Hi,

 

I've got a 2000 Outback that was having some issues with the clutch pedal sticking in the down position. I found a service bulletin about this problem, which recommended replacing the slave cylinder and hose. I've just finished installing the cylinder and hose and have yet to fill the system with fluid.

 

I decided to check out the operation of the pedal without any fluid in the system and thought it was strange. If you start pushing the pedal downward by hand, it reaches a point where it wants to snap down to the floor on its own. I then have to pull it back up, and it reaches a point where it snaps back up on its own. Is that normal? I don't see anything about the mechanics of the pedal that looks broken or out of place, and the motion of the pedal feels smooth. It just seemed odd.

 

Thanks,

 

Andrew

My 97 OBW does the same as far as sticking and what you describe my guess is it has a spring to help providing some resistant pressing and coming back up.

Fill it with fluid and don't worry about it. You are operating it in a way that it is not designed for so it will feel odd.

It definitely occurred to me that there might not be any point to checking the pedal operation without fluid in the system, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't some mechanical reason for the pedal's sticking problem. I'll fill it up and bleed it.

 

Thanks for the quick replies!

You are probably feeling the pedal return spring (I thnk) which you would never notice with fluid in the system.