When I press the clutch in it only goes a little less than half way down before it stops. I had someone press the pedal in while I watched the slave cylider and it moves a little over and inch. Is this right? Shouldn't it go all the way to the floor? Now that I think about it.... it doesn't even touch the clutch switch, so there has to be something wrong. Hmmmmmm

 

Sounds like you might have the wrong throwout bearing...

Have you driven it yet? Does it hook up properly without slipping?

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

Nope, I still have to put it back together. I was going to go have the new tires put on but I'm curious as to why it's not working so I think I'll go put it back together. How could the throwout bearing work for a few hundred miles and stop working now? It seems like there's no place for it to go.

PS After I put the clutch in I noticed it said in the instructions to grease the throwout bearing in the middle... I never did that. But I never did it the other two times either.

[This message has been edited by Mike89GTA (edited March 02, 2001).]

 

One more thing, I had to take the fluid resevoir off to get it behind the brake booster. Some spilled out. Is it possible there are some air bubbles in there? Seems like it would still go down even if there were air bubbles.

 

Well, I suppose it's also possible that the fork is behind the bearing instead of in the groove.

I'm confused. What's the history here? What's been changed and what hasn't, and when?

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

Ok, car has 125k on it, I changed the clutch about 300 miles ago since it was slipping (oil was getting on the flywheel but that's another story).

Anyways, when I changed the clutch I used a stock type one from Super Trak that comes with the throwout bearing. This throwout bearing actually looked better than the last one I got at Super Trash when I was changing my clutch, being that it was all metal, not plastic on the lip where the fork grabs it. A few days ago I was pulling out of my neighborhood and as soon as I made the turn onto the highway all hell broke loose. I couldn't get in/out of gear and the clutch pedal went limp. It would go to the floor with no pressure. So I changed the entire system, as can be seen in these pictures:
http://www.geocities.com/divx_edu/diagram2.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/divx_edu/diagram1.jpg
Now that I just finished installing the new system, the clutch pedal only goes down about half way until it just stops. I checked the slave cylinder and it is working, it goes out about an inch or so.

The things that I am guessing it could be are:
1) Not enough brake fluid. I had to take the resevoir off to get it around the brake booster.
2) Something is seriously ****ed in the bellhousing like you said.
3) I have no idea.

 

I can't look at the pics... I think Geocities just did something to keep people from linking straight in that way. But that's beside the point.

Is the slave cylinder on the correct side of the bell housing flange where it mounts? it belongs on the front side with the bracket thing on the back. I can't seel how it could be otherwise, but is it?

Does the clutch actually work correctly?

When I did mine a few months ago I didn't have to take anything apart, it all just went in. I installed the whole pre-filled and bled assembly from the dealer.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

Is the clutch fork off the ball stud perhaps? Something is either stopping the slave or the master. When you disconnected it did you bleed it? and if so, did the pedal go to the floor when the bleeder was open? If the pedal did not go to the floor with the bleeder on the slave open you may have a faulty master cylinder. If it does, then start looking at your slave/clutch assembly. One way I can see to test the slave, is to take it off, then place a universal type puller between the clutchfork and the flang on the bellhousing, put the bolt through spin it until you can wedge a piece of wood inbetween the bolt and the clutch fork to "cushion" the bolt. Then press against it, if it is real difficult, then the clutch is bad. Do not (per instructions) press on the clutch pedal without the master attached to test it, it will "damage" it supposedly.

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1984 WS6 Trans Am Hartop
Former L69 Car under restoration
1984 Trans Am T-tops
4-bolt main 350, performer intake, headers, Holley 650, T-5, hayes clutch, dual elec. fans and 3.23's.
Daily driver and restoration
13.98 @ 101

 

One more thing.. before I took the old slave cylinder off I pushed it with my own hand and I could compress it easily. It was like there was no pressure, so I think that the old one was definitely bad. Therefore.. the clutch is prob. ok, unless something got messed up when the slave failed.

One LAST thing, right before I went out on the highway I blasted through my neighborhood which I never do. The road is really bumpy because of construction, so I'm thinking maybe something got knocked out of place.

[This message has been edited by Mike89GTA (edited March 02, 2001).]

 

Update: I got the car back together. I had to tighten the steering wheel and get new tires put on the front rims. I started it and tried to get it in gear and it just won't go. I think what I have to do now is take the slave cylinder off and see if the clutch fork moves correctly.

 

Ok, I just made a major discovery. You know how the ball stud is kind of bolted into the bellhousing and there's a big bolt on the outside? That is completely unscrewed. I don't know WHY. Maybe because when I changed the clutch 300 miles ago I used some brake cleaner to clean out the bellhousing and it loosened up the threads, but it's definitely a good 1/2 inch out. Now I just have to see if I can thread it in, since the head of it is a little obscured by the tranny.

 

At least now I don't have to take the tranny out, hopefully

 

I just screwed it in and the clutch now works Only problem is, I can't get a wrench on it because the transmission is in the way. So I'm gonna have to grind down a 10mm hex wrench so it'll fit in there.

Thanks for the help everybody.

 

I may also just unbolt the tranny from the bellhousing and rotate it a few degrees then I would have space to tighten it.

 

Well that's bizarre. But at least it's an explanation, it's better to have a clue than a total mystery on your hands. Let us know how it turns out.

The fact that it was working before the hydraulics failed kind of pointed away from something like that...

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

RB,

I'll agree - it's pretty bizzare to have a guy driving around with a ball hanging halfway out...

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Later,
Vader
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"No matter how hard you try you can't stop us now..."
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