DrRock Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 (edited) I have a 1998 Legacy Outback and my clutch pedal had been "sticking" after being depressed so I ordered a new slave cylinder, hose, and gaskets (per the TSB that has been posted here elsewhere). Removing the old slave cylinder was easy but I ran into trouble when I tried to remove the rubber clutch hose. It came off the slave with no problem, but the other end is connected to a thin metal hydraulic line that connects to the master cylinder. I could not unscrew the small threaded nut that screws into the end of the rubber hose and while wrestling with this, I ended up breaking the metal line. So, a few questions: 1. Is is possible to buy more of this thin metal hydraulic line at autozone, napa, etc. or do I need to get it from the dealer? It has some very precise bends in it and I wasnt sure if this was a "custom" part. Also, are the connecting nuts a standard part or do I need to also get those from Subaru? 2. Should the nuts that connect this metal tubing to the master cylinder and to the rubber clutch hose be REALLY hard to unscrew? Is there a trick to unscrewing them (e.g. left-handed threads)? I tried to unscrew the broken remnant of the tubing that is left in the old hose just for the hell of it and all I did was round over the nut. I then tried to unscrew the end that connects to the master cylinder, and that, too, was super stuck and I stopped before I rounded over that nut. I won't try again until I get a flare wrench, but I fear that may not be enough. Many thanks in advance! Kevin Edited September 6, 2009 by DrRock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdjdc Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 A flare wrench is critical in taking these hoses off. The thread is standard and the line from subaru will come ready to install. You can buy the parts necessary to make the hose at any autoparts store, but then you will have to buy a flare tool so that you can make the flare end after fabbing the line. If it wer me, I'd just go to subaru or try to find one at a junk yard. I wish my parts car was a clutch so that I could get it for you. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrRock Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 Thanks for your informative response! So now my problem is that the Subaru parts place will not be open until Tuesday (holiday weekend) so I might just try fashioning my own. Any tricks to bending the steel tubing without kinking it? Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdjdc Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 My best friend bends it by hand. It isn't critical that it look exactly like the old line, just that it does it's job reaching the flexible hose without touching anything that might rub a hole thru it. If you make larger bends to make the shape you are less likely to kink the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOthis Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Of course you could always by the tool... lol .... http://www.toolplanet.com/product/Neiko-Brake-Line-Bending-Pliers/automotive-service-tool-sets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 A tubing bender is about $5 at most parts stores. Broken hard lines are pretty common. They get old and corroded. Most of the time the fittings are brass which is soft, so it makes a good seal, but rounds off easily. Get some corrosion between the bolt and the line and they can lock up tight. I'd pick up a pre-made length from the parts store. I know Advance Auto now carries pre-made brake lines with an anti corrosion/rust coating on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrRock Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 Many thanks for all of the good advice. So, got a couple of new flare nuts and a 20" piece of 3/16" tubing and was able to bend it into a reasonable approximation of the original. Flared the ends (my flares were not nearly as beautiful as the factory flares but they weren't horrible) and put it all back together. I got my wife to help me with the bleeding. The clutch goes to the floor with zero resistance, and then requires a pull to bring it back up. I open the bleed valve on the downstroke, close it for the upstroke, and the end of the bleed tube is submerged in a cup with brake fluid in the bottom. Now here is my problem: After doing this about 50 times, there is STILL zero resistance on the clutch pedal and just a little frothy fluid is emerging from the bleed valve on the slave. I quit and started to wonder if maybe I had a leak somewhere (none visible) or if I need to do this many more times than 50 to get all the air out. Is bleeding the clutch usually this much of a pain in the rear? Thanks again in advance! Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Do you have a vacuum pump? Use that to suck the air out of the slave cylinder. Sometimes you can just leave the bleeder screw open and let gravity pull the fluid through the line. Either that or remove the slave cylinder and articulate it by hand a few times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrRock Posted September 8, 2009 Author Share Posted September 8, 2009 Thanks for the tip, I'll pick up a vacuum pump and see if that helps. I'm starting to worry that the master cylinder may also be bad (although I know this is rare). If I were to disconnect the little metal tube from the side of the MC and then depress the clutch pedal, should that make a little shot of fluid come out of the side/bottom of the MC? (In its current state, this metal tube is already disconnected so the test would be easy. And if it weren't 4 am, I'd go try it now!) Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdjdc Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I just did a clutch bleed and I had to make sure that the master cylinder cap was on every time I depressed the pedal. Evidently it needs the pressure in the cylinder to force the fluid into the lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrRockNC Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Good to know, I will keep the cap on when I try to bleed. Problem now is as follows: I disconnected the lower metal tube from the bottom of the clutch master cylinder and screwed on the top plastic cap. Pushed the clutch pedal down (no resistance at all) and hoped to see a jet of fluid shoot out the bottom of the cylinder where the tube had connected. Alas, nothing came out. Does this mean the master cylinder is now shot as well? Thanks! Kevin P.S. I had to create a new user name. Long story... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98sub2500leg Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 (edited) DR, I also have a 98 OBW, EJ25 manual trans. and I am currently dealing with the same problem after HG issues. Incidentally, I had the same problem 9000 miles ago pedal sticking to the floor. It was serviced and I'm not sure if it was replaced or not. The one that is on there looks very rusted & very used. Fluid is bad (rusty in color with rust particles, not clear, not good). Oh & thanks to Mike about the cap. Definitely bleeds better, but the rod doesn't seem to want to fully extend. Good luck, Bryan Edited September 9, 2009 by 98sub2500leg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 What symptoms did you guys have with these hydraulic clutch components? A friends 03 Legacy seems to be doing some strange clutch antics, but I haven't personally seen it yet. I'm not familiar with how these systems work. He said it engages really high (seemed low to me) and he'd have to rev a LOT to get up a hill from a stop. I didn't have that problem at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdjdc Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 FYI, I spoke with a friend of mine and he is a subaru master tech. He said that there had been a TSB about this issue and the fix was to replace the slave cylinder and the hose to the slave cylinder. I had a friend that was having clutch sticking issues and I bled the system and that did not help. I replaced the slave cylinder and the problem is now gone. All I can say is thanks to the master tech for guiding me cause I didn't know where to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 FYI, I spoke with a friend of mine and he is a subaru master tech. He said that there had been a TSB about this issue and the fix was to replace the slave cylinder and the hose to the slave cylinder. I had a friend that was having clutch sticking issues and I bled the system and that did not help. I replaced the slave cylinder and the problem is now gone. All I can say is thanks to the master tech for guiding me cause I didn't know where to go. Great, thanks a bunch mike! Do you recall the symptoms the car had? I'm trying to help this guy, he's already replaced the trans, clutch twice (all at shop prices), and I'm trying to get him through this ordeal at the cost of only the parts necessary. I think he'll be pretty excited about this "easy" fix compared to all the run around he's gotten prior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdjdc Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 His pedal would get lower the longer he drove the car. After a while he would have to fight to get it into gear and actually pull the pedal back up with his foot after shifting. My best friend is having the same trouble in his OBW and he is going to replace the slave sylinder too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 odd, i'm kind of worried he's never mentioned the "sticking pedal" though, which i've seen in numerous other posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdjdc Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I think he's heading in that direction, just not there yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.