Clutch pressure problem

[galantrevolution]

Long story short I got my VR4 back and it had clutch problem not enough pressure, so I got a new flywheel , new clutch kit, one piece brake line , new master cylinder and new slave , after all that still have not enough pressure, I feel pressure all the way at the bottom , my question is since I got all the parts from autozone I'm wondering if the rod length is different can anyone measure the master cylinder rod to verify my concern or any ideas on what could be wrong with my clutch problem ?

 

[tektic]

Clutch hydraulics on these cars are very touchy, especially when non factory parts are used. Nabco (oe) master cylinders have more volume than most aftermarket counter because of the internal plunger design. With that said it is very likely your new aftermarket cylinder is not pushing the same amount of fluid. There are also different bore diameters for different year and model slaves. When you take in to account errors in flywheel step height and the sheer difficulty of the daunting tasks that is reliving absolutely all the air from the system and making sure the master is set to allow fluid to return to the reservoir, there are just mounds of things working against proper operation and disengagement. Lastly, and what I would suspect to be your issue; Our Pedal assembles tend to wear out. Check to see if your master cylinder moves from the time you touch the pedal till the time you stop. If there is any pedal movement that does not depress the master rod the pedal assembly needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

 

[chop91vr4]

If your talking about your engagement not being until you hit the flooror just off the floor, then I just went through this same issue & my friend who has a Gvr4 said it's in the pedal assyembly they wear out & you have to adjust it he said he had to weld his. Mine now has the "throw" at the top like it should of been I will have to get details on what the adjustments were he made though.

 

[Coltsfan]

Mine doesn't release unless I kick the floormat out of the way either. The little arm that pushes the master starts twisting/wearing on the pedal pivot shaft and can get twisted so far back that you run out of adjustment. I welded a second nut onto my master adjustment shackle as a temporary fix, but it's still not awesome. What bothers me most is that my Colt has the opposite clutch feel, so going back and forth is difficult.

Outside of adjustment and bleeding, the only option I see left is looking for a wider bore master, and/or a narrower bore slave.

Ps. Another thing to consider is adjusting the cruise cut switch as far up as possible to get the longest pedal swing you can, then adjusting the master rod accordingly.

 

[tektic]

Quote:
Outside of adjustment and bleeding, the only option I see left is looking for a wider bore master, and/or a narrower bore slave.



Why isn't fixing the broken pedal assembly an option?

 

[galantrevolution]

Because it got worse after I park the car on a hill overnight and then clutch pressure got worse

 

[prove_it]

Sounds like the clutch fluid drained back on the slope, you need a new anti drainback valve on the clutch actuator unit.

 

[Coltsfan]

Fixing the broken clutch pedal assembly is an option, but in my particular case, it doesn't seem like that's enough. As I mentioned, I found a work around that made up for the twisted pedal assembly restoring my missing adjustment but it just barely allows me to shift with a floormat under the pedal.

I realize they offer different diameter bores, but the listings were cryptic and I think my car ended up with the wrong combination of cylinders. That's why in my case, it seems like the only option left.

That's just my two cents worth, the OP's problem may be different. Either way, just trying to help.

 

[tektic]

Quote:
I found a work around


Lol, So you rigged it. An now you want to re-engineering the whole system to get around fixing whats broken.

Figuring out if you have the wrong parts installed is good to know but going out of your way to install wrong parts to cover up a problem is not going to work out very well. I been there it don't help. And it makes your pedal even harder to push.

 

[prove_it]

Trust Tektic, he knows this from experience.

We don't like to hear about band-aid or hacked up jobs on this site by the way. You'll quickly lose credibility.

 

[Coltsfan]

I wasn't looking to hijack this thread or make it all about my car, but yeah I had to do some temporary McGuyvereing to my car, but it's my daily, it was -15 degrees out, and I just wanted to be able to shift gears without pulling the entire pedal assembly out right then and there. As for the analogy that I want to re-engineer the whole system to make up for my rigging, that's not the case at all.


Yeah it's not ideal, but when I pull the whole dash this summer to address it heating issues, mouse sh*t issues, and random rattle issues, I can toss the little modified part in the trash and replace/repair the pedal. The fact is, this horribly unwholesome repair does effectively negate the worn pedal issue, but my clutch still engages about four millimeters from the carpet. That's why I want to see if I'm possibly running too narrow of a master, or too wide of a slave. I know none of the parts on this thing are original, so the possibility still exists that I would be restoring the car to it's original condition rather than hacking it by doing so.

 

[Coltsfan]

Oh and to really toss my credibility out the window: I once used barbed wire that I found in the forest to keep my catalytic converter from dragging on the ground so I could make the three hour drive home. LOL

 

[prove_it]

Your fine since it was a temp fix.

 

[GSTwithPSI]

You know you don't have to pull the entire dash to rebuild the pedal assembly, right?

 

[Coltsfan]

I know but I have to pull the entire dash to wash inside the HVAC system. I pulled several pounds of rodent feces and acorn shells out of the car, and the heat just doesn't work as well as I would like. There's also a rattle behind the instrument cluster sometimes, and a rattle behind the glove compartment. The pedal assembly isn't exactly fun to remove, but it will be easier when I'm in there going through everything.

I need more time in the day. I have a 2007 535xi in my shop right now for an engine. It's a real time sucker. All the parts came in to rebuild my Galant engine, so I'm really looking forward to getting that going.

I have a pedal assembly that I took out of my 91 Talon tsi, will that fit?

 

[GSTwithPSI]

I don't think so. I believe the pedal boxes are slightly different between the Galant and 1G DSMs, but I could be wrong.

Rebuilding the pedal assembly is a fuckin bastard. I did it on 1813, and it sucked. There are some pictures in that build thread you can take a look at for comparison. You're in for a real treat, I'll tell you that.

 

[prove_it]

I think your right Brett, for some reason I wanna say they are different. I don't have CAPS, so maybe someone can check.

 

[Fiascoxl]

I've been experiencing low clutch engagement as well, and I believe that the clutch pedal lever has rounded off but has kept the pedal tight like you have stated. You have to get a clutch lever for a GVR4(MB844603), the 1g lever(MB599879) is not the same and physically shorter.

I have been doing a little researching and I have been trying to find a cheap source for new bronze bushings with no luck. I may be crazy but 20.00 a piece for the bushings is ridiculous when you need 5 of them total. I may end up getting some from ACE Hardware and see how much work/shaving they need to fit correctly.

 

[galantrevolution]

I just check for play on my pedal , and there is no free play between pedal and clutch master cylinder

 

[transparentdsm]

that isn't where play will be. push the clutch down with your foot all the way to the floor, get out of the car, grab the clutch pedal arm and pull it straight up. if it pulls up higher then it was then the pedal assembly is broken. ive fixed these. when i did mine i just removed the assembly, cut the nut and thread off the end, set the pedal to where i wanted it and welded in the whole area that was worn, broken and/or twisted. took a little while as i had to weld it slow and constantly put water on it to not melt the rubber inside the assembly, but it worked and has been for thousands of miles on 4 different cars.