Clutch master cylinder possibly seals bad?

[HallenTi]

Just yesterday I experienced a few isolated occasions when the clutch would begin to engage much earlier than usual (just off the flooboard). I am wondering if this is more likely the seals in the clutch master cylinder or in the slave cylinder? I expect it is in the master cylinder. I see no external leakage and assume that the fluid is internally leaking past 13+ year old seals (1990). The fluid is up in the reservior. I have had the car for just 3 months, and have not noticed this before. I expect that if this had happened to the previous owner he would not have told me.

 

[JonM]

The seal could have sucked some air...Try bleeding it first (do a search above...it will tell you how its supposed to be done) My advise would be to change both the master and slave at the same time...if you only replace one of them...the other becomes a 13 year old

 

[HallenTi]

JonM,

Thanks for the thoughts. Last night I did a search as you said, to avoid a duplicate post if possible, but none that I found addressed this specific problem. I did get some bleeding information at that time though, in case I needed it. I do agree with the "they are both 13 years old" idea as well. I hear that the clutch master cylinder is fairly expensive, and am thinking of rebuilding it myself to save a little dough, depending on the actual costs when I check. I have rebuilt many brake master cylinders in the past and assume it is quite similar.

 

[JonM]

The complete parts are about 80 dollars per unit. Try here. they have pretty good prices....http://www.rockauto.com/ If you plane on rebuilding it yourself...something in my head is telling me where I read someplace that you shouldn't hone the inside of the two units...I am not sure, but you should ask around...I also know that the local stores (AutoZone, Advanced...ect) don't carry the rebuilding parts because people were trying to do it themselves on the kitchen table and screwing the units up. Then they would sue the store for bad parts.

 

[HallenTi]

Thanks for the link for the parts. I checked locally and they could order the clutch master cylinder kit for me, and apparently Wagner (part number F120166) is the only one of their suppliers that makes the kit to be sold separately. It was $50 locally, a rebuilt unit was $100. At the RockAuto the kit was $34 plus shipping. I will do some checking about not honing the cylinder - thanks for the tip! Tim

 

[HallenTi]

I will take a look there...good idea. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Kevin Doyle]

I would also spend the money and change the line.I read on here somewhere to change master,slave and line together and did not heed.Now I have to change line and hope that it did not contaminate system less than 500 miles later.Kevin.

 

[WhalePirot]

you shouldn't hone the inside of the two units...

True; don't. They are aluminum and cannot be honed. They can only be rebuilt if the walls are not pitted.

A simple bleeding, properly done, may fix it and is cheap. The odds are it won't fix the problem but the cost is minimal.

I have never replaced the hose and have never had problems, either.

It is about time or some aftermarket shop to SS sleeve these suckers.