I replaced the clutch master and slave cylinders in Jan (from AutoZone), but the last month or si the clutch pedal started feeling a little off, and today I pushed in the clutch and the whole thing exploded and drained oil onto my feet! The pushrod bent at a 90deg angle but is still attached to the clutch arm. The clutch stayed disengaged interestingy, so I was stuck in a construction zone blocking traffic! Some nice guys helped me push it into the weeds (and small trees), so I went under the hood and twisted the master loose, and it came apart. Then I hit the clutch arm with a rock until it engaged, found a stick and jammed it into the injured clutch safety switch and was able to start her in 1st and drive away. I found a new set of clutch master and slave units but they cost double the autozone garbage I put on there the last time.

My question is this, anyone know why this would happen? Is there anything I may have done to precipitate this? It all worked great for a few months, felt like I had a new clutch, and then, kaboom!

Thanks,
Mark

 

I think you might have answered your own question.......

 

Limped home, procrastinated as long as possible, and just finished. Not sure why it bent, but the clip did come off a while ago and the rod may have been tweaked at that time, and just kept binding until I bent it all the way over! The safety switch is unreparable, so the stick stays in there for a while!

 

Since the switch is toast you may be able to cut off the connector on the switch end and twist or connect the wires together then plug it back in so you don't have have to use a stick. (probably fall out when it is pouring rain.) Just be careful as it now will start in gear without the clutch being pushed in.

Doesn't the stuff from AZ have a lifetime guarantee??

 

Appearently not these parts

 

I should have bench bled the master and slave before I put them in. I have very little pedal! Hard to bleed a system with no bleeder screws!

 

The air works its way to the reservoir - eventually.

 

If you push the pedal to the floor and hold it there with stick and leave it over night in the morning the air will probably be gone. Has worked for me several times.

 

Dude! If that works you are my new best friend!!!!!
Thanks so much, I will try it tonight.
Mark

 

Always remember you get what you pay for and if it seems to good to be true then it probably isn't true. Payed for an alternator once from Autozone for my 1978 Datsun 280z. If they knew how many they were going to give me they probably wouldn't sold it to me. I would have to replace them every 2 years or so. I payed for 1 and got 3 more for free. That laugh was on them.

 

I wedged the pedal down for an hour at lunch and it helped! I got about half back already. Now I need to check the resevoir level!

Thanks again,
Mark

 

Update,
I have more pedal, but the pedal height is different that the brake pedal, so the stroke is shorter. I may have bent something when I mashed on it and it broke. I'm starting to get frustrated with this issue!

 

The eye on the end of the rod broke on my truck and I replaced it with a rod end. This had the side benefit of letting me set the clutch pedal height where I wanted it. I'm lazy, so the clutch is about an inch lower than the brake. Still gives me more than enough travel to disengage the clutch, but it makes the truck much easier to drive in traffic.

 

That's about where mine is sitting. I think I will take your advice and enjoy it that way!

 

I dunno man, the disengage point is closer to the floor that I am comfortable with, and it's messing with my shifting chi! I gotta figure this out. I kinda wish I had a mechanical setup so I could "feel" the throwout bearing and all. sorta miss that.

I may have to drop the pedal assy and go through it to figure out what the problem is. I have noticed that there is conciderable side play on the shaft, so I will at least align that be get it shimmed up. I may also pull the slave cylinder and submerse the end in brake fluid and pump all the air out, and perhaps do the same with the master. I should have done all of that to start with.

Sorry about being verbose, I'm bored!

Thanks,
Mark