96 12v 4x4 .. Clutch Fork Backwards

Just finished putting in a new Sachs Ceramic clutch in my 96 12v 4x4.
stepped on the clutch pedal... felt totally wrong... no movement.
so I mashed down and felt a pop... something broke.

pulled out the slave cylinder....dripping with fluid... looks like I broke the clutch cylinder by mashing down.

turns out I installed the clutch fork backwards.... this really chaps my ***.... was using the factory manual, which made NO mention of possibility of installing clutch fork backwards.

there's was also NO instructions with new Sachs clutch warning clutch fork can go in backwards. I even called the Sachs technical guy to make sure clutch disc was not installed backwards. NO mention of clutch fork can go in backwards.

great.... now I've got another 8+ hours of labor yanking transmission out again.

does anyone know if clutch fork can be rotated without yanking tranny?

 

good luck trying to do that without pulling the trans...aint gonna happen. and i learned this the hard way too. if something doesnt feel right w any repair its best NOT to force it. I installed a valve body into a 05 Dodge magnum and i cudnt get it into park...so i forced it and it wound up costing me $435....still paying for that actually. also another i learned to do is to pay attn to details no matter how small. if you look at the clutch it shud be designed to only work one way.....may actually be able to be installed either way. Both of these are learned the hard way usually. not tryin to dog you or anything jus sharing my experience hoping i can help you out in the future

 

turning fork right side up is not happening without pulling tranny.

the only bright side is ... second time in... you know exactly what tools to use. for instance using two 2 1/2ft extensions to remove transmission housing to engine bolts with long 1/2 in ratchet to break loose bolt, then spin off with air impact. a 5 minute job instead of an hour+ first go.

since I'm running 4in exhaust ... they are in the way... now I've strapped it out of the way. instead of removing entirely... a PITA

since I'm only needing to slide tranny out a few inches.... have rigged up two supports... front tranny and rear of transfer case.

hopefully will slide entire assembly apart without loosing alignment.
a few more items to unbolt ... will find out an hour if this will work.

bummer I've got to purchase an entirely new plastic clutch master/slave combo. What a piece of crap design!

cooking thanksgiving turkey and ham while doing this.....

 

sounds like a happy thanksgiving lol

 

turkey's done .... and tranny is stabbed back in.

nothing about this job has been simple. been fighting me every step of the way.

turns out clutch fork was in correct orientation with lettering on left facing tranny or closest to pivot ball. what happened was clutch fork simply fell off pivot ball during installation.

there was no moving fork back in place with tranny in place. once I slid tranny backwards 3 inches... I could plainly see lettering and verification fork was proper position. pushed fork back in proper position with two long screw drivers.

stabbing should have been a breeze, as tranny stayed in alignment with two supports.... but no... it fought me another hour, before finally sliding home.

now all that's left is bolting everything back together.
ham is at 155 degree f ... needs to cook a bit longer to 180f

sure wish there was a way to repair clutch slave cylinder.

 

glad to hear you got it back together. unfortunately i believe the slave if you cant just put it back together will have to be replaced

 

just got done bolting everything back together... or I should say almost done. still need to put the shifter and boot back.

new clutch master/slave tomorrow when the parts store opens up.
no way slave would have failed with a normal steel cylinder.

using cheap non serviceable plastic slave/master cylinders is yet another planned obsolesce tactic much like leaving off grease zerts on ball joints. cheap non adjustable piece of junk!

well it worked... looks like I'll be spending another $200 on yet more cheap plastic parts. there's got to be a way to retrofit a normal metal master and slave without spending $300.

 

Wrong, you can just reassemble it and then bleed it, is is not easy but it can be done, I have about 10k on my slave that I did this too.

 

good to know! i have an AUTO truck so im not super familiar w the rams slave cyl. i know my 96 Dakota has a plastic slave and im pretty sure it wud jus break if you put too much pressure to it. Plans for the dakota are to put a 4BT in it and replace the truck bed w a flat bed

 

If the plastic sleeve doesn't blow up, but just shoots the piston out of the end of the ram, you just need to make sure you have all the parts, I believe there is just a spring and plunger, you slide them in, they you need to bleed it. I took the master out and the slave, held the master in the vise and removed the roll pin that holds the line into the slave. I fill the slave full of fluid and slowly moved the piston up well at the same time had fluid running out of the master, then I joined the two and install the roll pin. Have had no issues, at first the pedal was alittle lower then usual. It has return to its normal place and I have had no leaks.

 

all the parts are there... was considering doing exactly what you did.
good to hear it can be done.

89k miles on this clutch slave and was in good condition before piston shot out front.

if slave starts leaking... will puke brake fluid on my new clutch... then I'll be yanking it out again.... yuk...

 

called up a few auto parts stores thinking another $200 for the entire clutch master/hose/slave assembly. was pleasantly surprised to find separate pieces are available.

paid $48 at Oriellys who had it in stock. punched roll pin out and slave separated from hose.

that's when the fun started... no bleeder valve was provided by dodge or aftermarket mfg. found out quickly gravity bleeding will not work.

filled brake fluid reservoir several time gravity bleeding until NO bubbles came out..... still no pressure at pedal. normally you'd be done.

tried stroking pedal soft and fast both with zero improvement.
pulled out my Phoenix injection bleeder http://www.brakebleeder.com/index.ph...products_id=62... injected slave full of fluid, then injected fluid backwards into master. then quickly stabbed line into slave, then pressed pin into place.

looks like fluid has to go upwards to bleed this system.
success... had firm pedal pressure again. bolted slave into place and cleaned up.

finally had clutch again!!!!