Hey all, E0 SVT with a SPEC Stage I and rebuilt trans (about 40k on both):
The past week or so, my clutch pedal engagement/disengagement has been occurring closer to the floor, maybe by about an inch. Everything works fine, the car shifts well and all, it's as if someone just moved the action.
The only changes in driving as of late is the clutch seeing more use: I commute about 2 hours everyday, with about 1.25-1.5 of that in stop-and-go traffic. It's been about a month since I started this job.
Thoughts? I'm going to bleed the system soon, but I'm wondering if I should be looking to replace anything.
A good bleed is the first step. If that doesn't work, then you should start looking at other parts in the clutch actuation system.
ok forget my last statement i was thinking backwards.
Yeah, I'll just bleed it and see if it helps. Do we have a how-to on that?
Also, at the risk of sounding totally crazy, the pedal itself seems loose. The clutch pedal always had more give than the other two, but now I can wiggle it side-to-side, and move it back and forth a good 3/4" in and out before there's any resistence. I know on the older Probes, the pedal would start to drift after a while, and you had to tighten it back up. Do we have the same issues?
I've never seen it, but it is certainly possible. Take a peek at your pedal assembly, and make sure everything is in working order, and tightened properly. Also, if the bleeding doesn'thelp, the first place I would look is the clutch master cylinder attached to the clutch pedal.
Originally posted by Rara:
Take a pee at your pedal assembly,
Now that is some strange advise.
Originally posted by todras:
Originally posted by Rara:
Take a pee at your pedal assembly,
Now that is some strange advise.
Lol, oops, fixed it now. . .
I'm with you there, Toodles. OK, I'll take a look.... Dumb Q: is the brake master cylinder the same as the clutch?
Originally posted by Matty K:
I'm with you there, Toodles. OK, I'll take a look.... Dumb Q: is the brake master cylinder the same as the clutch?
No, brake master cylinder feeds the clutch slave cylinder 
To clarify, I meant same as the clutch master cylinder, not the clutch itself.
Matty,
The brake fluid resevoir on top of the brake master cylinder serves as the resevoir for the clutch master cylinder as well. There is a hose on the side of the resivoir that goes down to the clutch master cylinder. The clutch master cylinder is attached to the clutch pedal.
Originally posted by Big Jim:
Matty,
The brake fluid resevoir on top of the brake master cylinder serves as the resevoir for the clutch master cylinder as well. There is a hose on the side of the resivoir that goes down to the clutch master cylinder. The clutch master cylinder is attached to the clutch pedal.
Thanks for clearing that up ... I know that I over simplified it a bit.
Ok! Things have gotten worse:
The action on the pedal is still really low, but now it's getting difficult to shift the car into gear. Like, I actually fought it a few times. So, I'm guessing the master or slave cylinder went south, or the clutch burnt up (but it shouldn't have... I don't do crazy burnouts or anything). The car's going in the shop tomorrow for a leaking oil pressure sender (the Autometer one of all things!), and I'll have the mechanic look at it.
My q's are:
What else could it be?
If it's either cylinder, how bad is it, work-wise? Should I be seeing my tranny on the floor for any reason (in other words, would now be a good time to call HMS)?
I know the clutch is a bear, but does the trans actually have to come out?
If it is the slave cylinder the trans must come out. If it is the master cylider, the trans does not need to come out. If it just needs bleeding, the trans does not have to come out.
If it's the slave cylinder, you will have a pool of brake fluid below the bellhousing.
Originally posted by Big Jim:
If it just needs bleeding, the trans does not have to come out.
Haha, that one I figured! Although I'll be the first to admit that transaxles in general are my least-knowledgable automotive area, it's starting to sound like the master cylinder to me. I'll keep you all informed!
Ok.. well....
The mechanic looked at everything, as well as he could (checked for leaks and the like). He said both cylinders are operating perfectly, no leakage anywhere, and he said he was sure the clutch was going. Yay. So, I've got a few decisions to make now... This probably isn't the straw that ruins this camel's back, but it might be. The other way to go is dump yet more money into the car, and do an HMS prepped trans while everything is disassembled...
