Clutch Issue..slowly getting worse..

[KIC]

My 89 started ..oh about 2 weeks ago, where it seemed that when first started the clutch would engage "very early" upon the slow release of the clutch lever. But it seemed to return to normal after a shift or two.

 

Yesterday, when I pulled in the clutch to shift into 1st after starting it for the first time, it almost seemed to move without releasing the clutch.

 

Upon releasing the clutch, it immediately engaged, i mean it did not take anything at all to engage 1st gear. Again, after several shifts it seemed to be okay.

 

Haven't seen any leakage of fluid and there appears to be enough fluid in the reservoir.

 

So..??? any ideas ? ( and no... I'm not buying a slower 2nd Gen! )

[Flyinfool]

How old is the fluid?

Have you ever done a clutch and brake fluid change?

That is a cheap and easy place to start.

[buddy]

Time to change the fluid

My Midnight was doing the same thing really bad when the weather heated up

flush out the old fluid put new fluid in and everything work great after that

[KIC]

I had bled it sometime back, but not a complete change of fluid. I will do that..thanks.

[Yammer Dan]

Change of fluid will help. How long on Oil change? Fresh oil seems to make them shift a lot easier.

[jeff1]

Had similar issue 3-4 years ago, ended up changing slave cylinder.

[KIC]

Change of fluid will help. How long on Oil change? Fresh oil seems to make them shift a lot easier.

 

 

After having to easy-out one of the screws..... I flushed the fluid and added new fluid and it now shifts like a dream... Good Deal !

 

Thanks guys. :happy65:

[KIC]

so...it's been about 2 weeks and this morning my clutch is back to immediately engaging and mushy...so... I am guessing I need a new slave cylinder for my 89.

 

Looking for recommendations on where to get one...

[frankd]

The slave cylinders are still available from Yammie. Seeing as you changed the fluid and it got better for a while, it sounds to me like the problem may be your master cylinder bypassing. If the slave was bypassing, you'd have a brake fluid leak. You will see the brake fluid on the ground, and the fluid level in the reservoir will go down. With the master cylinder bypassing, the leakage can just go back into the resorvior. Now before somebody tells me I'm wrong......depending on which seal is leaking, it could also come out the shaft.

 

I have had car master cylinders do this to me. Heck, in my 1963 Mercury it almost meant an accident. The brake pedal had gone down once, and then started working normally. I checked all of the wheel cylinders, lines and hoses...no leaks. About 2 weeks later, a stopllight went red and the car in front of me stopped. I hit the brakes and it went to the floor. I pumped it and there was no pedal. My heart's beating about 100 MPH. I pumped it a 2nd time and had a pedal. I got it stopped with about 6" to spare. I checked the brake fluid and the resevoir was filled to the same place. I replaced the master cylinder, and everything was fine. With brakes, you can feel it when the pedal drops lower than expected. When a clutch, it'll just engage sooner because you're not disengaging it as much.

 

You can get rebuild kits for the master cylinder and the slave cylinder. You can also buy the complete slave cylinder.

 

Frank D.

[KIC]

What you are saying makes sense. There is no leakage. The fluid level was the same. It almost seemed that once I removed the top and just slowly pumped the clutch lever, it came back. What do the rest of you guys think ?

[MiCarl]

What you are saying makes sense. There is no leakage. The fluid level was the same. It almost seemed that once I removed the top and just slowly pumped the clutch lever, it came back. What do the rest of you guys think ?

 

If it's not loosing fluid it'll be the master cylinder. The fact that you can pump it up also points to the master cylinder.

[pmelah]

master cylinder now this is a mater of opinion but when you replace or rebuild a master cylinder or caliper you may want to do bothe end of the line i rebuilt the master on the rstd and had to put a new slave on it then hed to do both calipers when i did the brake master the thery behind this is you mke the masster like new and strong and you still have a weak slave or caliper as i said its a matter of opinion on what you do i think it would be a better to be safe than sorry attitude

[KIC]

What is the proper procedure for bleeding the clutch ? I use a vacuum pump. Do you create vacuum then pump the lever ? Hold the lever in in while bleeding ?