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Clutch pedal not returning all the way

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2.4K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  WantAGTA  
#1 ·
'99 Spider Twin Spark here. Got in to drive it today after being parked overnight and nearly stalled because the clutch engaged much earlier than usual. After a couple of minutes noticed the pedal wasn't rebounding out as far as usual. No gear crunching or anything, just the engagement point was different and the pedal wasn't returning to its usual spot.

At the next set of lights I pumped the clutch pedal a few times pretty hard and it went back to normal position etc. But then throughout the day it's been doing the same fault every ten or fifteen minutes, fixed each time by pumping the clutch pedal.

For context, in case it's relevant, last week I replaced my alternator, via the engine bay so removed the intake manifold and was tinkering around in the engine bay - near the clutch fluid reservoir.

Yesterday when coming to a stop at some lights when pressing the clutch I remember a snap sound and thinking I broke something in the footwell. But thought nothing of it. I checked the clutch pedal clip today but it's there and seems fine.

What are we thinking could be wrong? Could it be something simple or am I up for a new slave or master cylinder?
 
#4 ·
Could be master cylinder. Sounds similar to issues that I had with my 156. I replaced the slave and the master cylinder (twice as the replacement leaked after a year!) and it's been fine ever since. Could be something else. At the end of the day the car is old enough for a lot of parts to be at the end of their life and it starts to get to the stage where you just replace parts that you can get a hold of because it's just old.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Update...
Got in the footwell last night and had a look around. Found an old rag in there that seemed like it was soaked with fluid and has been there quite a long time. I reckon one of the previous owners put it there to absorb a slowly leaking amount of fluid from the master cylinder. Oh the stories this poor car could tell if it could talk.