Calls to make, things to see to... I'll be searching "best clutch" for a while, lol... And I suppose a new slave and master cylinders wouldn't be a bad idea while it's all in pieces.
Originally posted by Matty K:
Ok.. well....
The mechanic looked at everything, as well as he could (checked for leaks and the like). He said both cylinders are operating perfectly, no leakage anywhere, and he said he was sure the clutch was going. Yay. So, I've got a few decisions to make now... This probably isn't the straw that ruins this camel's back, but it might be. The other way to go is dump yet more money into the car, and do an HMS prepped trans while everything is disassembled...
Calls to make, things to see to... I'll be searching "best clutch" for a while, lol... And I suppose a new slave and master cylinders wouldn't be a bad idea while it's all in pieces.
Make sure you get a second opinion........A clutch job pays much more than a clutch master cylinder job...especially during lean times for a shop.
I will do just that... but in all honesty, it feels like the clutch to me, too.
have you bled the clutch system? it doesn't take much to lose a good bit of your reserve to a spongy actuation system.
W3rd. If it's not making noise and working fine then drive it. Just not on a long trip. LOL!
I'm going to keep driving it for a while, at least until I give bleeding the system a shot. It is getting hard to shift, though.
In that case it might be catastrophic.
dude, just bleed the clutch, its not that hard . . . the hardest part is that you have to pull the airbox to get to the bleed screw on the trans. It is very likely that air in your clutch actuation system is either the whole cause or a heavy contributor to your issue.
Originally posted by Matty K:
I'm going to keep driving it for a while, at least until I give bleeding the system a shot.
Fingers crossed, that does it.
Originally posted by todras:
In that case it might be catastrophic.
I just had a catastrophic failure yesterday. It was getting harder and harder to shift as I was driving around. I pulled into a parking space and that was it. Pedal won't barely come off the floor and the car won't go into any gear. It's been on and off for a few weeks but I think that was it. Something had been wrong with my pressure plate since I bought it though.
Originally posted by JustinCSVT:
Originally posted by todras:
In that case it might be catastrophic.
I just had a catastrophic failure yesterday. It was getting harder and harder to shift as I was driving around. I pulled into a parking space and that was it. Pedal won't barely come off the floor and the car won't go into any gear. It's been on and off for a few weeks but I think that was it. Something had been wrong with my pressure plate since I bought it though.
That doesn't mean its the clutch yet.
YOu are saying it won't come back up from being on the floor? I'd have to say look at the clutch master cylinder and the pedal assembly. At a minimum you've got that problem because the clutch pedal is not physically connected to the pressure plate and clutch slave cylinder except by the fluid in the line.
Originally posted by warmonger:
Originally posted by JustinCSVT:
Originally posted by todras:
In that case it might be catastrophic.
I just had a catastrophic failure yesterday. It was getting harder and harder to shift as I was driving around. I pulled into a parking space and that was it. Pedal won't barely come off the floor and the car won't go into any gear. It's been on and off for a few weeks but I think that was it. Something had been wrong with my pressure plate since I bought it though.
That doesn't mean its the clutch yet.
YOu are saying it won't come back up from being on the floor? I'd have to say look at the clutch master cylinder and the pedal assembly. At a minimum you've got that problem because the clutch pedal is not physically connected to the pressure plate and clutch slave cylinder except by the fluid in the line.
The clutch is fine, no slip at all. It's everything around it that's falling apart. The trans has 2nd and 3rd gear synchro issues. And I never could figure out why my clutch pedal vibrates hard after a trip past 5000rpm. When that happens, the car will shudder as the clutch engages.
I can drive for about a mile before the problem starts rearing its head. Then the trans becomes impossible to shift and if I stop it won't go back into gear without some serious force and gear grinding. I think I'm just gonna have it ripped out and sent to TH.