[field82]

So the misses borrowed the car yesterday, 30 minutes later she was back being towed by the AA.

Long story short, the central rubber mount has come loose from the Master cylinder pushrod, and so the clutch peddle is no longer connected to the pushrod.

As far as i see it, i have 2 options;

1: use repair washers and tie wraps to fix the problem short term.
2: Replace the Master Cylinder, however had a very indepth look today, and the cylinder mount bracket is obscured by (only 2mm, but will still stop me removing the unit) a very large large steel shell. This looks a huge job to resolve anyone with a cunning solution? I've checked elearn, and the black shell isnt even mentioned.

Cheers

Mike

 

[sparepart]

hey buddy - option number 1 but there is a new retaining clip that was released by Alfa to repair so get this. I would also call the main dealer and push to have them do it for you for free whilst you wait. Plenty of threads on this and it can be sorted with nails or whatever but get the new retaining clip.

Failing that, mine is also red and has 18's - just come and sit with me whilst i drive you around - YOU ONLY GET TO WATCH THOUGH.

 

[field82]

Ha cheers. I think. I didn't realise the actual clip had been updated, I'll pop in tomorrow.
Thanks
Mike

 

[sparepart]

To mine? YAY.

 

[pubsinger]

The way the OP describes the problem it doesn't sound to me that the pushrod has slipped off the clutch pedal which is a common failure, and can be simply resolved by popping the pushrod back onto the clutch pedal and replacing the split-pin and maybe a washer or two.

The rod on the master cylinder is held in place by washer(s) 8 and the pin 9, there's every chance the pin has flown off along with the washer(s) and the master cylinder rod is now swinging loose.

The washer and pin could be behind the footrest if you can't find them in the footwell. It's easy enough to put it back together. There's a modified pin available, part No. 82455967.

As the clutch pedal is now free to travel higher, the plate (arrowed) that presses a white switch for the cruise control will now have pressed the pin on the switch further into the body. You may well find that your cruise control doesn't work once you've repaired the clutch pin, as the plate no longer reaches the switch pin.

This pin is self-adjusting, if you can hold the clutch pedal out of the way you can pull it out with long-nose pliers, it'll self-adjust when you release the clutch. If you're having difficulty doing it in place the switch can be removed, it's on a kind of bayonet fixing, a quarter turn will release it.

The way the OP describes the problem it sounds as if the pushrod itself has fallen out of the master cylinder, which it would expect required a new master cylinder.

All the best

Pub

 

[field82]

Cheers. To get me by I'll use the repair washer technique, then just replace the cylinder as its creaking anyway.
Thanks
Mike

 

[AroadformyGT]

The rubber seal that comprises part of (8) in the diagram above perished and split on mine today, giving rise to the well described floppy clutch (1st half soft, 2nd half stiff clutch depression). I think this is a question of taste of the lube you use on greasing the pin connection. However the diagram above is not clear, and in fact you should have on the clutch pedal notch holding the cylinder rod the following components...

1- Rubber seal,
2- washer, both fore and aft of the rubber,
3. the new replacement split pin forged of stronger steel

At least that's what I found once it all fell to pieces! Remember, the grease you apply should not react with the rubber seal!

 

[Ctalin]

Hello everybody. I am the owner of 56 plate GT 1.9jtdm which lately developed some issues with the clutch pedal. The rubber mount has come loose from the master cylinder pushrod and I sorted that out a month ago with washers and a hairpin. Lately, the clutch pedal is inconsistent and I suspect the master cylinder is bypassing the fluid back into the reservoir as there is no fluid being leaked out. Can this be repaired or do I have to change the master cylinder?
I've found this on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clutch-Ma...863673&hash=item3f89a61edd:g:-ZcAAOSwIJlZ5zv3
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ERT-Repai...174688&hash=item2842ba259d:g:yioAAOSwCi9Z3NRA
Has anybody used a clutch master repair kit and what does this thing actually 'repair' on your master cylinder?
Thanks!

 

[halftone]

The parts in the kits are the hydraulic seals and external cover. You have to dismantle the master cylinder to fit them. They will do the job provided the bore of the cylinder is undamaged.

But if your 'leaking back' diagnosis is correct, holding down the pedal would allow the clutch to slowly engage, and pumping the pedal a couple of times should temporarily recover lost movement. Is the pedal action heavy, by any chance? if so search the forum for 'heavy clutch pedal cure'. It's a well-known trait.

 

[Ctalin]

Thanks for you answer halftone, it was of great help. Today I looked into this clutch issue and found out that my 'leaking back' theory is not valid. I've put the engine on in the 1st gear and kept the clutch pedal to the floor for about two minutes. As halftone suggested, with a master cylinder that is leaking back the clutch would have slowly engaged and the car should have moved forward but it didn't and showed no signs of engaging.
Update on the clutch pedal: The pedal has quite a lot of free play before showing resistance and sometimes sticks down at the end of free play. The biting point is at the floor and selecting gear is difficult with a cold engine but it gets easier (not satisfactory) as the engine heats up. Pumping the clutch pedal several times doesn't help at all. I am no expert and I find the pedal press acceptable towards heavy. There is also a slight leak of the master cylinder where the rod goes in but the fluid level in the reservoir hasn't dropped yet.
With all these symptoms do you reckon it's going to be a cheap and easy fix or do I need to change parts? Should I try and bleed the clutch first?
I will remove the battery and the battery tray one of the following days to see how the slave cylinder looks like as it may be in need of a 'stiff clutch fix'. Here is a video I recorded in which you can see the free play of the clutch pedal:

Cheers!

 

[dhtj]

Yup, start with a bleeding.

 

[Majestic]

It looks like spring broke in cylinder and not pushing
rod. I had the same situation few days ago.

 

[kikec]

So the solution would be in replacing master cylinder?

 

[Ctalin]

So the solution would be in replacing master cylinder?

Well, not really in my case. I sorted out the problem with zero costs doing what brendanmills describes in this post http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-147-156-andamp-gt/375751-gt-stiff-clutch-fix.html
The pedal is now a lot better, never stuck down and the biting point is about halfway. Still has just a little bit of freeplay, but it's ok and the gear selection is fine. I didn't even bled the clutch. I guess I was lucky.