After 4 months Engine starts 1st time - but can't get into reverse?

[DrJeff]

I was delighted when the engine started first time and settled into a nice idle after 4 months in the garage (due to a massive cabin overhaul). Just one problem, when I depress the clutch and try to select reverse I get gear grinding? (I dare not test forward as I'm in the garage!) There might be a slight amount more clutch play/softness than before, but that was 4 months ago so my judgement may be off. I've got a small leak under the engine, at the rate of about a drip per month. Not something new.

During the cabin refit I didn't mess with anything on the engine, transmission, or suspension.

Anyone have any ideas? I'm supposed to be in the St. Pat's Parade in the morning!

Thanks
Jeff

[DrJeff]

I have the steel braided clutch line.

[Chris Burns]

Sounds like your Slave might be leaking. Check your fluid level.

[DrJeff]

173291732817327Fluid reservoir is bone dry. I got a photo of the cylinder area at the front of the engine. I think this is the bleed nipple - can anyone confirm?

[Tillsy]

I don't think you'll be making that parade if you have an empty reservoir... your safest bet is going to be new master and slave cylinders and that's going to be a day of work once you have them if you've never done it, half a day if you have.

Hard to make that photograph out, but that's not your bleeder - it's on the right side of the slave.

[Tillsy]

I think I can make that picture out now - that's the left side, get your camera down the opposite side and you'll get it.

[David T]

Rebuild or replace the clutch master and slave cylinders. Check the fluid in the brake system and flush that if necessary. Was the fluid in either the clutch or the brake system EVER changed? If not you will be rebuilding the brake system soon too. Do NOT attempt to drive on a bad clutch system. You will cause internal damage to the transmission. Do not attempt to drive on a bad brake system. You will cause extensive body damage when you hit things with the car. The brake fluid in both systems needs to be changed every other year to keep it from rotting the parts.
David Teitelbaum

[DrJeff]

Thanks for the advice / pointers. I've had the car for 1 year, so I'm not 100% sure of the maintenance history. Looks like I'm going to be doing some clutch work to get back on the road, and brake work to stay on it. (No indicators of a brake problem so far.) From all the bits I've read this sounds like the most fun you can have with Delorean maintenance.

[DrJeff]

What's the spec for the clutch fluid? Is it the same as the brake fluid?

[Chris Burns]

They both use the same type of fluid I believe.

[DMCMW Dave]

What's the spec for the clutch fluid? Is it the same as the brake fluid?

DOT4 . DOT 3 will work in a pinch, DOT 4 is spec'd so it matches the brakes. Avoid DOT 5

[FLYBOY]

Do yourself a favor replace both at the same time, otherwise you will be wasting a lot of time and will have problems with the other going bad in the not so distance future.
Trust me been down that road more times than I can remember (4) when $$$ was tight.

[DrJeff]

Any recommendations on how to get at the clutch slave cylinder? I can barely reach it as is, so I can hardly imagine changing it out. I had to take the photos last night with my endoscope. It was tricky trying to navigate around all the pipes and hoses just to get those views of the slave cylinder.

[Tillsy]

There are a couple of threads we have all shared advise in:

Replacing The Clutch Master Cylinder (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?5489-Master-clutch-cylinder-HOW-TO)

Replacing The Clutch Slave Cylinder (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?2723-Replacing-clutch-slave)

[Chris Burns]

There are 2 ways to access the slave. One from the top (in the back of the engine) near the fire wall. The other way is from underneath. As mentioned already it would be best to replace all the hydraulics.

[David T]

The clutch slave cylinder is done from the bottom blind unless you are working on top of the motor and have removed the intake manifold. The brake and clutch systems use the same fluid. Castrol GTLMA Dot 4. You need a small bottle for the clutch and a small and a large bottle for the brakes. Castrol just changed the packaging on their brake fluid and no longer call it GTLMA. It is now in a black bottle and they call it synthetic. I am told it is the same product, just different packaging and labeling. Good practice is to change both the slave and master clutch cylinders at the same time. I would also flush the brakes but if the fluid is nasty (dark, thick and full of black pieces) expect the brakes to start leaking soon after, necessitating a full rebuild (or replacement) of all 4 calipers and the brake master cylinder.
David Teitelbaum