QuestionWhile driving, my clutch went bonkers on me. The engine still runs but when trying to engage the clutch, it only goes down a fraction of the way it used to. I have bled the slave many times but nothing changed. I have also tested the slave by taking off the transmission and attempt to engage the clutch but it still does not work. Should I buy a new slave cylinder for the clutch or just a repair kit?
AnswerBenjamin, You will have to be more exact on what happens. I don't know what "going bonkers" is.
"When you try to engage the clutch, it only goes down a fraction of the way" is the reverse of what a clutch pedal does. The "engagement" of a clutch is when you let it up. When you push the pedal down you disengage a clutch.
Do you mean that when you push the pedal down it stops early or do you mean you have an excess free play before you feel any resistance in the pedal? Each thing is different and means a different thing.
Push the clutch pedal down with one finger. It should not move more than one inch and be lightly spring loaded.
Then push the pedal down with your foot. It should be firm and feel like it has the same resistance all the way to the floor.
Then with the engine at idle can you engage second gear from neutral with the pedal all the way on the floor? If you can, then put it in neutral at idle and try to engage reverse.
If you can do all of that, the mechanical and hydraulic section of the release of the clutch is normal. If not tell me which one you were unable to do.
The test of the holding ability of a clutch is a completely different test and not needed yet.
Let me know,
Howard
