Time to change clutch approaching: advice please

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J

Jerseyp38

Active Member
Posts
240
Hi All,

The car is obviously wanting some love: The injector symbol is flickering on/off. I have bought a 2nd spare sensing injector but also the clutch now is very high on the travel and quite snappy. Wondering if I should change the clutch sooner or later or will it last until autumn/ am I at the point of doing more damage? Only do about 7000 miles a year but have the summer holiday in France to think about when will do 1500miles in a week or two.

I have never changed a clutch before but think as a rank amateur I am ok with some spanners. I have access to a nice flat parking spot (outside). Is it doable? What are the really difficult bits? etc.

Also money is spectacularly tight and was looking at various sources of clutch:
2nd hand from Emmotts.
Valeo one £100
SACHS £190

Must go and play playdoogh but any advice/thoughts welcome.
 
Diagnostics for the injector light, buying bits on spec is an expensive way of fault finding.
Sure it's not the hydraulics causing your clutch problem? I'm no expert, but draining the old fluid from my MR2, refilling and bleeding cured the clutch problem
 
I second data and flat. Hydraulic fluid should be change as over time it absorbs moisture and the resulatant mix turns acidic, eating away at the pipes. Second hand clutch's are an unknown quantity, you could put it in and 10miles later it goes then your back to square one.

mick
 
Fluid, no matter how long it's been in within reason, won't cause the clutch to fail. Why would you buy a second hand clutch when you can get a new one for around £150.00 it does not make sense.
 
Thanks for the hydraulics idea, the change in the 'wear' of the clutch has been quicker than I would normally have expected (I had an old 240 volvo that I bought with a clutch kit and drove it on the bit for about 4 years before selling it on). Will look at that next weekend. Agree buying parts to fault find is not a good way to go but only know of the main dealer with diagnostics on the island and I just can not go to a main dealer: I have heard they charge just for breathing the air in the show room!
 
The thought was along the lines that the secondhand clutch might be a better quality item than can be had rather than a cheap reproduction new one. Was wondering if a larger specialist breaker would pick out better parts to sell on. Probably just wishful thinking on my part.
 
Did mine a few months back, very doable as long as you have a good trolley jack. I put mine on four ramps and that gave me plenty of room to work. I took the transfer box off to make it more manageable. Don't put second hand clutch in and while you have it stripped down, change the roll pins that hold the release fork on to the pivot shaft, that's what had sheared on mine. Doesn't sound like hydraulics, usually the pedal is on /near the floor if you have that problem but check for any leaks by lifting the dust cover off the slave cylinder and check around the master cylinder. I suppose you could have a sticking piston in the slave cylinder but I think that's living in hope.:)
 
wammers said:
Fluid, no matter how long it's been in within reason, won't cause the clutch to fail. Why would you buy a second hand clutch when you can get a new one for around £150.00 it does not make sense.
Click to expand...
Old fluid was certainly the problem with my MR2, drained and flushed and all is back to normal.:)
 
Datatek said:
Old fluid was certainly the problem with my MR2, drained and flushed and all is back to normal.:)
Click to expand...

Unless the fluid is like treacle or there is air present, changing the fluid cannot effect operation. Moisture in the clutch fluid will make no difference to it at all. Unlike brakes where moisture can boil and cause fade, that cannot happen in the clutch circuit.
 
wammers said:
Unless the fluid is like treacle or there is air present, changing the fluid cannot effect operation. Moisture in the clutch fluid will make no difference to it at all. Unlike brakes where moisture can boil and cause fade, that cannot happen in the clutch circuit.
Click to expand...
You would think so, the fluid was a horrible colour, but other than that nothing obvious. I was expecting to have to change either the master cylinder or the slave cylinder or both. I was having trouble sourcing the parts so I though I'd do the fluid as a long shot and it worked:)
 
Datatek said:
You would think so, the fluid was a horrible colour, but other than that nothing obvious. I was expecting to have to change either the master cylinder or the slave cylinder or both. I was having trouble sourcing the parts so I though I'd do the fluid as a long shot and it worked:)
Click to expand...

Heavier viscosity fluid will not flow back through the NRVs as easily that's for sure, but moisture can't cause a problem in the clutch. I have never known a brake or clutch pipe rot from the inside as one poster said. :);)
 
wammers said:
Heavier viscosity fluid will not flow back through the NRVs as easily that's for sure, but moisture can't cause a problem in the clutch. I have never known a brake or clutch pipe rot from the inside as one poster said. :);)
Click to expand...

tomcat59alan said:
You were lucky, you may have bled out a foreign body that was preventing the seals from doing their job. how long ago did you bleed it, no signs of recurrence?:)
Click to expand...

wammers said:
Yes a more likely scenario. :):)
Click to expand...
No foreign bodies, It's a very long pipe run from the clutch master to slave, maybe Wammers comment about viscosity and NRV's was the problem.
I did it 2 years ago, flushed a litre of clean oil through, nipped the bleed nipple up and bingo all was good and still is:D
 
Datatek said:
No foreign bodies, It's a very long pipe run from the clutch master to slave, maybe Wammers comment about viscosity and NRV's was the problem.
I did it 2 years ago, flushed a litre of clean oil through, nipped the bleed nipple up and bingo all was good and still is:D
Click to expand...

but what was your issue ,difficulty in getting clutch to clear ?
 
Datatek said:
No foreign bodies, It's a very long pipe run from the clutch master to slave, maybe Wammers comment about viscosity and NRV's was the problem.
I did it 2 years ago, flushed a litre of clean oil through, nipped the bleed nipple up and bingo all was good and still is:D
Click to expand...
The length of pipe run should not have a marked effect on the system efficiency. You will get reduction in pressure due to friction between the fluid and the pipe wall but this will be miniscule, probably unmeasurable. Glad it worked for you :)
 
Thanks for the advice: So is there any preference for the make of clutch to fit? Will I need any special tools? (that's a lazy question I suppose as I should just load up RAVE).
 
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