My clutch mstr and/or slave cylinders out again...doh! #^%@$

[czo79]

Hello all...
My cars are ganging up on me too make life difficult!
As some of you may remember, my 97 GT left my at a tollbooth a few weeks ago, refusing to go into gear. Anyways, I was hours from home, so I had to take her to a dealership near where she died. They said it was the clutch master and slave cylidners and replaced them and it worked great. A couple few weeks down the road, and I go to start it this morning, and same deal, won't go into any gear if engine is running, reverse grinds if you try it. I have a clutchmasters stage III carbon kevlar clutch, and a kartboy short shift kit and sti tranny mounts, thats about it for potentially relevant mods.

So my problem is, I assume the same thing failed, either bad part/install/whatever, do I have any recourse with dealership that did the original work? I can't really take the car to that dealership, cause its well over a hundred miles away, and I can't drive my car. I have a good reliable mechanic locally, who is much cheaper than the dealership, and specializes in subarus. I believe hes a certified subby technician, so I am wondering if there might be any way they can do the work locally, and I might still be able to get reimbursed or something. I don't even know if there is any warranty on parts or anything...but I really feel if its the same thing they just fixed, and it turns out the part is shot or was installed wrong...that they should fix it, or somehow compensate me.
what do y'all suggest?
Thanks
Micum

[vrg3]

If it's the clutch hydraulics that are at fault I would expect the dealership would at least examine the problem at no charge... a good dealership would fix it at no charge.

How does the clutch pedal feel? Does it have the same kind of springy action as it always did? Or does it stick a little bit, or act spongy? It's possible it needs to be bled again. In my experience Subaru hydraulic clutches are hard to bleed, and sometimes you think you have all the air out only to have it reappear after a dozen miles. You could just try giving it a round of bleeding anyway.

You could also just look at the slave cylinder and make sure it's still mounted securely and that its little pushrod is pressing on the right part of the release fork. And at the same time make sure the master cylinder has enough fluid in it and that the lines are securely attached.

[czo79]

The clutch doesn't really feel different...its feels the same as last time it broke, it just doesn't seem to do anything. I will check it out as much as I can, although I don't really know much about the clutch assembly...
But I guess my most important problem is this...
I can't bring it to the dealership that originally did the work, its hundreds of miles away. So I am really worried that I am going to get stuck paying for this repair again, and that would suck cause its expensive, and I just got it fixed two weeks ago!
Thanks
Micum

[vrg3]

Well at least get someone to get in the car and press the pedal while you watch the slave cylinder (mounted on the top of the transmission) and see if it pushes the fork at all.

Bleeding it is pretty easy; it's just like bleeding brakes. There's a bleeder screw on the slave cylinder. Stick a hose on it going to a bottle. Then have someone press the clutch pedal, then you open the valve, then after the fluid comes through you close the valve, then they release the pedal, and then you repeat, all the while making sure the level in the master cylinder never gets too low.

You might consider calling the dealership and asking to talk to the mechanic who did the repair. He may have some ideas... If they sound like they're willing to take responsibility for the problem, you might even try getting them to pay for a tow. It's a long shot, but you may as well try.

So last time they just replaced the master and slave cylinders, and that solved the problem until now? Did they replace the hose too, with the updated part (listed in the "sticky clutch pedal" TSB)?

[Brat4by4]

Arghhh... my car just did the exact same thing last night! It won't go in gear with the car on (like the clutch isn't put in). But when the car is off it will go into all the gears just fine.

Looks like I am going to have to have my car towed 20+ miles But I got symptoms before total failure. My clutch has started to chatter excessively, even on downshifts like before it was broke in. The night before I had trouble getting the car into first at a stop sign, but it went in and drove fine the rest of the way home. But I think it went into first then because I was rolling after I let off the brake to go.

Hopefully it is something simple (which this shop won't charge me for) and not something whacked out like a bad pressure plate or something.

[czo79]

I need to get my car to my local mechanic, only a few miles away. My clutch doesn't seem to disengage. It won't go into any gear when the car is on. But it will go into gear when the engine is off. I've heard of people starting the car in gear...I don't really know how this works. I would guess maybe the starter motor is used to get the car going in gear....I wonder if one could get the car started and going in 2nd...cause I'm close enough to the mechanic to get there in 2nd. Anyone have directions on how to do this, can it be done, how to do it, will I hurt my car?
thanks
micum

[Brat4by4]

Have someone push you while you start it in gear. It's not "good" for it, but it will do it just fine.

In my Brat I could just start it in gear and it would go... no stalling. Kinda scary if you think about it. The Legacy will need help, it will stall. So have someone pushing, should be able to do it.

[czo79]

So...it probably won't be a problem if I do it once. And it will work in second gear? Clutch in, put in 2nd, clutch out, push car and start? Would I maybe want to get it started (moving) pushing it then start engine? I am making this more complicated than it needs to be probably. Just seems a little scary.

Oh yeah...I had a friend come over and push in the clutch while I looked under the hood. I could definately see the slave cylinder pushing on the thingie...I know...real technical! Anyone want to clue me in on what that might mean given the symptoms?

thanks
Micum

[Brat4by4]

pushing the clutch doesn't do anything remember? lol. put it in gear. have two friends pushing on the back and hit the ignition. car will lurch forward and hopefully with the thrust from the friends it will take off in gear. from then out you can yank it out of gear but possibly not back in.

it is very ghetto. but if you don't have any friends with flatbeds, you'll just have to shell out some $$$ to get it there.

[vrg3]

I could definately see the slave cylinder pushing on the thingie...

Uh oh...

Unless it's just not pushing far enough, that probably means a problem with the clutch assembly. Maybe the pressure plate is broken, or maybe the fork came off the throwout bearing... I hope it's not that serious.

car will lurch forward and hopefully with the thrust from the friends it will take off in gear. from then out you can yank it out of gear but possibly not back in.

You can get it back in gear if you match speeds perfectly. :) I read a story once about two kids who drove like across the USA to get a free beater Nissan 240SX and drove it all the way back without a clutch cable.

[czo79]

What a great day!
Don't you just love it when the mechanic calls you days before expected, and tells you your car is ready, and its not going to cost hardly anything?
So it turns out that the guys who installed the master and slave cylinders maybe didn't do a good enough job bleeding the clutch. My mechanic did it, and bham, no problems. The dealership that did the original clutch work also said that I had two torn front cv boots, and that it would be over 400$ to fix....I was like screw that, and drove it home and had my mechanic check it out, said there is no problem.
THanks all
Micum