Clutch problem in my beater/commuter

I recently acquired my late dad’s 95 ford contour. Not a sexy ride by any stretch but my mom insisted that I take it, so I did just to make things easier on her.

I know he had the clutch done relatively recently, but I don’t know what all they actually replaced.

The problem is that it doesn’t disengage so I’d guess the slave or master is bad. I need to get a maintenance manual to see what the clutch system consists of but it does look to share the brake system.

Yesterday I bled all the fluids which were filthy, but no improvement.

Something else I noticed is that the stick really whips around under acceleration, like a motor mount is broken. I checked the mounts and they look fine.

 

You're losing me at combined system. I can't see how thaty could be legal.

 

They just share the same reservoir

 

It’s not loosing fluid. I’ll have to check the pedal adjustment / freeplay, hopefully tomorrow. I can’t seem to figure out if there’s a slave cylinder. Unless it’s inside the bell housing, which I’ve never seen, it doesn’t have one that I can see.

 

Anybody?

No adjustment possible at the pedal. Master cylinder is new...

 

As I recall, my 2004 Ranger had the slave cylinder inside the bell housing. The clutch on that vehicle was a PITA. Got it fixed professionally. Then I found a Tacoma to replace it, so I didn't tinker with it any more.

Good luck.

 

Yea Ford is known for putting it inside the bellhousing.

Not for sharing with the brakes. I still don't see how that could be legal. I'll check though.

 

How dumb.

Found a Haynes book in the trunk, says it shares the brake res. Not too slick, but what’s the problem with that?

 

There should be a cover to access the slave inside.
Some vehicles are even a sealed set from master to slave all one piece.

Danger is that if you lose a clutch component and it leaks all the fluid it will rob from the brakes, which I would have thought by law, had to be it's own sealed system. I've always said though, it wasn't workmanship that killed American cars, it was engineering.

 

There is what looks like a rubber insert that might be an inspection window, but it isn’t big enough to access much. I’ll look again, maybe another way in without pulling the trans. There’s a bleeder just on the outside of that window and I’ve already bled the clutch. I don’t think I’m loosing any fluid.

That is definitely more accurate.

 

The Master Cylinder Reservoir on my old Tacoma also supplied the Clutch.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/clutch-fluid-reservoir.423908/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/clutch-fluid-reservoir.37159/

 

I am sure they design it with something like a check valve to retain safety.

 

My Tacoma's clutch shares the reservior with the brakes.

 

You're right. That's insane. Copying American engineering in a race for the bottom I guess.

 

How would it pull fluid from the reservoir if there were a check?

 

Ok read how it works. On paper, safe.

Use the clutch and brakes together with a leak.....lose both.

 

I was thinking a 1 way check valve, surely Toyota had to think of all the possibilities when designing it. We have dual circuit master cylinders just in case there is ever a severe leak to keep from total loss of braking.

 

Hell, old way was separate frt/rear, now both same resv. )I have personlly had a rear cyl. blow out and after a couple of pumps, you've got NOTHING but emergency brakes...scary)

They ain't making shit safer. Just cheaper.

 

Were the reservoirs still kept separate on the 1st gen trucks?