Clutch has nada

[MartyVanFly]

Help,

Went away for the weekend and parked my 86' on a grade with the front wheels away (nose is uphill). Never in gear.

Came back after 4 days and the clutch was soft. Soft is an overstatement. There was nothing. The only tension it has is from the spring.

Van starts fine ( I believe the previous owner bypassed the clutch release switch). Van starts with not pressing on the brake or clutch. I filled the reservoir and cracked the bleed valve.

I really don't know how this could have happened. Is there some linkage that could have been detached?

Is there anyone in the Bay Area that could come by and help me troubleshoot this? I can buy the beer and provide buds.

Help!

Thanks,

Christopher and Grace.

[MartyVanFly]

Looks like the slave cylinder is leaking. If the Master was leaking it would be evident in the driver side foot well? I will buy a new slave cylinder this weekend and replace it.

Is it normal for it to just go bad when not in operation? I did notice the brake light would come on to signal me to refill the reservoir... so I would for it to come back on after a few hundred miles.

Thanks,

Christopher and Grace

[Burntboot]

It didn't "go bad" just from sitting.
It has been an ongoing problem that only became more apparent when it sat.
The fact you have been adding fluid is proof of that.

Hydraulic systems are sealed units, they do not consume fluid, any need to add fluid should be seen as reason to go looking for a leak.

Brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning it will absorb moisture.
As it absorbs moisture it will darken in colour and will reach the point where it can no longer absorb moisture which will then start precipitating out of the fluid.
When this happens the crystalline precipitate can act as an abrasive on the rubber seals in the system (master, slave, callipers, cylinders) and any that falls out of suspension and rust to form on the inside of the brake line, this is also what causes pitting behind the pistons in callipers and cylinders.

As it absorbs moisture, it will also tend to boil at a lower temperature. (think brake fade, here)
Brake fluid MUST be changed on a regular basis (every 2-3yrs) in order for it to perform its duties without issue. And doing so will ensure longest life from all the moving parts.
Repalcing the brake fluid on a regular basis usually eliminates the need to service things like master and slaves and will prolong the life of callipers and cylinders, also, by cracking those bleeders on a regular basis means they wont likely be seized.
I cannot count the number of callipers I have seen changed over the years, simply because the bleeder screw broke off!

Change your slave, bleed the brakes and clutch and make sure you have fresh fluid at all
5 brake bleeder screws as well as at the slave.

Also get your head under the dash and follow the pedal up to the push rod and over to the master. A leaking master will indeed cause visible fluid in the footwell, but not right way.
It will seep for sometime before one will actually notice puddles.
If the master is compromised, you'll have trouble bleeding the system
BB

PS - if the brake fluid looks black, you may also want to pull the reservoir to clean out all the mung in the bottom and also make sure the brake master isn't seeping while you've got your head under the dash.

[MartyVanFly]

Wow. Great to know. Thanks for getting back to me. I have noticed a good bit of brake fade when going down long steep grades. this is extremely useful information. I will definately take care of this and flush the system. It all makes a lot of sense.

Having bought this van recently we are discovering some things, but really nothing crazy at this point. So this is just cheap routine maintenance and I enjoy it a good bit.

Appreciate the help.

Christopher and Grace

[MartyVanFly]

Okay I replaced the slave cylinder and flushed the system. The pedal is still soft. The master is pushing fluid as my partner pumps the pedal and then I close the bleeder and I get nothing.

The bearing release lever has play in it but doesn't return. I don't recall the throwout bearing making noise or cause me any issues before I parked it that weekend.

If you're looking at it from the passenger side the lever should be all the way to the rear of the vehicle and when the clutch is pressed it move forward...yes?

Do I need to block the pin in the slave then bleed the system?

I obviously need more help and rather not tow her to a shop.

Thanks in advance... my offer is still up for anyone in the Bay Area.

Christopher and Grace

[Burntboot]

There are actually several threads about bleeding the clutch system, some people have had more trouble than others, some have even had to jack up the front end.
I have never run into those extreme issues but would be worth reading thru and trying what others have found to work.

I like to gravity bleed first, then move to pedal action, biggest thing is to constantly top up the reservoir as it is SO easy to suck air from letting it get too low (btdt)

IIRC there is also a union where the clutch line passes thru body, I have no personal experience on that one but do remember at least one person had to replace as it was sucking air.
There is no reason to block movement of the slave.

What did the old fluid look like? Was the reservoir dirty?
Answering those questions might help assess the condition of the master and wether it could be complicating your bleeding process??

[MartyVanFly]

The first couple of pumps when bleeding the fluid was brown. The slave was corroded. The reservoir is clean. I think i wasn't adding enough in and just cycling fluid in and right back out. I'll try again this weekend.

Thanks,

Christopher

[MartyVanFly]

CLUTCH IS ALLLLL GOOD.

Thanks for the help!

[Carbonized]

What did you do to make it work? Share Please.

[MartyVanFly]

Okay so here goes.

So the issue is that the reservoir is very small, shallow and oddly placed when parking uphill and the door wants to close on you.

I attached a hose to the slave clutch bleeder and put the other end in a gatorade container 1/3 filled with Dot3.

I would open up the valve and have my GF press the clutch in and hold. Once down I would tighten up the bleeder valve.

Tell her to release the clutch and check the reservoir. After one press of the clutch you'll need to refill. Repeat the opening of the valve and pressing of the clutch and tightening of the valve and releasing the clutch until the clutch firms up.

It took about 4 cycles to fully flush and get all the air out.

Does that make sense. It's like anything you see on Youtube about 4runner or tacoma slave cylinder flushes minus the massive reservoir they have.

A rag on the floor helps with any spillage as Dot3 on the clutch pedal is scary at times.

Best,

Christopher and Grace