2000 mazda miata clutch limp

We think something in the master cylinder for the clutch is shot.
Has anyone seen a clutch pedal just go limp? There's no linkage that we know
of, and it seems to have died when cold weather hit.

On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:02:53 +0000, ed wrote:

> We think something in the master cylinder for the clutch is shot.
> Has anyone seen a clutch pedal just go limp? There's no linkage that we know
> of, and it seems to have died when cold weather hit.
Yup...when I blew the slave cylinder in a Celica I had. Pedal went right
to the floor and stayed there.

Check the reservior to see if there's any fluid. If there isn't, fill it
and raise the pedal up with your foot, and press it again (actually, raise
it before filling the cylinder.) Have someone look under the hood to see
if fluid is leaking from the master, the slave, or the line.

In article >, "ed" >
wrote:

> We think something in the master cylinder for the clutch is shot.
> Has anyone seen a clutch pedal just go limp? There's no linkage that we know
> of, and it seems to have died when cold weather hit.

More than likely the slave, not the master, has gone south. The master
is POSSIBLE, but the slave is a MUCH more likely culprit - read on...

Both Miatas and early-80's 626s use the same master/slave cylinders, and
both of them eat slaves on a fairly regular basis. Last time I bought a
slave cylinder rebuild kit for my '82 626, it set me back about $6, and
doing the job took about 45 minutes or so. Buying a whole new slave and
just plugging it in takes about the same amount of time, and cost me
about $18. Take your pick...

Check the slave cylinder - If the outside of it (any portion) is wet
with brake fluid, then it's a sure bet that's where the trouble is - the
cup and the piston have probably been "ground down" to a "not quite
round anymore" shape. Big surprise, what with having an aluminum piston
sliding back and forth on an iron cylinder wall...

As for the process, a hint is in order:

When you go to remove the slave, *BEFORE YOU START ON THE MOUNTING
BOLTS*, crack the fluid line from the master loose at the slave - Don't
worry about removing it completely at this point - just get it broken
loose. Once you've done that, *THEN* go after the two bolts that hold
the cylinder down. Once those two bolts are out, and the cylinder is
free to move, spin the *CYLINDER* to remove the line. Reverse it when
you put things back together - screw the cylinder back onto the line to
"finger tight" first, then set the bolts, and finally finish by
tightening the line up good and solid. Trying to break the line loose
once you've got the cylinder off is a pain in the butt, and trying to
actually REMOVE the line while the cylinder is still bolted down will
make you want to scream!

Don't forget that once you're done, you're going to need to bleed the
clutch system same as you'd bleed the brakes.

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