clutch slave... oh no?

[chrisarc]

getting that dodgy pedal which has preceeded clutch slave failure on all previous 200q , urq and recently coupe q ,looking at it ,94 lhd rs2 did they hang the slave cylinder on a piece of wire then build the car around it??? so the juice is .... anybody replaced a clutch slave on an rs 2 without taking out the gearbox or without using a very small double jointed person?

[Corey]

Yup did one Tuesday night, though this was a RHD one, you have the steering in the way to a degree but it is still possible.

[chrisarc]

clutch slave

go on then young jedi?

[PeterS]

Done one recently on a LHD 7a-engined type 89 90q....

Only to find out that it was the clutch master, and not the slave....

Changing the slave was a pisser, truth be told....
I pulled the driver's front wheel and worked through the wheel well and underneath ( car on jack stands) .

Getting the old one out was easier that getting the new one in ....
reverse bleeding the master was also a frustrating experience, but ultimately I succeeded.

[Corey]

go on then young jedi?

What you want a step by step??? Hang on...

You will need to get the steering linkage out of the way (on lhd RS2 it would be best to have the steering wheel left hand down fully), remove the gear linkage, 1x 10mm nut and 1x 13mm nut. take the linkage off.
Remove the hardline to the slave (12mm fitting) and using the flexi part of the hardline move it out of the way, take the bleed nipple off (11mm), this gives you virtually clear access to the 13mm bolt that is holding the slave in place. You will find that also held on by this bolt is a bracket to support the flexi/hardline arrangement. You will need to bend this out of the way to enable you to get on to the bolt head, a BFH comes in very handy here.
Remove the bolt and withdraw the slave.

Refitting is a reverse of removal, ensure you pressure bleed the system.

A word of warning don't use any other type of slave other than a genuine one BTDT, had a new one explode very recently after just one push and nearly resulted in having to remove the gearbox to retrieve it all.

If you get stuck while doing give us a call and we shall try to talk you through it but make sure you're not working on it at 3am as I may not be so civil then

[PeterS]

Recently replaced BOTH the clutch and slave in trying to resolve a low pedal issue.
Replaced the slave first, of course issue ended up being the master, which by the way had no external leakage.

You can replace the master without jacking up the car, but it is easier to access the slave to bleed it later...

To R&R the master ...
You may want to put some penetrant ( Pb Blaster, Kroil, etc on the flare nut fitting on the engine side of the Clutch Master cylinder a day or two before starting the R&R)

from the interior - remove the kick panel or shelf on the driver's side. Put down some cardboard/plastic to protect the rug from grease and brake fluid.
remove the circlip holding the pin on the clevis at the end of the clutch master.

from the engine compartment:
Use a turkey baster or other means to reduce the level of brake fluid in the reservoir BELOW the level where the supply line to the clutch master enters ( rubber hose exiting the Brake fluid reservoir close to the firewall)

clamp off the hose close to the reservoir using a pair of radiator or hose pliers ( before removing to keep the brake fluid trapped in the hose)
remove the two 10 mm nuts holding the cruise control mechanism to the bracket and swing it out of the way ( may have to disconnect a vacuum hose)...remove the 10mm nut holding the bracket with 4 connectors on it ( two are the knock sensors)

You should now have limited access to the rigid line off the back of the clutch master...using a 12mm? flare nut wrench, loosen and remove the line ( removing and reinstalling this took by far the most time, access limited me to only having 1/8 to 1/4 turn reach for the wrench. be patient and take your time) Before completely removing put a small cup underneath the line to catch the fluid, if any comes out.


Back to the interior...remove the two allen bolts holding the clutch master to the pedal assembly. carefully pull the master down and towards you, the rubber boot on the firewall should come along with the rubber hose and clutch master. Over a container to catch any residual brake fluid, remove the rubber hose and connect it to the new clutch master, do the same with the firewall rubber boot. Measure the distance on the old Master from the nut to the clevis and replicate the position on the new master.


Installation is reverse of removal.


Note, you want to "reverse bleed" the clutch master and slave...that means you want to PUSH brake fluid into the bleeder on the clutch master. Access the slave bleeder screw, either from above or through the driver's wheel well pretty much stinks. I ended up loosening it through the wheel well with a 6 pt deep socket, then accessed it from above with a 11mm flare nut wrench I cut in half to make it a stubby wrench.


Some folks use a hose from the drivers brake caliper bleeder to the clutch slave bleeder and by pumping the brake, force fluid under pressure from the brake caliper into the slave...the fluid then travels through the slave up to the Master and then ultimately into the reservoir. Instead of doing this, I used my motive pressure brake bleeder, remove the hose with the Brake fluid reservoir cap and replaced it with a section of clear vinyl hose from a hardware store, put about half a liter of fluid into it, pressurized it to about 15psi, opened the clutch slave bleeder and let it run...while watching the brake reservoir fill. Be patient and careful when doing this, can be messy and the brake fluid can eat paint.


Biggest lesson learned, if you EVER have to take the engine of the car ( transplant etc), you may want to consider replacing the master and slave then, because you will never that kind of access again


..Fat wallet syndrome be damned..


HTH


-Peter

[Corey]

Yup that's about it but a 12mm crows foot on a series of extensions get's to the flare nut easier, on the RS2 you need to remove the strut brace and have an assistant hold the master cylinder while you start the thread on the flare nut back onto the m/c then mount it with the 2 allen head bolts.
Also the clevis is held via a 13mm hex head bolt on the RS2.

[waveydavey]

Note, you want to "reverse bleed" the clutch master and slave...

Why do you need to do this and why is normal pressure bleeding with a Gunsons Eazibleed not good enough?

Just my luck that this thread has cropped up today as my clutch failed without warning on the way to work. I can select gears with the engine off but can't with the engine running. Managed to get home by starting the car in second and taking it easy (it was half past ten at night so the roads were quiet). No problems with the clutch slipping so I'm assuming it's a hydraulic problem. No sign of fluid leakage either though.

Is there any kind of test that I can do to help decide whether I need a new master or slave cylinder and is the cylinder swapping really something I can do on my drive at home?

Cheers

David

[macspring]

My clutch foot went to the floor recently also. Main Dealers said they now just replace both master and slave as it is easier in the long run. Understood their logic, but naturally was as keen on the costs.

Anyway put the two cylinders in myself, only to find it was a pressure fracture in the flexible part of the hose from the bulkhead to the slave cylinder on the gearbox. Right at the side of one of the antirubbing protecters, almost not visible to the naked eye, only that one knew where to look.

More time off the road while this flexible pipe/metal pipe combo part was sourced by the main Dealer from Germany.

Possibley mentione already in the postings above, but remeber to open the bleed nipple on the slave cylinder when installing the new one. On a RHD car you also need to turn the steering wheel to full lock to move the steering linkage out of the way and also to take two nuts off the gear linkage to move it out of the way for the duration of the slave cylinder removal and install.

Good luck with the job.