[Son of Magni]

I was just going to get a valve cover gasket because I wanted to take a look at the valve seals. So I'm driving about 10 miles to the parts store and maybe 2/3 of the way there the clutch starts engaging really low. So I just tried to think of the best way home with the least times to use the clutch. I was able to shift a couple times without using the clutch between 2 and 3 but at one point I had to use 1st and couldn't get it in. Some people came from a nearby house and pushed me down a hill and I got it back into 2nd, gave a wave of thanks, and went on. On a straight section of road I took a look down past the clutch pedal and sure anough, fluid is coming down all over the inside of the firewall. Just one left turn at a stopsign to get on my road. Well, a car was coming so I just had to push the breaks down and stall it out. Ok, what to do? I stick it in 1st and turn the key, I lurch across the road and it starts. Slam shift to 2nd and make it home. What fun! Took the other car to the parts store, got a new master cylinder and got it installed before dark. Whoohoo!

 

[vegacharger]

I'm doing the clutch master cylinder next weekend....went out today too...must be something in the air....how did you bleed the system? I may try to bleed it tomorrow.....read my earlier post tonight to see happened...not as exciting as your adventure!
chris

 

[Son of Magni]

Here's what I experienced this (cold) afternoon. My original master cylinder had the resouvour at the front. On the new one it's in the middle with the tube attached near the front. Ok, fine. Well when I installed it, with it adjusted all the way out, the clutch pedal was still an inch too low. So I took the shaft out of the old one and replaced the shaft that was in the new one. Now I have the pedal at the right height. Then I bled the system (nipple on the slave) until clean fluid came through. But it still doesn't disengage the clutch fully. I'll adjust the rod on the slave tomorrow.?

Important, when I bled the clutch I had to pump the clutch many times, maybe 35 or 40. And I went slow. Push it down, hold it down, let it up, wait, etc. Make sure you put at least three full resouvours through it. It seems like if there's a bubble in there, a bunch of your pedal pumps don't do anything, so you gotta keep at it...

You have to use a 1 man bleeder kit or use two people...
SoM

 

[vegacharger]

thanks for the tip.....i was out there for so freakin' long....and it all went bad from me just adjusting the rod.....don't know why....glad to hear your back up and runnin'!
I may give this one another try tomorrow......still time to cancel the order if I get this one up and going
chris

 

[george71z]

Make sure the second person actually knows where the clutch pedal is. I changed a leaky slave on my '71 and had my 18 y.o. out to help with the bleeding. He only knows how to drive an automatic, so I told him to push the pedal on the left. Nothing comes out of the bleed valve. After about 6 tries, I said 'Are you sure you are pushing the last pedal on the left? Yeah.' Get out from under the car to see, and he's pushing really hard on the dead-foot rest at the kick panel. He weighs about 290, so I'm glad he didn't snap it off. Time to borrow my friends Mity-vac.

 

[Son of Magni]

You had a kid helping you and you let him sit in the car while you crawled under and did the dirty work... it's sad though isn't it, I was doing tuneups on my parents cars when I was 12 and rebuilt a blown 10 horse riding mower engine when I was 13. But my 16 year old kid doesn't know the clutch from the break pedal.