Time for a new clutch or something else?

[Stainless]

Two days ago, my clutch was fine. Yesterday, from the moment I got in the car, the clutch pedal felt very soft, like it didn't take much effort to push it in. When I went for a drive, it was very hard to get into gear, especially first. It wasn't difficult to get it into the other gears. It felt like I had to push the pedal as far as it could go before it felt like it was doing anything. I was able to make it home though.

Today, I went to try and diagnose the problem, and now the problem is much worse. The clutch pedal has no resistance and I can't shift it into 1st gear or reverse when the car is running. All it does is grind the gears. In all the manual transmissions that I've owned, I've never had a clutch go out on me, so I'm not sure if it's the clutch, the master cylinder, the slave cylinder, or something else. I am able to shift into gear when the car is not running, if that tells you anything.

Looking at all the paper work from previous owners, nothing has ever been touched with regards to the clutch components, so everything is completely original. Mine is an '81 with 52K miles. Let me know where I should start. Thanks.

[Patrick C]

Check your clutch fluid. The problem sounds hydraulic.

[1batt4u]

Check for leaking oil, from the clutch line, to the clutch cylinder, slave cylinder. See if any oil is dripping out the clutch cylinder, where the pedals are, into the floor.

[Stainless]

The good news is that I don't believe that the clutch is bad.

The clutch fluid container was bone dry. After filling it up and pumping it a lot, the clutch feels pretty good again, meaning I can get it into gear with the car running. I found that the car's clutch pipe has been replaced with a SS braided line. I couldn't find any leaks on the outside of the vehicle, even when my wife pumped the clutch pedal.

I believe the culprit is a leaking master cylinder. Down by the pedals, this is what I found:


After pumping a few times, I was able to sit and watch fluid slowly drip out of it. It looks like I'll be replacing the master cylinder. Luckily it doesn't seem like it should be too hard of a job. My question is, how do you access the slave cylinder to bleed the system once the new master cylinder is installed?

[jawn101]

From above the engine, behind the intake as I recall. Kind of a pain.

[opethmike]

It is a lot easier if you stand on a step stool and lean right over.

[Chris Burns]

You have to be a proctologist to replace the slave cylinder.

[Ron]

It looks like I'll be replacing the master cylinder.

Do yourself a favor and replace them both...

[DMC5180]

+1

[Kenny_Z]

Definitely replace them both. The slave isn't bad but getting that metal hose back on is horrible. I had to walk away a couple of times before I broke something. It'll fight and fight and then suddenly fit like it had always been there. Get yourself a step stool and lay across the engine.