Last week, I sent a post asking for help with my clutch hydraulics problem.
The freshly rebuilt clutch master cylinder did not appear to be drawing
fluid from the reservoir. I received many suggestions from many of you.
This weekend I finally found the problem, but not until I had to completely
remove the master cylinder. After several hours of trouble-shooting, I
finally figured out that the valve was not opening. The reason for this was
that the valve/spring/cup assembly was not pushed all the way onto the
plunger. Although it looked as though the locking tang on the cup was
locked under the lip on the back of the plunger, it wasn't. It couldn't
have been off more than 1mm. But it was just enough to allow the valve to
remain closed at all times. Once I found and corrected this, problem
solved.
I also finally broke down and got me one of those "EasyBleed" systems, so I
was able to bleed the clutch myself after re-assembly, and finished
bleeding the brakes. I now have a clutch that seems to be working! I'm
nearing the end of a total restoration on this car, and since it hasn't
been driven in 15 years, I couldn't wait to check things out. I've had the
engine running already, but have not had the car moving under it's own
power, nor had any clutch or brakes to this point. So, with the car still
up on jacks, I cranked her up, pressed the clutch, shifted into first,
released the clutch, and WOW. Everything seemed to work fine. The tranny is
quiet, the clutch works smoothly, the brakes seemed to be working (although
the rear brakes are dragging a bit), and I went from 0 to 60 in just a few
seconds. Now I can't wait to see how well it'll do when it's not on jack
stands !!!
Almost there!
Jeff Williamson
Belleville, MI
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