Clutch Pedal Will Pause Before Returning

Greeting, I know there are other threads with similar issues. I'm just not sure if it applies to my situation as others have differing issues, all with the clutch so I have an idea.

So, the issue I'm having is when I depress the clutch and then begin to release, it's almost as if it is hesitating before fully returning to which it then hits the bottom of my foot and in some cases I will lift up on the pedal as I fear it may pop out of gear or something.

Sorry if this appears to be repeat, but I'm afraid it's a different issue then master or slave cylinder. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have replaced wheel bearings, front brakes, and other somewhat simple jobs on my own, so I'm a little handy with tools and hope this is something I can do myself.

 

Sounds like you may have a leak somewhere, either internal or external, or maybe an air bubble. Pull the inspection cover off the bell housing and check for any leakage around the pushrod boot and fittings. You may need to remove the rubber dust boot around it to see if any fluid leaked past the piston and is trapped inside the boot. If nothing is found, make sure the reservoir is full of fresh fluid and try bleeding the clutch out to rule out any air bubbles or old fluid causing problems. If that doesn't work and you see no leaks on the slave or master, it may be an internal leak in the master seals. I've never had to pull one out but rebuilding it shouldn't be difficult at all, just a few o-rings and seals.

I assume the clutch is probably releasing/grabbing lower in the pedal stroke as well.

 

I will try and look at the bell housing and surrounding for leaks tomorrow, thanks for the quick reply!

 

No problem. The clutch is a simple hydraulic system, and any failures aside from simple fluid leaks/air bubbles (i.e. a failure in the pressure plate, etc) would likely be catastrophic and very obvious, probably with ugly noises too. The fact that it's still fundamentally working tells me it's just a fluid or seal issue, which explains why it doesn't retain enough fluid backpressure to push the pedal back up right away.

Actually, now that I think about it, the 2nd gens have a clutch accumulator between the master and slave to mitigate rapid engagement(pedal release) and shock load. Basically slows the re-engagement down when the clutch is dumped. Not sure what the failure mode/symptoms/moving parts are on that, I but they're also easy to replace. Many people even bypass them altogether and enjoy a much more tactile clutch feel.

Either way, what you described sounds like a textbook fluid leak or air bubble.

 

And of course, be sure to check the master for leaks too. Weird to me that they put it on the inside of the firewall in these trucks, with a line going up to the brake master to share its reservoir. Nothing wrong with it, just different IMO. So check that line and brake fluid level too. If it's low, that fluid has to be going somewhere.

 

it could also be as simple as greasing the pivot point of the clutch pedal. and i would look at the clutch pedal return spring.

 

Clutch accumulator is clogged, remove the accumulator and be happy with the new feel.