Slave cylinder or master cylinder failure?

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Nov 28, 2020 | 04:34 AM

#11

Slowcrash_101

Joined: Jul 2013

Posts: 5,725

Likes: 631

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenW

EDIT: I forgot to mention there seems to be squishy squeaky sound when I press the clutch pedal. Kind of like 2 pieces of wet rubber rubbing against each other and it does seem like it's coming from underneath. Not sure if that makes a difference.

I've had this problem for a while now where the clutch pedal feels very weak when the car has been sitting for awhile, like overnight but gets stronger if I pump it a dozen times or so. I bled the clutch hoping to cure the problem but still had the same issue. I haven't driven the car in a week, maybe 2 but when I got in today the pedal felt even weaker than before, went right to the floor like it wasn't even connected to anything or like there wasn't any fluid in the reservoir even though it's full. I'm figuring the problem is that the slave cylinder is going bad but how can I tell if it's the slave cylinder or if the problem is the master cylinder?

That pedal gets harder when the grease the release bearing rides on starts running out. Then the release guide galls and warps. When the car is cold, the clearance between the guide and the release bearing gets bigger, and smaller as the components heat up and expand. That usually explains the difference in pedal effort. I will say that slaves can develop internal leaks. But that would affect shifting more than clutch pedal stiffness.

A car with a brand new clutch is super light, all the time, you can press the pedal with two fingers.

Nov 28, 2020 | 06:01 AM

#12

WarrenW

Thread Starter

Joined: Jun 2001

Posts: 4,766

Likes: 8

From: Queens, NY

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpg51

Is there leakage from the MC on the inside firewall in the footwell?

No leakage. The reservoir is as full as it was when I bled it a couple months ago.

Nov 28, 2020 | 09:44 AM

#13

rpg51

Joined: Jun 2016

Posts: 3,296

Likes: 260

From: Vermont

Seem like you are running out of alternatives short of pulling the transmission off. Maybe its worth a try to pull the slave off the side of the transmission and have a look.