I get one problem solved and another pops up. -> Clutch hydraulics

HazN

HazN

True Classic
What are the symptoms of a failing clutch master? Sometimes it works fine, sometimes spongy, and sometimes sticks to the floor. No leakage of fluid at the slave.
 
All of the above. The seals are going bad in the Master. I would change it along with the slave if it hasn't been changed recently. Change all of the fluid as well.

TonyK.

Grimsby Ontario Canada.
 
Hydrolics huh? But yeah I agree with Tony.
My clutch seems abrupt---I plan to refresh all of the hydraulics later this winter or when I do some major work to the car soon.
 
I think I have two years on the slave. The master is original. Yes, I will totally drain the system. Dripping fluid is so gauche. Any helpful hints on the project?

Thanks!
 
Wear closed type glasses when working with brake fluids or any other harmful chemicals. I have got once paint stripper in the eye, it wasn't fun.
Before taking master cylinder off, can take out fluid from container with syringe.
 
Take two Alleve before you start working upside-down with your head in the footwell, and it may help to pull out the driver's seat. Only use crow-foot (also know as flare nut) open-ended wrenches so you don't strip the nuts. Get the angle of the tube at EXACTLY perpendicular before you hand-tighten the nuts, then use the wrench after you're sure they're not cross-threaded.
 
Pretty sure there are several "how to" threads with pics. Just plan on dropping the entire pedal box assy. from the get go. Drop the steering column (leave Ujoint coupler connected), lay over by center tunnel. Trying to cut corners will only result in major headaches. Do both masters since you have to take it all out anyway. If no one posts a link to a thread with pics, I do have some pics of when I did mine.

I laid plastic tarp out over the floor since no matter how careful you are, some fluid is gonna drip...
 
While I'm there, I also choosed to replace all the hoses coming from the brakes and clutch réservoirs. In the end, it's a time consuming job and I spend too many hours with my head under the dash. I hope I won't be doing it again. I'm still in the process because I wasn't happy with the tygone hoses I fitted and I'm replacing them with hoses that will not easily split when bended.
 
If my memory serves, my son and I did this job on his X. I didn't seem too bad. We didn't drop the steering column, drop the pedal box, nor remove the seat. The worst part was connecting the hard line to the unit. The end nut must have been tapped wrong. We swapped out the nut from the original unit and everything was OK.
 
Certainly possible to do just the clutch master VS. just the brake master in situ simply because the bolts are fed through from the right to left side...

784354FD-8D32-4133-BA8E-F70AE7297056_zpsgcmdhnsu.jpg


Safer to also change the feed hose also, if you go ahead.
 
Yes - I recommend replacing all of it when you crack open the hydraulic system. I did this over the summer because of a leak in the brake MC, as well as a cracked brake reservoir. New flex hydraulic hoses all the way to the reservoirs plus 2 new masters and a slave will give you peace of mind. It's easy to mess up the heads on these fittings so use PB blaster and be very careful. If I was better with hard line tubing and could have found replacements I would have done that but reused them.

Others already commented it's a pain to drop the whole box. Beyond that, bleeding the system is notoriously time consuming and frustrating. A combination of power bleeding, reverse bleeding, vacuum bleeding, and pedal pumping will eventually get you to a firm pedal. Make note of the adjustment screw position, distances, and clearances on the clutch slave so you have a good reference putting it back together. It takes a surprisingly small amount of movement to engage the clutch.

BTW, I'm a fan of this type of reverse bleeder...
 
JBStories said:
BTW, I'm a fan of this type of reverse bleeder...
Click to expand...

Man oh man! I wish I had been aware that type of reverse bleeder was available when I replaced the brake and clutch master cyls on my '78 X earlier this year.
I eventually had success bleeding the clutch system by using an ordinary pump-type oil can to reverse bleed the system (advised by another X-head from this GREAT forum!) In fact, it worked quite rapidly once I had ensured that the hydraulic line up to the master cyl was full with fluid. I had a friend up in the car pumping the clutch pedal, while I was down at the slave cyl end pumping fluid UP through the open bleeder. It took some time to get the hydraulic line full of fluid, but once that was achieved, 2-3 minutes of bleeding and ........woohoo, fully bled clutch!

cheers, IanL - NZ
 
myronx19 said:
I just changed my Brake/Clutch MCs and the clutch slave - my clutch is also quite abrupt. I have to slowly pull up on the pedal.
Click to expand...
Typically I've found that to be more a function of the clutch assembly than the hydraulic system. But that would only be true if you installed a new clutch as well.
 
Dr.Jeff said:
new clutch as well.
Click to expand...

It isn't new, no - I put it in about 25 years ago. It literally feels like a switch (really grippy pressure plate). Just a stock unit, nothing fancy. It did this on the old hydraulics as well, but something I noticed when I went to ease off the clutch for reverse - the touch point felt more like full grab! :)
 
The clutch's take up progression is mostly regulated by the cushion spring. The cushion spring is the wave spring sandwiched by the two friction surfaces. It provides for a progressive application of pressure onto the friction surface as the pedal is released which smooths out the engagement.

If the cushion spring colapses then there is nothing to regulate the application of pressure to the disk and it will grab suddenly just like a solid disk would.

I would suggest that the cushion spring has colapsed due to age. A new disk will likely fix the problem.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top