Jsmply

Hi all,

Recently at the dragon meet Billman adjusted my clutch peddle for me. We didn't have time to change the fluid that day so I waited a few weeks after I got home and last week I went ahead and bled the clutch. I used the traditional method of bleeding from the slave cylinder which I have done before on the s2k with no problems. Although I had no problems this time, I have noticed that my clutch engages much higher now. Before I'd say it engaged in the lower end of the pedal (less than half way up), now I'd say it engages in the higher end of the pedal. It still seems to grab just fine. You really don't notice it much going into the higher gears, but it's very noticeable starting in 1st or going in reverse. I've almost gotten used to it, but it's just different from what I've been used to for the past few years. It also does seem to grab harder from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, etc but this could be my imagination. On hard spirited shifts I chirp like crazy from 1st to 2nd and fairly loud from 2nd to 3rd too. I don't remember this as much before but I do have the 4.77 gears so this could be in my head as it's easy to chirp with those. In case it's a related symptom I'm including it.

I've debated if air in the system would cause this, but it really doesn't seem to have any problems and grabs fine, just engages higher.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

4evertopless

Did the Fluid LEVEL change?


Example, if the fluid was lower before, you would have to press the pedal further to engage. More fluid means less travel


Thats my guess

Jsmply

Well here is some more information that might help. When Billman adjusted my clutch pedal in Fontana (wake the dragon) I noticed my clutch fluid was low but we didn't have time to change it that day. I didn't think much of it and assumed I'd just change the fluid when I got home.

A few weeks went by before I got to it and one day I started finding it difficult to get into gear so I popped the hood and sure enough, I barely had any fluid left. I went ahead and added fluid just to get me through the day and the car went back to shifting like normal. The clutch engaged at just the same point as ever. However, I was worried that air might have got into the system we I did a full bleed that weekend. After the full bleed, that's when I noticed it engages much higher. So do you mean I might have had to little fluid before and that's why it felt that way? Maybe the way it is NOW is normal? It seems much higher than most manual cars I've gotten used to including my s2k for the past few years. I don't suppose it could be too much fluid?

AngryTurtle

Sounds like you screwed the bleed up and should try again.

ahrmike

nope, to me it sounds like you got a leaky master cyl

Check your MC for leaks and replace if necessary. For clutch fluid to go down noticeably, you're leaking somewhere.

Jsmply

Okay just to post an update, I've been driving it for a few weeks and I've almost gotten used to it. It still grabs fine. In fact, I think it grabs harder if that's even possible, I can seriously chirp the tires up in the 1st to 2nd shift.

Regarding the leaking Master Cylinder, I do remember that when Billman adjusted my clutch pedal at the dragon, he said there was some clutch fluid behind the pedal, but he says thats normal and flushing the fluid usually causes the piston to reseat and it will stop leaking in his experiance.

My only question is, if the clutch pedal is engaging higher, is this bad for the clutch in anyway besides me just having to get used to it? I want to make sure there's no possibility it's causing additional clutch wear or something. In reality, if I drove the car for the first time like this, I'd probably think it's normal. It's just different then what I was used to before.

I can't imagine it's a screwed up bleed job though, wouldn't I have some other symptom? It doesn't slip or anythig like that. What else woudl air in the system do? Would it cause some kind of harm?

chansta

air in system would jus cause ur clutch pedal to be mushy... jus like brakes. i think that the way you have ur clutch pedal adjusted now is the correct adjustment, jus that you're used to the old clutch you've been using.

correct amount of freeplay for clutch pedal should be an inch before throw out bearing pulls on the pressure plate fingers.

Jsmply

Well I thought of that, but the thing is the clutch adjustment did not change the engagement. The engagement changed a few weeks later after doing the bleed. Before I could push the pedal down about 30 percent of the way and nothing would happen, it engaged closer to the floor. Now its the opposite, it engages closer to the top, if I try to make the car roll by giving it no gas and just easing up on the clutch, the first 30 percent or so off the floor does nothing.

haywoodjablome

Hint: Use a bit of logic. It goes a long way.

Before bleed.......
Billman adjusted your clutch pedal. Why?
Answer .... To resolve a problem out in the field when a proper fix could not be implemented. You had low fluid and most likely air in system. That adjustment compensated for that problem so you could temporarily have "normal" feeling clutch.

Now you've performed the "proper" fix by bleeding the system.
Final answer ......... UNADJUST the clutch pedal. The reason it was adjusted in the first place no longer exist.

Jsmply

Well that logic would make sense IF he adjusted the pedal for a reason. I had no symptoms at all when he did it. He was just doing it for everyone as part of a maintenance day. The adjustment really didn't change the way the pedal felt, but the bleed did.