Howdy, been lurking around here a bit and have had an account for a while, but just racked up 16 posts to be able to start a thread. A lot going on around here, glad to be a part of it.
Don't want to read the following wall of text? Here's my question: What is the most common problem with 3rd gen clutch hydraulics? I have a new clutch but still feel occasional slipping. I'm not a mechanic but pretty mechanically inclined, i understand how stuff works. My understanding (could be wrong) is that there are two cylinders working to engage/disengage the clutch and air in the lines should not be a problem.
Wall of text:
The day before i was scheduled to have my clutch replaced this problem first came up.
I had driven 40 minutes or so on the highway and another half hour around town, I usually don't drive the truck that much. I stop at a red light, wait a minute or two and then step on the clutch. WTF? The pedal was only half way up and pushed in real easy. When I went to put it in first gear it didn't want to go in … exactly like the clutch was not pushed in all the way. When i let off the clutch, it engaged IMMEDIATELY, no wiggle room at all. Made a right turn into a shopping center, got to an out of the way area and tried again. The problem was similar but I could at least get it in gear.
I found a restaurant grabbed a beer and a burger and when I went back out it seemed to be working fine.
Next day the truck gets a new clutch. I wanted the guy to figure out what was going on with what I assumed was the hydraulics, but once he got in there he said he thought it might just be something wrong with the Centerforce clutch I had put in years ago. Also said that he clutch master cylinder was in a position that he would not have to rip everything out again just to replace it.
Fast forward a few weeks, and the problem happened again. Same story, drove an hour on the highway and then around town, can't even get it in first gear this time. Luckily I was at a local brewery that had a food truck and band showing up in an hour. I drank beer and ate BBQ.
Another month goes by (yesterday) same thing. Rather than drinking beer i forced the issue and kept driving around to get a better idea of the symptoms while this is occurring:
- Pedal often comes only half way up
- if it is half way up it's pretty obvious the clutch/pressure plates are partially engaged because it doesn't want to go in first gear
- Pedal will occasionally come about 3/4 the way up
- at 3/4 it drives okay, not great, just okay, shifting is a little "notchy"
- it will occasionally come all the way up with ZERO play.
Previous to this obvious problem I had two issues that might be related.
1) The "clutch pedal doesn't travel the last half inch" problem. Doing some reading earlier this year i found out about this because the cruise control would not engage. Simple fix, just put foot behind pedal and pull up to set CC. I don't think this is the problem though because it does not happen very often … most of the time the pedal has zero play.
2) Clutch slipping or engine hesitation. Sure seems like the clutch slipping … depending on engine RPM and throttle being applied i get hesitation and some jerking around. Engine starts and runs fine sitting still, no smoke from tailpipe. I suspect that even though the pedal might be at or full at the top of it's swing, there might be some reason the pressure plate and clutch plate are not getting enough pressure to stay together under acceleration. This is still happening.
Thanks all.
:cheers:
Don't want to read the following wall of text? Here's my question: What is the most common problem with 3rd gen clutch hydraulics? I have a new clutch but still feel occasional slipping. I'm not a mechanic but pretty mechanically inclined, i understand how stuff works. My understanding (could be wrong) is that there are two cylinders working to engage/disengage the clutch and air in the lines should not be a problem.
Wall of text:
The day before i was scheduled to have my clutch replaced this problem first came up.
I had driven 40 minutes or so on the highway and another half hour around town, I usually don't drive the truck that much. I stop at a red light, wait a minute or two and then step on the clutch. WTF? The pedal was only half way up and pushed in real easy. When I went to put it in first gear it didn't want to go in … exactly like the clutch was not pushed in all the way. When i let off the clutch, it engaged IMMEDIATELY, no wiggle room at all. Made a right turn into a shopping center, got to an out of the way area and tried again. The problem was similar but I could at least get it in gear.
I found a restaurant grabbed a beer and a burger and when I went back out it seemed to be working fine.
Next day the truck gets a new clutch. I wanted the guy to figure out what was going on with what I assumed was the hydraulics, but once he got in there he said he thought it might just be something wrong with the Centerforce clutch I had put in years ago. Also said that he clutch master cylinder was in a position that he would not have to rip everything out again just to replace it.
Fast forward a few weeks, and the problem happened again. Same story, drove an hour on the highway and then around town, can't even get it in first gear this time. Luckily I was at a local brewery that had a food truck and band showing up in an hour. I drank beer and ate BBQ.
Another month goes by (yesterday) same thing. Rather than drinking beer i forced the issue and kept driving around to get a better idea of the symptoms while this is occurring:
- Pedal often comes only half way up
- if it is half way up it's pretty obvious the clutch/pressure plates are partially engaged because it doesn't want to go in first gear
- Pedal will occasionally come about 3/4 the way up
- at 3/4 it drives okay, not great, just okay, shifting is a little "notchy"
- it will occasionally come all the way up with ZERO play.
Previous to this obvious problem I had two issues that might be related.
1) The "clutch pedal doesn't travel the last half inch" problem. Doing some reading earlier this year i found out about this because the cruise control would not engage. Simple fix, just put foot behind pedal and pull up to set CC. I don't think this is the problem though because it does not happen very often … most of the time the pedal has zero play.
2) Clutch slipping or engine hesitation. Sure seems like the clutch slipping … depending on engine RPM and throttle being applied i get hesitation and some jerking around. Engine starts and runs fine sitting still, no smoke from tailpipe. I suspect that even though the pedal might be at or full at the top of it's swing, there might be some reason the pressure plate and clutch plate are not getting enough pressure to stay together under acceleration. This is still happening.
Thanks all.
:cheers:
Last edited:
