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1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
If bleeding the clutch hydraulics fixes it, then you've diagnosed it. But it will probably come back again soon; a failing clutch master (or slave) cylinder can let air past the seals or just fail to push the fluid as far as it should It could be a long time or could come right back. Cold weather stiffens rubber and seems to make more hydraulic system trouble.
Bleeding clutch isn't easy and isn't detailed well anywhere I know.
Get a 2x4 about 2 feet long that will jam on the depressed clutch pedal, against the front edge of your driver's seat and hold the pedal down. Get a 1/2" or 13mm open-end wrench that will turn the bleeder nipple out the left side of the top of the slave cylinder, reachable even with black plastic clutch cover on. Get at least a quart of DOT 4 brake fluid (more expensive than DOT 3 but called for).
Look first for fluid on the carpet or dripping down from the clutch master cylinder rod, attached to the pedal. If it's wet there your master cylinder needs replacing or rebuilding; it's hard to get in and out but is detailed on townsendimports and other sites.
If no fluid appears you might be able to bleed and be okay.
The clutch is fed with brake fluid, out of the same reservoir as the brakes. (A little hose leads down off a side compartment to clutch cylinder. If it drains down it won't drain the brakes down too.) First top up the reservoir.
Then get in the car and pump the pedal like crazy, 5 or 6 or 7 times, and hold it right to the floor while jamming the 2x4 against the seat to hold it there. Then run around front to the bleeder screw and crack it just open; fluid and some air will spit out if it has air in the system. Tighten it again quickly. Then jump back in and pump the pedal again lots of times and jam as before. Repeat the cracking the screw. Repeat as needed till it seems like it has firm pedal and no air coming out.
If you're starting from a totally unpurged system it may take forever till you feel like you have any pedal at all and are getting anywhere. Sites recommend an air bleeder which pressurizes the reservoir and helps force fluid down to the slave cylinder. But getting one isn't cheap and it needs to fit your reservoir's cap threads. I've made my own out of an old 2 1/4" or so bicycle tube and use it though it doesn't seem to have enough pressure to really work well. I cut the tube 6" or so from the valve, fold that end over on itself a couple times and clamp two blocks of wood or two wrenches against it with a pair of vise-grips. Then I stretch the other end over the filler neck and seal it with a hose clamp. Then fill it like a crazy sausage with a bicycle pump and it keeps a mild pressure on the fluid. I think it keeps forward pressure on the fluid and seems to make it easier to get things primed at least.
(I had a Saab 99 once with a clear red plastc clutch fluid line and as you tried to bleed it you could see bubbles moving back up the line towards the top by gravity. Talk about frustrating.)
You've got to keep an eye on the reservoir and pull the hose clamp off and top it up as you bleed.
I've tried clear poly hoses on the bleed nipple, submerged in a jar of brake fluid, and it's a little insurance against letting air back in but I'm not sure it's needed.
It can be frustrating as heck especially if you've got a bad cylinder that keeps leaking air in. But have faith, even if all is well it can take several tries.
I seem to remember one incident where once I finally had pedal I left the bleeder cracked and just pushed it to the floor two or three times in succession, without jamming it and running around, each push feeling firmer, then on third push or so jammed it and ran out and locked it down and that did it.
Once you've got pedal, it should only take 3 or 4 bleeds till you're fine. You can check progress at any time by starting the car in neutral and trying to shift.
In your case, Antoine, the problem sounds mild and it should bleed to workable very quickly. If you're a real DIYer read up on clutches via a search here and at townsendimports.com and anywhere else.
You can get a willing helperr to push the pedal but it's not easy unless they've had some experience in what it's all about.
posted by 64.223.236...
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