Clutch is Out - Help!

[amcordo]

So I was driving and halfway through my little drive my clutch was out! Yikes! And right during rush hour on busy streets. The only thing to do at stop lights was to turn the car off then turn it back on in gear. Poor starter motor is probably mad at me. Serves me right for using this old thing as a daily driver.

Symptoms:
No leaks. Reservoir full
No pressure - bled (bleeded?) the clutch in the middle of a theater parking lot. Couldn't restore pressure. More specifically, air bubbles kept coming from the slave cylinder bleed valve.
Murky black fluid (should've been the yellowish since it's castrol)

The MC is about a year old, the slave is rusty enough that it looks like it's original or darned near. The piping *looks* to be in good condition.

Help?

And if it's replacing the slave is it a nightmare or easy?

[LaneRover]

If it is murky black I would assume that your seals are gone in the slave.

I forget how bad it is. The time consuming part is probably taking off the body panels to get to it.

[amcordo]

If it is murky black I would assume that your seals are gone in the slave.

I forget how bad it is. The time consuming part is probably taking off the body panels to get to it.

Well I already removed the floor panels and all that jazz (imagine having to pull out all the panels and bleed the clutch in a suit in a parking lot). But if I have to remove the bulkhead I'm going postal on the thing.

Second question: The existing slave cylinder looks to be this one(this model: http://www.roversnorth.com/store/p-2...-cylinder.aspx). Any reason why I can't just use the cheaper one (http://www.roversnorth.com/store/p-4...-cylinder.aspx)?

[ducttape]

Wait, aren't we supposed to use these as a daily driver? MINI has been calling for 2 weeks now, saying my 15k mile service is done please get the car out of their lot. I've been dodging their calls, enjoying the Rover so much.

[KevinNY]

Slave cylinder on a series 3 is as easy as a cup of coffeee and a slice of pie. 15 minute job

Do your self a favor and order and replace the flex hose and lower pipe at the same time. The pipe will probably break when you try to remove the slave cylinder and the inside of your flex line is probably some of that black fluid too.

[Cutter]

should have put it in low gear and just crawled home in first waving your arms like a mad man. people love that. really that wouldn't help but sounds like fun hoping up and down off curbs killing time for the lights...

[amcordo]

Slave cylinder on a series 3 is as easy as a cup of coffeee and a slice of pie. 15 minute job

Do your self a favor and order and replace the flex hose and lower pipe at the same time. The pipe will probably break when you try to remove the slave cylinder and the inside of your flex line is probably some of that black fluid too.

Thanks for the heads-up. Will do. RN boys - get ready for a frantic one-day shipping call tomorrow; this weekend is the last warm weather that we're expecting.

[SafeAirOne]

There are only 3 components--The clutch master cylinder, which you were clever enough to replace previously, the line(s), and the slave cylinder.

The flex line is often the culprit. It deteriorates then lets air in and fluid out.

I'd just replace the rubber flex line and the slave cylinder and bleed. Access to the flex line might be the hardest part. On RHDs, you get to the lower flex line connection through the um...center bulkhead/transmission hump cover adapter...I can't remember the correct name for it...and the upper flex line from the top side.

All in all, it's a half hour job (not counting panel installation/removal) if all goes well.

BTW...I didn't take a look at the 2 slaves you linked to, but once, I bought a cheap off-brand clutch slave from a place I no longer do business with. One week after installation, the slave piston wore a huge groove in the cylinder wall, causing me to do the whole job twice.

These trucks are just fine as daily drivers. Mine's also a '73 109 and has been pulling daily-driver duty for...going on 7 years now.

[artpeck]

I just completed replacing both the master and slave on a 73 '88 that had sat for 16 years. Both are super easy following the green book. I had the same symptoms as you where I bleed the circuit and got greasy black fluid dripping from the master onto the pedal and through the bleed nipple.
Replacing the master does require removing the wing unless you are a magician or can defy laws of physics. Took my daughter and me about 3 hours from first bolt to fully back together. Easy to do, just a lot of overhead to actually do the repair. This is due to the location being dictated by LHD having been designed for RHD. The slave i did on Friday in 10 minutes. I then bleed it carefully following the instructions and it works perfectly.

[amcordo]

BTW...I didn't take a look at the 2 slaves you linked to, but once, I bought a cheap off-brand clutch slave from a place I no longer do business with. One week after installation, the slave piston wore a huge groove in the cylinder wall, causing me to do the whole job twice.

Thank EVERYONE for your feedback. Like always, when I get in an irritation over a problem you're all around to sooth the wound.

I'll try out the Proline. So far I've been very happy with Rover North's proline parts. In fact, in one instance it was better than the genuine in design (door tops). I'll post feedback here if there's an issue in an unreasonable amount of time. That being said, I understand your advice to go with the real deal. Nine times out of ten in real life you get what you pay for.

[ignotus]

If

Tony,

I haven't done this yet but I will when the opportunity arises. Think about replacing the hard line from the resevior to the master cyl with a hose. Then it would be possible to pinch off the hose and not lose all the fluid in the res when doing a repair. It would also make it easier to get at the fittings on the tops of the m/c's when doing repairs.
I am going to take mine to a local hose repair shop and have them make one up when I do it. May even see about a small inline valve...
There is no line pressure so it doesn't need pipe.

gene

[amcordo]

Tony,

I haven't done this yet but I will when the opportunity arises. Think about replacing the hard line from the resevior to the master cyl with a hose. Then it would be possible to pinch off the hose and not lose all the fluid in the res when doing a repair. It would also make it easier to get at the fittings on the tops of the m/c's when doing repairs.
I am going to take mine to a local hose repair shop and have them make one up when I do it. May even see about a small inline valve...
There is no line pressure so it doesn't need pipe.

gene

Hi Gene!

I know nothing about this, so just saying... but there must be pressure in the line since that's how the MC forces the SC to do its stuff. Would it be safe to go with a flexible line the whole way? I like the idea - when I replaced the MC I was afraid I was going to snap the hard line when I moved it out of the way and this would remove that threat.

[Tim Smith]

I think Gene and Tony are talking about two different series. A series II has a separate reservoir with a "low pressure" line connecting it to the master. A series III should only have the reservoir attached to the master with no lines to pinch.

Of course, I could be wrong here. Just thought this conversation could be getting confused if that bit weren't noted.

[SafeAirOne]

I think Gene and Tony are talking about two different series. A series II has a separate reservoir with a "low pressure" line connecting it to the master. A series III should only have the reservoir attached to the master with no lines to pinch.

Of course, I could be wrong here. Just thought this conversation could be getting confused if that bit weren't noted.

Exactly--The SIII clutch MC and reservior is one unit. Unless amcordo has "downgraded" to an early MC, that shouldn't apply to him. He should have a MC like #2 in the diagram below, not like #1:

[amcordo]

Yeah - I have the all in one unit.