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Had Clutch replaced and need guidance


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Hi guys, I had my clutch replaced a few weeks ago by a subaru shop in town. I've got 1983 BRAT. I only drive it about 20 miles a week so I thought that the burning smell i noticed afterward was just breaking in the new parts. However, I noticed a slight puddle in my garage and went to investigate.  My car never leaked any fluids before this.

 

I could see marks where something had been dripping- noted in the pic.

 

I've got a few questions.- Is it normal for it to be soo gunky? meaning, have I had a leak for a while and just never noticed?  

Should something be bolted to those holes?  

 

I also feel like it's been running a little rough in 3rd and 4th gear but I'm not sure if I'm just used to how my car used to run before the new clutch.  Any advice or input would be great.

 

http://imgur.com/a/206x7post-54435-0-22779700-1487701446_thumb.jpg

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First of all, you got to take a full pic of that Brat and post it. I love the Dukes of Hazard and would love to see it. As a matter of fact, thought of doing that myself but haven't. 

 

So about the Brat, you should be able to feel the clutch engaging nicely by sitting there and slowly letting it out until you feel the car start to move. You can adjust it a little more or less to your liking but just make sure it is fully engaging. 

It looks like it may be leaking from the little seal that goes around the shifter shaft, but it is hard to tell from the pics. It can be leaking further up and the wind is blowing it down the tranny a bit and looks like it is leaking in another place. 

 

Wipe it all down and I have started the car and laid under mine to see what is going on. 

As far as running rough, that doesn't really tell us much. The Brat just may need to be run, and with some Sea-foam added to the tank.

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Thanks for the reply, I was going to wash it all down this weekend and see if that helps to see where the source might be.  I guess my main concern was about those bolt holes, for all of the work I've done on my car, I don't think I've ever REALLY looked at the undercarriage and don't have any pictures to verify if there was something there before.  But, doesn't sound like it set off any alarm bells with you.

 

If it leaks, it leaks and I'll have to pay someone to rip it apart again and replace all the seals in the process. 

 

Also, here's an album of Brat-Lee for full body pics:  http://imgur.com/a/wmzmS

Edited by lilySapphire
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Actually if you look at your pic, just above the exhaust pipe where you see the oil, you will notice the shaft that is connected to your stick shift. There is a little screw, maybe an allen, not sure, but you can loosen that and it slides off the shaft. Then you can pop out that seal, slide it out and over the shaft and then replace with a new one. Slide the stick shaft back over and lock that little screw back in place. A little dap of loctite, wouldn't be a bad idea. 

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Check your trans gear lube lever to make sure they didn't over fill it. That could cause a leak.

 

Also, you're missing the support bracket for the Y-pipe. It comes off the trans and bolts to that flange just ahead of where the drip is on the pipe.

Been a while since I saw the bottom of a 4-speed, but I think the bracket bolts to the two bolts on the trans, just above the sway bar.

Really should get one back on there, be it original or a fabbed up one.

 

Nice looking BRAT!!!!!

Edited by TomRhere
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They may have overfilled it, but it looks like standard old age leaking that all our trannys do. If they didn't overfill it, it has nothing to do with the clutch job. Truth be told, you were probably low on fluid in the tranny before the clutch, so the leak was not apparent. Now that it's full, the bad seal is leaking and the oil is dropping on the exhaust creating the burning odor you're getting.

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Thanks for all of the ideas and feedback; I love this community.

You're probably right about the fluid being low and now that it's as it should be, the worn seal is showing.  I've always been amazed that this old beast didn't leak anything.. I should've known better.  :)  

 

Also, relieved that I"m not missing anything that should be in those bolt holes.

 

I'll start looking into the support bracket for the exhaust too.

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