Clutch worries

[fr335tyl3r]

Hi guys,

Having a few problems with the stazrion today. Got stuck in the city and had to get a tow home (*cries*). Basically I was leaving the city, waiting at traffic lights with clutch in, in 1st gear. Change out of 1st in to neutral cause lights were taking too long to change. Clutch out.

Lights go green, and just as I clutch in and change to first, something odd happens. Clutch looses all its pedal pressure, and pedal hits the floor. Clutch was obviously engaged with the engine, cause car instantly stalled and wouldnt restart.

Rolled the car back down the hill a bit, pulled it into neutral and got the engine ticking over. No pedal pressure at all with the car running or not, and the clutch is obviously engaged cause it stalls if you try to start it in gear, even with the "depressed" pedal.

Checked clutch fluid, level seems normal, there are no obvious leaks and i stuck my head under the car for a look around the gearbox / clutch area and nothing seems to have come off at all.

Any ideas, cause at the moment its a massively oversized paperweight in the middle of the backyard :(

Thanks guys

[MrBishi]

The fact that there is no fluid spilled leaves only 2 possibilities.
The pedal lever inside is buggered (unlikely) or the linkage in the box is stuffed. Get someone to press on & off the clutch while you look at what is happening at the gearbox end.

[Alspos]

Make sure the rod is actually there going from the slave to the clutch fork. You could have dislodged it or the clutch stuck somehow and dropped it out. Weird problem to have with no leaking fluid.

[scum]

HARHARHARHAR!!!! somebody else has the same problem my cordia had!! woooohoooo.... sorry, i know I shouldn’t laugh.... sounds like the clutch centre has torn out. I never found out why it did it but it was always taking off under very little power or engine breaking down a hill. All of a sudden, pedal goes soft, but slave cyl still moves and clutch is always engaged. If you try to drive it you will prob find the clutch ALMOST comes back from time to time, but when its just about disengaged it makes a loud CLICK as whatever bit was hung up on the other bit of the clutch lets go…… im not even gonna bother re-reading that.

[Chris 83JA]

Maybe the arms that operate the pressure plate have had it??

Seems strange to happen like that, but do as Al and MrBishi said, and check the slave/release cylinder is actually moving when yo press the clutch in. If that's moving ok, then you may try moving the rubber boot on the bellhousing and with a torch seeing if you can see the thrust bearing release the clutch or not..

[galagaza]

Make shure the piston in the slave cylinder moves, if it moves and pushes the release arm, then you must take down the tranny and check the arm, ive seen the metal "clip" or whatever you should call it on the back of the arm brake off before, you should check it.

If the piston is stuck, you probably have a leak, or a broke main cylinder..

[fr335tyl3r]

Just to confirm thoughts on this, some of my friends came round who have been into cars for longer than me (all mid 20 yr olds) some of them discussing the probability that the problem was caused by the use of ATF for clutch fluid instead of brake fluid? There was about a 50/50 division on whether this could have caused the problem.

I am acutally going to get it up on the stands so I can have a good look around this wekeend, just had no time lately. Any other insights? Any chance it could be something like the master cylinder failing or something? I have another complete JB here to draw parts from so that shouldnt be an issue.

[Abalistic]

On mind the rubber flexable hose that goes onto the slave cylinder had perished on the inside, ( being over 21 years old ).
Rubber flakes were in the oil floating around at random blocking off the tiny oil port into the slave cylinder.
Maybe ATF oil has upset the rubber?
A.

[fr335tyl3r]

Good suggestion, I am thinking about flushing the system and after checking it all replacing the fluid with brake fluid. Do I need any special brake fluid? Or will standard dot 4 type stuff do the trick?

[WANTSOM]

Did you say you used Automatic Transmission Fluid instead of brake/clutch fluid? :o

If so, give yourself an uppercut.

[MrBishi]

Reminicent of someone putting windscreen washer fluid in the power steering system.

Flush the ATF and report any difference. The main deal with brake fluid is it does no affect rubber boots or seals in your hydraulic system. I'm not sure if the ATF would cause any adverse effects to the seals though.