So the slave cylinder blew a few days back on me. A friend of a friend fixed it up quick, everything else looked good underneath, he told me. It runs fine but....

...the clutch engages differently. I used to feel the car start to move with the clutch half-up or even closer to the floor. Now, the car doesn't move until the clutch nearly all the way up. It seems a bit looser now too, less resistance and easier to push in and out.

Is this expected when you have work on the tranny, that the clutch could engage different like this? The guy who fixed it was going to replace the clutch while he was in there but when he opened it up, he said it looked fine, not worth replacing. Is this maybe an adjustment when the tranny went back in? Honestly, I prefer it engaging the way it was, but I don't want to have to rip down the tranny again if that's where any adjustment is made.

Am I crazy or is this normal?

Thanks,
-Dirk

 

if he had the trans out i would have had the the clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing replaced. its not much to do once the trans is out and parts are not so much either when you take into consideration the cost of labor to have it done a year later. im sure there was some difference in the old and new parts. if the old one was goin it wasnt punping as much fluid as a new one will so i would think it would do what your seeing. doesnt take so much to push the fluid so its on top. that can also be an indicator that the clutch is worn.

 

I'm not positive but I think he said he changed the pressure plate (can you even do that without changing the clutch as well?).

I'm getting used to the new height of the clutch but its got me curious now.

-Dirk

 

yes but i wouldnt. clutch plate is one of the cheapest parts. pressure plate is most expensive unless the flywheel is toast.

 

well, I'm guessing he didn't replace it then if its expensive, he charged me $470 total and I know for sure he replaced the slave cylinder (I saw that piece out) and whatever labor was, at least 3 hours from the sound of it.

I didn't know it until after it was done, but he had bought a clutch plate and decided not to put it in once he saw the condition of the current one. He was probably trying to save me money, he likely didn't realize I'd have rather just replaced it. Funny that he didn't mention having more parts than the clutch tho, makes me wonder if he wouldn't have changed the pressure plate and bearing with the clutch...

-Dirk