Hello all,

My Maxima recently (like a month and a half ago) gave way to the clutch... Felt some liquid on the pedal and assumed it was the Master Cylinder. I then prompted to attempt to replace this p.o.s. and for the last month and a half, my life has been miserable.

I am not a rich man, so I bought a Dorman brand master cylinder. Put it in (and put in an ss line in the process) and attempted to install it. Clutch pedal still stuck to the floor.... I also heard a hiss coming from the cylinder whenever it was compressed. My knowledge in caring for my fish tank told me that there was an air leak in the cylinder.

To test this, I did a bench bleed on the cylinder and yes! There was a leak, since bubbles were always popping up, but the leak was at the reservoir. After a bit of a small depression in my life, I attempted to seal it up with some rubberish compound at Autozone, and bench bled it again. No bubbles this time.

I reinstalled the cylinder and hooked everything up, and in one last desperate try bought some parts to backbleed it from the slave to the master (since that seems to be the best way). The backbleed sucessful, I felt the pedal again AND IT STILL STICKS TO THE GOD D* FLOOR.

I'm so tired, I miss my car, and I've been neglecting everything else in my life until I get this fixed. Anybody have any ideas?

Thanks,

-DBG

 

I don't have a standard trans car but I'll throw a thought out to you. I'm assuming that you don't have any more leaks and you say that you backbled the brakes and got rid of all the air. This led me back to the master cylinder. The linkage that connects the master cylinder to the pedal is adjustable. It threads in and out. Have you tried to adjust that? The Dorman one probably comes set up but not adjusted to what the OEM one is.

 

I believe I did something like that... You mean that little metal part that connects the pedal to the rod? Yeah it was too short so I kept threading the metal thing until its hole was flush with the pedal holes, if that's what you mean

 

Yup that was what I meant. Just wanted to make sure you had adjusted that properly. I'd maybe replace that leaky Master at this point. $35 at rockauto

 

Just a thought but when you installed the ss clutch line on the master cylinder did you check if it was on straight. I know when i installed mine it was a little angled wrong. It didnt leak fluid but i guess air was getting into the system. And the pedal would not get pressure. Im just throwing that out there. Goodluck

 

Thanks for the tries guys... tried everything mentioned and it didn't work

I just bit the bullet and ordered a towing to a shop. It'll probably cost me a lot, but I just want my damn max working T_T

 

Nice looking white maxima. There's a guy on here with the same car as you 5MT SE....400K miles still going strong. Long live the 3.0s

 

OHHHH MAH GOD

Turns out it was the *slave* cylinder that was leaking, not the master

Which means that my replacement master may or may not last longer than the stock one... oops oh well I'll cross that bridge when I get to it..

@dwa thanks haha. I actually just put some new chrome rims on it and I'll upload a picture, but I admit I am a teensy weensy bit disappointed I don't have the 3.5L, but I still pack a punch compared to my friends' 4-cylinders (not that I race or anything >.>)

 

Keep your old mater cylinder, just in case your new one goes out.

 

Congrats on the fix. Now enjoy your summer.

 

So you basically had a leak in 2 places? I dont see how a leaking slave cylinder will leak fluid below the clutch pedal.

 

You're right... I dunno maybe that stuff under the clutch pedal was already there before I bought the car... There *was* sticky stuff, yet none of the other pedals had sticky stuff on the bar so again... I don't know.

The car is running again but that reservoir is also getting lower as well. I hate hydraulic systems... I can see fluid sitting below the master under the hood so it probably has to do with the hodgepodge way I put the master together. It was sorta leaking from the reservoir so I sealed it up with some rubbery stuff, but maybe I should go and check again and double seal it up.

I hate hydraulics systems...

 

Is it leaking from the rubber seals on the MC? Doubt you will be able to patch up a break fluid leak. Best to get those new rubber seals, unless it's leaking from somewhere else.
Also, to make your life easier bleeding theclutch, get a proper-sized speed bleeder! One-man job from then on to bleed your clutch. I have all four corners and the clutch on the Ford. Good stuff.