Hydraulic Clutch

[GhiaDriver]

Hey there,

I am new here. My 98 outback is having an odd clutch issue (140K). It is engaging very close to the floor. This is the first car with a hydraulic clutch I have worked on, but by my conventional thinking is that a wearing clutch engages further and further off the floor. But this is creeping towards the floor.

I am on my second clutch (first one went at 70K, seal leak).

So when I have someone engage the clutch I notice that the piston moves 1/2 an inch before it even hits the throw arm. the it only travels 1/2- 3/4 inch.

I dont smell anything and am having a little bit of troubles getting it into gear, but it never pops out.

The adjstment on the pedal lever arm is as long as it can be so I cant adjust there at all.

I was all set to order a new clutch, but now I am starting to question what is going on. I tried bleeding tonight, but it did nothing

As a stop gap (low on funds for a month or so) I am thinking about adding some extention to the rod off the slave. This will at least remove that 1/2 of play.

Thoughts? Thanks

[Gnuman]

First off, welcome to the board! the clutch slave (the part that has a rod that hits the "throw arm") is supposed to adjust itself by pressure from the arm itself. if the rod is not touching the arm then the problem rests in that part of the system. You seem to have an issue with not enough fluid in the hyd. parts. Check the resivior for the clutch master and add as needed.tehn bleed the system again, as you likely have air in there, which is the only way I c an see the system releiving enough pressure to allow the rod to retract from the throw arm.

[cookie]

both the slave and master can cause that. I replaced the slave and hose per a TSB after trying bleeding. I still did not have enough pressure so I replaced the master. That was in 2003 I think and it is still fine.

[GhiaDriver]

I ordered a new slave and master, got them in last night, bleed them with half a bottle of dot3. No good. same problem. Actually now I can't even get it into gear if the engine is running.

Is my throw out arm bent?

I didn't replace my hose. is that bad?

I am really stuck where to go next.

ideas?

[Gnuman]

that is starting to sound like a bent fork. Just to be sure, thoiugh, you installed the slave as close to the fork as you could? is it still not staying in contact with the fork when you let off of the pedal?

[nipper]

what he said

 

nipper

[GhiaDriver]

there is no longer dead space, the piston is in contact with the arm the whole time. I did not see a way to adjust the location of the slave at all. It just bolts right to one place.

I did lengthen the rod under the dash, that goes into the master, as long as I could get it. It helped a bit, but I still cant get into gear smoothly.

One thing that would help me, how far is the slave piston suposed to move through the whole range of the clutch pedal? (i.e. how far does the top end of the throw out arm move?)

I also notice that part of the boot is gone and might have fallen into the clutch.

Thanks for all your help.

[Gnuman]

Part of the boot is gone? that is sounding stranger and stranger. It is starting to sound like you are at the limit of travel on the slave, which means there is a problem with the clutch fork (bent of out of place), which means that you will need to seperate the engine and tranny to inspect/repair it. you should have an inch or so of travel on the slave, after contact.

[cookie]

You know Gnu I've only seen that one once. A guy had a piece fall into his clutch and he said it bound up and bent his fork. At least that was his theory of how it happened. It will reqire pulling it apart if that is the problem.

[GhiaDriver]

I have 1/2 of an inch of travel in the slave piston.

So I am still confused as to what the source of my problem is and I want to exhaust all other options before committing to rip out the tranny/clutch.

 

Thanks for the advice

[GhiaDriver]

Just for closure for the curious.

The tabs had broken off the throwout bearing, which probably caused the fork to twist which moved the fork enough that one good push (or several) put the pivot through the indentation on the fork cracking metal as it went along.

So I took the opportunity to put in a new (half the milage of the car that is)tranny with a working 2nd gear synchro and a new clutch plate.

All is well with the cosmos, but I have been driving my VW with a quick shift on it for weeks now and the Subby feels strange.

So maybe the outback will stay outback while the weather is nice.

Thanks for all your input.