Just like the title states. My clutch is really soft and it is catching the gears really low. Also, I'm having a hard time even shifting into gears. Do all these signs point to a bad clutch that needs to be replaced? Or could it be another problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot.

Sounds like a leak in the hydraulic section. For right now, you can check for leaks, bleed the system and adjust the pedal so it engages farther up on the pedal.

As a clutch wears, the friction disk gets thinner. To clamp the thinner disc, the pressure plate must extend farther making the spring fingers point outward more. This will in turn make the slave cylinder piston remain farther out of the slave cylinder since the resistance or pushback of the fork pushes the piston into the bore. Now you would naturally assume the pedal would not come as far up on the return since the fork is no longer pushing the slave piston as far into the slave bore. Not true. The clutch master will push the pedal back to where it normally stops and rather than suck the slave piston in, fluid from the resevoir will fill the gap. Now when you press the pedal, the clutch should release at the same point.


Signs of clutch wear is slipping.

Terry

Take a flashlight and look up under the dash at the firewall where all the clutch pedal stuff goes. Chances are good that you'll see signs of a leak down into the carpet right away.

This is a good thing. It means you just have to spend $17 on a clutch master rebuild kit or $35 on a rebuilt clutch master. Both can be had at Napa. Aside from bleeding the clutch, it's about an hour's work with less than five tools. (Beats the hell outta buying a new clutch, imo.)

Thanks for the replies. I'll check on the leak tonight when I get home from work. If it is a leak, how easy is it to fix? I wouldn't consider myself very handy but is this something I should be able to do? Or would it be better for me to take it to get fixed?

Originally posted by Phanatik
Thanks for the replies. I'll check on the leak tonight when I get home from work. If it is a leak, how easy is it to fix? I wouldn't consider myself very handy but is this something I should be able to do? Or would it be better for me to take it to get fixed?

If you've got the leak, I'd suggest making it easy on yourself and getting the rebuilt master cylinder from Napa for about $40 or less. You'll need a flashlight, a couple wrenches (preferably line wrenches for undoing brake lines, but I used a smaller adjustable wrench), a couple sockets, your ratchet, some fresh brake fluid, a buddy to help you to bleed the system, and some patience, but you can totally do this yourself.

I can't give you the specifics, but you're going to be unbolting things up under the dash, and just below the windshield in the engine bay. The master isn't much bigger than a flashlight and just bolts to the firewall.

The hardest parts are reaching into tight or awkward spaces to start or remove a nut or clip. Put the new one on the same way you took the stocker off and you should be golden. Then you just need someone to help you bleed the system.

Bleeding the clutch is easy. You pour some clean brake fluid into a little container and then put a piece of vacuum hose over the bleeder valve on the clutch slave (bottom, front of the bellhousing). The bleeder looks like a grease fitting and might have a little rubber cap on it. You put the end of the hose in the clean fluid in your cup, have your buddy push in the clutch pedal and hold it. Then you crack that fitting loose, let some bubbles into the clean fluid, then tighten it back up. He lets of the clutch, then pushes it back in again and holds it. You crack it loose, let the bubbles go, then tighten. You repeat this process until there are no more bubbles. The only thing you have to watch is that you don't run the reservoir up on the firewall down too far. Every once in a while, you have to check it and maybe add more fluid.

Hope this helps. Other than the bleeding, it's all just unbolt remove, install, bolt it back up. Piece of cake.

others may disagree, but it is in my personal experience that the rebuild kits dont always work. i rebuilt my master cylinder, it lasted about a year and then failed. I then rebuilt my slave and about a week later it also failed.

Advance Auto Parts were really good to me, and had brand new replacements (not OEM) sent and received next day at no charge, both were $60.

What i suggest is to go to a part store and pick up a haynes manual, that thing has saved me so much money. It tells you step by step how to do the replacements... I have no experience with the "rebuilt cylinders", if it were me i would spend the extra money and just get a new one, but thats totally personal preference.

If your not mechanically inclined, rebuilding is not for you. Theese are hydraulic units, the seals and the cylinder must be as clean as can be.

Originally posted by Chamuko
If your not mechanically inclined, rebuilding is not for you. Theese are hydraulic units, the seals and the cylinder must be as clean as can be.

Yes, but even if you are mechanically inclined and the cylinder is damaged, the rebuild will likely not last. Just thought i would add that.

yup. Hence the clean comment. Even a small particle can wear at the seals and the cylinder wall.