car equally on both sides (roughly). I found out the hard way that jacking up only one side creates air locks at the high points and its impossible to bleed when this happens.

Angella · #10 02-02-2005, 07:42 AM

rhino ramps - so I'm even (love those things - they'll fit under a corvette!)

but it was dry... still, I've bled a complete bottle through, and I'm not seeing air (just a very soft pedal). and the chatter... I'm hoping this new slave will fix 'er up, if not, tranny has to come off AGAIN (3rd time).

kjewer1 · #11 02-02-2005, 06:08 PM

If its not leaking it cant be the slave. A soft pedal has to be the pressure plate or air in the lines, thats it.

gthompson97 · #12 02-02-2005, 11:22 PM

it could also be a faulty master cylinder. somewhere inside it could be "releasing" the pressure after a certain point. that way it would have some pressure but not as much as it normally should. that would give the feel of a "soft pedal"

what's making the chattering noise? where's it coming from? i remember when we pulled apart my buddies transmission the shift fork was really loose and it was making a "chattering" noise. just another thing to check.

Angella · #13 02-03-2005, 06:55 AM

it WAS the slave... and the pedal is fine now with the new one... no visible leakage

the chatter we *think* is the bearing - it might have been the slave too, but we are replacing the bearing anyway

kjewer1 · #14 02-03-2005, 05:06 PM

Good point on the master. It could be recycling fluid back into the reservoir, if the piston doesnt seal. The salve cant do this though, it can only cause a leak, shich you should be able to see by looking at it. And then you are back to air in the lines again. I dont see how a slave fixed it.

Angella · #15 02-04-2005, 03:39 PM

it did.... bled the lines, doesn't appear to be any air... and it feels like a 'normal' clutch now.

I don't have the axels on yet, so I can't be sure the chattering is gone yet... but we did go ahead and throw a new bearing in. Could be the shift fork too - I'm not sure how loose is too loose. : )

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