I'm working with a T56/LS1 dropout that was pulled and shipped to me as a unit.

I connected the hydraulic clutch that was provided to the side of the T56. From my homework I thought it was supposed to push in and lock. It appears to have done so.

After checking that the master cylinder fluid reservoir was filled, I pushed the clutch pedal to the floor twice with no resistance. The reservoir is now empty and the fluid is dripping from the bottom of the bell housing where it meets the engine.

What went wrong? Is the fitting not seated properly in the side of the T56? Did I screw up something inside?

The fitting looks like it could go in further, but it doesn't. And it's not falling off, I pulled hard and it seems to be locked in.

What have I done?!

 

The receiver side of this connection, the part that is on the tranny (the slave cylinder itself I believe) is kinda loose and wobbly. From one of the pics I have seen, I would think that this should be installed very solid.

Should it have any slop or play at the fitting that protrudes from the T56?

 

Much of the fluid is going inside the bell housing, but it also squirts out around the connection spraying on the outside of the tranny, the exhaust, etc.

Are these symptoms consistent with a failed slave cylinder?

 

I disconnected the clutch line from the housing. I think it was snapped in correctly.

The fitting on the tranny side spins if I try to rotate it with my fingers. Is this normal?

This dropout came from a very reputable seller and only had reportedly 31k. Looks good otherwise, hard to believe it would show up with a bad slave cylinder...

 

Are you sure the small o-ring is still on the end of the male part of the line that snaps into the fitting on the slave? Post some pics and/or vids of whats going on would help a solid diagnosis here

 

I just popped the fitting out and double checked-the O-ring is still in place. Attached is a pic of the area.

The female portion of this connection is wobbly and I can rotate it with my fingers.

Fluid gushes out if I have a helper push the pedal even part way down. And the first time I tried it I never felt any resistance, so if the slave is blown, I think I received it that way.

Should this female fitting be rigidly affixed to the slave cylinder?

Do I need to pull tranny and bell housing to replace the slave?



http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/..._Q_Capture.png

 

I used a mirror to get some pics of the female fitting. Everything looks fine.

It appears that the connection between this fitting and the slave cylinder is faulty.

Am I correct that this fitting attaches to the slave cylinder and the slave cylinder kind of goes around the shaft housing? If so, how is this female hydraulic fitting attached to the slave cylinder?

Some pics of the female side just for fun.

http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG_4393.jpg
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG_4395.jpg
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG_4397.jpg
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/...1/IMG_4398.jpg

 

After looking over the mess, and doing some homework, I suspect there is a problem at the connection of the female fitting to the slave cylinder:



http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/...nder_Image.png

Most dropouts come from wrecked vehicles, I'm inclined to believe this had been operational but maybe was damaged when the motor/trans was pulled.

Has anyone ever seen a failure of this connection?

Could damage have occurred as a result of failing to disconnect the hydraulic line before pulling the motor?

 

You are sure the bleeder is tight?

 

Great thought!

But sadly, yes, the bleeder is tight...

It looks like I will be pulling my tranny and bell housing before I even got to turn it over.

Sigh...

 

Rough situation man I feel for ya

 

Actually, is it possible to replace the slave cylinder without removing the bell housing? Do I only need to pull the trans off the bell housing?

 

Yep!

M

 

ouch that sucks man.i took the advice of everyone on here that say when ever you do a swap and buy a used t56 to replace the slave with a new gm hd unit.I didnt want to go through this exact issue.

shouldnt be too bad of a job to replace the slave if you just pull the trans off the bell housing.im assuming you dont have the rest of the driveline together yet so its not a chore to take the drive shaft etc all back off.

 

Thanks guys.

I actually had pretty much everything installed and tied in except for the wiring. I had just assumed it work.

So much so that I didn't even plan to test it, I only pushed the clutch to check my pedal linkage and lo and behold, no resistance.

Probably better to discover it now than when I'm ready to start it up.

And the party that provided the motor/trans deals in engines and parts, and they are shipping me a replacement slave cylinder today, no charge.