Clutch fluid replacement

4 cyl, yeah it has the original spring but the pedal returns fine, moreso feels like the clutch doesn't always disengage all the way when I depress it.

 

Yeah I cracked the bleeder and put my tube and bottle combo in the wheel well on top of the frame so I could see how full it was getting and if it was clear yet without having to crawl under each time. It would be a lot easier if you had someone sit in the cab and pump the clutch. I found it to be loads easier than bleeding brakes, you kind of just pump the pedal a couple times and the reservoir is so small that it doesn't take long.

If you can get under there on a creeper on your back at stock height you'll be able to do it. I was able to crawl under when I was stock height, but I'm pretty thin and young.

 

Would it be silly to expect a change in clutch performance by changing the fluid?

I know at times getting into 1st gear is a little difficult.

 

It might, you can get the same kind of symptoms as a soft brake pedal. But if it's just 1st thats hard to get into that could just be an old trans and some worn synchros

 

4 cylinder, never mine then. They don't have that goofy coil style return spring that the 6 cylinder models have.

 

285k so maybe so..

 

Is there a post on here that says how to do this flush??? Im having trouble getting into first gear sometimes

 

Welcome to TW . . . I had a "mystery leak" - no visible signs anywhere, but the following makes me check it much more often. New clutch. pilot, throwout and slave cylinder in 2018. It started to do hard 1st shifts, lo and behold, the fluid level had dropped. Drain/flush and it's been good ever since.


The flush is not all that difficult. Set the ebrake and block the wheels - with the clutch in, the ebrake should hold it, but that's the next project if it doesn't, no need to get squished finding out.

Have a fresh bottle of DOT3 or 4 brake fluid on hand. Don't use old fluid, it attracts water.

Make sure you have adequate ways to catch the fluid or it will get messy. You can attach a hose to the bleeder to direct the drain but I find it gets in the way. A Gatorade bottle cut in half or something like it held up to the bleeder does the trick for me. With the valve fully open (not removed,) have your assistant pump the pedal, this will make it drain a little faster.

Close the bleeder valve, re-fill the reservoir, have your assistant work the pedal - it will drop to the floor at first so they'll have to manually lift it off the floor for 10 or 15 pumps or so. Keep checking that the fluid level doesn't drop too far or you'll have to start over. Once it starts to pressure up, have them press and hold the pedal and do little open/close actions on the bleeder valve, letting out a little squirt each time. Pump the pedal and hold each time you open the valve. You may or may not see bubbles as you bleed but the idea is to bleed it beyond what you need to ensure there's no air left in it. As you do it, you will see the clutch release arm start to move, it doesn't seem to move much but doesn't have to.

The clutch will start to get stiff at the pedal, when you think it's not getting any more stiff, snug up the bleeder valve, put the rubber cap back on it if you have it, check the reservoir level again, give it a test drive.

First gear can still be a little tough especially when cold but it should never crunch or require wrestling it into gear. If the bleed process doesn't work, it's something else (linkage, slave cylinder itself.)

 

Thank you! What would you check if the first gear can be difficult to get into sometimes? I plan on looking for leaks near and around the slave and master cylinders later today

 

Look for leaks at the master cylinder pushrod under the dash. If the slave cylinder is dry its fine

Have a helper push on the clutch pedal while you watch how far it "throws" the clutch fork. If the clutch fork is moving a normal distance then the problem isn't hydraulic. It could have a bad clutch unit or possibly the 1st gear syncro is worn out