Clutch Pedal Stuck

[North]

Hey guys,

I've got a '99 3.4L Manual with a clutch pedal issue. 116,000mi

Truck was shifting great aside from some pedal squeaks (need to do the bushing replacement or workaround) up until Tuesday. It was the first sunny, hot day we've had in awhile, and the clutch pedal started sticking about halfway up in its travel. My thought was that maybe some air in the hydraulic system had expanded due to the heat.

Last night when I hopped in the truck I the pedal had disappeared! Actually it was stuck to the floor and I had to pull it up with my hand. This happened 1-2 more times while I was doing errands, and this morning it finally kicked the bucket on my way into work.

Now the pedal will push to the floor (still good resistance) and stick anytime you push the clutch in. I can start the truck, but can't shift into any of the gears. My master cyl. is close to or barely below the min. mark. Raining here at work so I can't really check things out until tomorrow. Here's my plan:

(1) Check lines, fittings, master, slave for leaks
(2) Check pedal assembly (bushing, cracked bracket?)
(3) Bleed system

If none of that fixes it I think I'll replace the master & slave. Anything else I should check. Should I just order the master/slave now? OEM or NAPA/Autozone?

 

[sportscarfan]

I'd first take a look to see if the large pedal return spring broke, or cut it's own groove down into the pedal (which happened here). I had to fill the groove the spring cut with the mig welder, then made my own bushing out of some nylon barstock I had on hand.

If the spring has grooved the pedal, the Toyota bushing will break in a day or less. 1st hand experience....I R&R'd the pedal assy. 2x in 2 days recently. The second time for the custom nylon spring bushing.

 

[North]

Thanks for the suggestion sportscarfan.

I had some time to look at it this afternoon. First thing, I found that if I push the pedal 1/2-3/4 to the floor and let go, it pulls itself the rest of the way to the floor.

This has to indicate some hydraulic system failure right?

Also, I'm thinking there could be a leak in the line, because there's a sticky mess near the bracket that holds the hydraulic line to the t-case next to the slave (could be driveshaft splatter though?)

The bushing is broken on the pedal assembly, and the torsion spring has cut a groove. I think I'll do the linear spring swap to fix that though.

 

[mattleegee]

this end up being the spring/bushing?

this happened to me out of no where today, thought i could get away tieing a rope to the pedal and pulling it up while i shifted.... didnt make it home brand new truck and this happens arghhh

any more help?

i have these same symptoms, clutch pulls itself in, and now cant get into gear unless i pump it right and slam to floor and shift fast

i got under the car and seen no leaks around the slave
i looked at the pedal and never really seen the setup before since i just got it, not sure if anything is broken/missing

 

[1blink]

if it's your bushing that went bad, you may consider the brake spring mod. Slightly more clutch pedal resistance, but you won't ever have to replace the bushing again.

Nice writeup linked below. I bought the toyota brake spring mentioned in the thread. Been using it for 2 years, no complaints.

FIXED!! Stupid PLASTIC clutch pedal bushing - YotaTech Forums

 

[foo]

pedal squeaks (need to do the bushing replacement or workaround) up until Tuesday.

I realize this is an old thread, but I came here to find out all I could about the sticking squeaking pedal diagnostics, so it's nice that your thread starts off knowing about the problem with the QPQ bushings.

the clutch pedal started sticking about halfway up in its travel.

What I've learned, and what others can learn who find this thread by searching for EITHER the squeaking or the intermittent sticking of the pedal, is that they're both caused by the same fundamental root problem.

the pedal had disappeared! Actually it was stuck to the floor and I had to pull it up with my hand. This happened 1-2 more times while I was doing errands, and this morning it finally kicked the bucket on my way into work.

It seems, from skimming the threads on the subject, that if it's intermittent, it's more likely the pedal return assembly, but if it's permanent (so to speak), then it's more likely a hydraulic issue.

Now the pedal will push to the floor (still good resistance) and stick anytime you push the clutch in.

As you noted, the best check is to first look at both possibilities, which I'll describe further for the benefit of people coming here, like I did, for diagnostic guidance after running a search.

a. If it's hydraulic, you "may" see low fluid level or leaks (but you might not if the issue is internal to the cylinders). It seems that hydraulics are generally rather repeatable (i.e., not intermittent).

b. If it's physically the pedal return mechanism, then you may feel the problem intermittently, but you "will" be able to see the problem, but not with the naked eye always. You need to stick a camera up higher than your head can go, to snap a picture of the center of the double-coil torsion spring inside the pedal bracket assembly.

I'd first take a look to see if the large pedal return spring broke, or cut it's own groove down into the pedal (which happened here). I had to fill the groove the spring cut with the mig welder, then made my own bushing out of some nylon barstock I had on hand.

Wow. Not many people "repaired" the old clutch pedal. I'd love to see a photo of your repair. Here's a photo of someone else who shored up the worn pedal with metal plates.

If the spring has grooved the pedal, the Toyota bushing will break in a day or less. 1st hand experience....I R&R'd the pedal assy. 2x in 2 days recently. The second time for the custom nylon spring bushing.

Everyone seems to say the same thing, which is that the P bushing has to fit perfectly in the groove or else it will soon break again.

Some use nylon or brass, but even the brass is said to break:

The bushing is broken on the pedal assembly, and the torsion spring has cut a groove. I think I'll do the linear spring swap to fix that though.

It turns out the linear spring swap is the easiest repair, but the one very minor problem is that the springs most people used tap the pedal assembly in one or two places.

a. The bracket
b. The pedal P tab

So it would be nice to know which spring you used (dimensions are best, or a Toyota part number if you used a brake/clutch pedal return spring).

t
i looked at the pedal and never really seen the setup before since i just got it, not sure if anything is broken/missing

When I first looked at the pedal, I didn't understand how it works, and, more importantly, I didn't realize you can't SEE the P bushing, for two reasons:

a. It's normally gone by the time you look
b. You can't get your head up there anyway

What I did was snap about 20 pictures with the cellphone, one of which was the one above that showed metal on metal where the P bushing was supposed to be.

if it's your bushing that went bad, you may consider the brake spring mod. Slightly more clutch pedal resistance, but you won't ever have to replace the bushing again.

When I first saw this thread, I thought the mod was to use a "brake spring", as you said, but more clearly, it's a brake-pedal return spring, and, even more correctly, you're best off NOT using a brake-pedal return spring because (trial and error) it's too fat and hits the bracket assembly.

The Toyota clutch-pedal return spring is thinner, and has a longer arm, but we are trying to nail down the perfect size in this thread, so, if you have a working spring, please put the dimensions that worked for you in that thread (since all springs shown so far actually touch in one or two places).

Nice writeup linked below. I bought the toyota brake spring mentioned in the thread. Been using it for 2 years, no complaints.

FIXED!! Stupid PLASTIC clutch pedal bushing - YotaTech Forums

That's a great article, but it's completely missing in measurements of the original OEM springs, which is required if you want to buy the nylon inserts ahead of time, without removing the pedal and bracket assembly first.

The best we have by way of measurements is that the spring itself is 5mm.

So if ANYONE has the measurements of the OEM QPQ bushings, please put it in this thread, so that everyone after you benefits from your knowledge.