Clutch fluid loss?

PobodY

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
Here's an odd one; can anyone thing of a reason why I might be out of clutch fluid?

I'm pretty sure that's all the problem is, but I noticed the pedal had way too much play before the clutch released... and thought "oh crap, not this again!" because it's only been about 6 months since the box was out to put a Helix Organic one in, and maybe 9 months since I put a new slave cylinder in.
It was pretty dark, put I popped the bonnet and had a look... the fork seemed to be pretty tight (no play in it), so I checked the reservoir; empty (well as best I could see in the dark).

So I've stopped worrying and I'll top it up tomorrow. I'm just wondering if anyone has any suggestions about where I should be checking to see how it escaped. I haven't noticed any funny oily marks under the car, nor in the footwell... but there has been a lot of snow on the ground and my mats are black so I could have missed it.
What I'd really like to hear is that it's something to do with the freezing temperatures rather than a likely sign that my master cylinder is on the way out. Even a split hydraulic line would be better than trying to get that barsteward out!
 
splmum

splmum

Active Member
You may have answered your own question
"a split hydraulic line"
or
a "barsteward" job coming up.

also check the slave cylinder, get somebody to depress the pedal and watch the movement.
 
PobodY

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
I'm pretty confident that slave cylinder is good. I replaced it with a new one not so long ago (although it looks like it was just the seals in the old one so it could have been rebuilt).

It could be as simple as the bleed nipple has come loose since I last bled them and has slowly let the fluid out.

I've only noticed it in the last couple of days as the snow starts to melt... I have been putting a lot of power into the snow, but I wouln't have thought that would loose the clutch fluid.

The daylight will tell me the real story, I was just wondering if there was something about the cold weather.
 
PobodY

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
Well, I'm no wiser now.
I topped up the reservoir, which bubbled at me a bit. I got in the car and pumped the pedal until it went firm again. I took the mats out to look for oily clutch fluid stains; nothing. I looked at the cylinder as best I could; nothing obvious (like and oily dribble mark). I looked at the clutch hose and felt along it; nothing.
The only thing is that the side of the engine under the oil/mist seperator, and above the slave cylinder is rather grotty. It looks like engine oil from the rocker cover to me, but I suppose it could be clutch fluid that has sprayed back up... I didn't change that copper washer when I put the new cylinder in.
 
projectgtir

projectgtir

Member
Funny enough i have the same problem ,put a helix organic in about 3 months ago and a new slave around a year ago .Looks like my fluid is running down the clutch pedal .
 
splmum

splmum

Active Member
projectgtir said:
Funny enough i have the same problem ,put a helix organic in about 3 months ago and a new slave around a year ago .Looks like my fluid is running down the clutch pedal .
Click to expand...
Yours is definitely a leaking clutch master cylinder. three options, 1 replace it with a secondhand one and take your chances, 2 get your resleeved, 3 by a new one.

It can be a cow of a job to replace, or you can treat it like all other jobs on R's, a cow to do, but it needs to be done.
 
splmum

splmum

Active Member
PobodY said:
Well, I'm no wiser now.
I topped up the reservoir, which bubbled at me a bit. I got in the car and pumped the pedal until it went firm again. I took the mats out to look for oily clutch fluid stains; nothing. I looked at the cylinder as best I could; nothing obvious (like and oily dribble mark). I looked at the clutch hose and felt along it; nothing.
The only thing is that the side of the engine under the oil/mist seperator, and above the slave cylinder is rather grotty. It looks like engine oil from the rocker cover to me, but I suppose it could be clutch fluid that has sprayed back up... I didn't change that copper washer when I put the new cylinder in.
Click to expand...
Get somebody to sit in the car and depress the clutch pedal. You stand at the front of the car and watch the movement on the clutch fork. get the person in the car to keep the pedal depressed and watch if the pressure allows the clutch fork to move back. If the fork moves you have a pressure leak somewhere in the line.
With the amount of fluid you have already lost and will again be loosing, have a look under the car, you should be able to see drips forming.
 
projectgtir

projectgtir

Member
Might as well go nissan like i did for the slave. Is it just co-incidence that we both have recently had uprated clutches and slave cylinders ,or do these generaly fail anyway ?
 
PobodY

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
It's like everything; as you replace each part it puts more stress on the next one... and that fails too.

I'm guessing I've got a leak in the hoses somewhere, and that I couldn't spot it in the snow; looking at it again, the hose from the resevoir to the cylinder looks rather oily. Maybe that's what's leaking (I hope so; that will be an easy fix).

If you can see oil on the pedal and/or the floor it's the master cylinder that's gone. eastwood is selling one "cleaned and tested" for £40 on eBay at the moment, or you could try Boby (I think he was asking ~£20 last time I looked).
 
G

geoff pine

Well-Known Member
projectgtir said:
Might as well go nissan like i did for the slave. Is it just co-incidence that we both have recently had uprated clutches and slave cylinders ,or do these generaly fail anyway ?
Click to expand...
I would also be having a good look at the peddle box as it coud be the next part of the system to fail .
 
PobodY

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
Sorry to drag this one back up, but it is definitely the clutch master cylinder.
It has taken a while, but the pedal is definitely now oily and I can see it on the mat too.

I know it's a royal pain to change it, and that a blue-print one is about £70 (and that Boby probably has a used one for cheaper). Can they be rebuilt? I'm thinking about my slave cylinder; I replaced it with a blue-print one, but actually there was no scoring on the piston etc so a £7 rebuild kit would have achieved the same result. Even if it cost £20 to rebuild the master cylinder, that would be cheaper than putting a new one in (the budget is always tight... I need a new job) and probably more reliable than another 20 year-old part.

Yes? No? Maybe?
 
I

iomegalinux

Guest
i would like also to have the answer on this, as mine is loosing oil also, i have to fill the tank very often now....

and what you have to remove to be able to change that master cylinder ?
 
PobodY

PobodY

Moderators
Staff member
I rebuilt mine in the end; bought the kit from Nissan, and swapped all the seals etc over. - Fixed.

It depends how small you hands are an how patient you can be as to what needs to be removed. - I took the resevoir off, and undid some of the other clamps holding things onto the plenum, but that was about it.
You do have to inch the nuts off slowly with an exension, and you'll find that the metal clutch lines don't want to release either, but it can be done.

Getting the circlip back on the piston was also a bit fiddly.
 
I

iomegalinux

Guest
ok thank you ... i'll check that, i hope the dealer doesn't ask too much for the rebuild kit
 
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