Monday I noticed that my 5sp was having trouble getting into reverse after sitting overnight. I opened the hood and noticed that the clutch master cylinder resevoir was empty. I fillled it to the full line with fluid, then pumped the clutch a few times. (I know I should have bled the line at that point but I was running late for work) Yesterday, I took the car to my friends house to get him to help me bleed the lines. Unfortunatly we found out the master cylinder is dead. My friends brother is a mechanic and he walked us through a couple of different tests to make sure it was the master cylinder.

Is there anything I need to be careful with replacing the clutch cylinder? (other than the brake fluid will eat my paint if I drip some) Anything else known to go wrong? The lines and the slave cylinder seem to be ok. Just asking. Thanks, Mav

 

Buy a Haynes manual. They are fairly cheap. See Chapter 8, page 8 -2. Pictures are included in the manual.

Removal

1. Disconnect the negative cable from the battery.
2. Under the dashboard, disconnect the pushrod from the clutch pedal. It's held in place with a clevis pin. To remove the clevis pin, remove the clip.
3. Remove the ASCD (cruise control) pump. Disconnect the hydraulic line at the clutch master cylinder. Use a flare-out wrench on the fitting to protect it from being rounded off. Have rags handy, some fluid will be spilled when the line is disconnected. (Rinse any brake fluid off the paint immediately). Remove the nuts that attach the master cylinder to the firewall. As you remove the master cylinder, make sure you don't spill any fluid.

Installation

1. Position the master cylinder on the firewall and install the mounting nuts, but don't tighten them yet.

2. Connect the hydraulic line to the master cylinder, moving the cylinder slightly as necessary to thread the fitting properly into the bore. Don't cross-thread the fitting as it's installed.

3. Tighten the master cylinder mounting nuts and the hydraulic line fitting securely.

4. Connect the pushrod to the clutch pedal.

5. Fill the clutch master cylinder reservoir with brake fluid conforming to DOT 3 specifications and bleed the clutch system (not going to get into this).

6. Check the clutch pedal height and freeplay (not going to get into this).

 

I have the manual and use it frequently (mostly to find out more about the car). I followed a couple of the above steps in troubleshooting the cylinder problem. I was just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and if there is anything I need to watch out for.

 

Good time to swap to a ss clutch line if yours is still the original. Other than that, it's remove, replace, rebleed, enjoy

Oh and go ahead to buy a new slave cylinder also. Might as well. It's only a few bucks

 

I still have the original line but I am without my car now, so I need to get it back on the road asap. It took me 8 calls to parts stores and 2 dealerships just to find the master cylinder. I'm sure Pep Boys or Autozone has the SS line but I just want my car back...

 

I don't mean to second guess you and your friend (well ok maybe I do), but did you fill the master cy. and bleed from the TWO spots where you bleed a maxima clutch. There are two different places to bleed on the max. I could be you just have air in your system.

 

The SS line comes from a GD here on the org. I doubt you could get one locally unless you knew exactly the length, fittings, etc. Even then IDK if they would have it.

I am kind of surprised that they didn't have it, but since 5spd maximas are so rare it is not something they would most likely have on hand. Unless it is compatible with other cars.

 

I actually bled the line in about 4 different spots trying to see if the lines were blocked or something. The final test was disconnecting all the lines from the master cylinder and seeing if the fluid came out of the removed line. Very (very) little fluid came out when pumping the clutch pedal. (blown seals or just a general failure I guess).

 

Most of the time if the clutch engaging fluid (on a maxima at least) is low it is because there is a leak on the rubber line right before the slave cylinder. I know my max and several others have had this problem. I just replaced it with the SS line and bled from both points and I was good.

It is a pain to get the hard line disconnected from the soft line. A good flare wrench should get it though.

Check to make sure you have to change the master cylinder because that is just more mod money and there is not a lot of room in there.