My Guide to Slave Cylinder Removal!
Discussion
As you may, or may not, be aware I have had some trouble with my Clutch Slave Cylinder. With a bit of luck I was on holiday from work at the time and thought I would give it a go with a hand from a local British Sports Car specialist, Carlow Engineering.
I called Joolz and asked him for one of his uprated seal kits and a spare slave cylinder, as the bore may have been scored.
So with the help of Carlow this is how I did it!
1. Disconnected the Battery
2. Got the car on the ramps and removed the exhausts, including the cats, to get this right out you have to undo the rear anti roll bar.
3. Removed the heat shield, runs between the Exhausts and Prop shaft. About 10 screws hold this in into the chassis.
4. Undo the bolts that connect the rear diff. to the prop shaft. Pull the prop shaft out rearwards and expect a little oil to come out with it.
5. Undo and remove the rear gearbox mounting.
6. Reach up and undo the four bolts that hold the gear leaver into the gearbox, make sure you undo the four and not the two that are in the rod its self as you will not get the clearance to pull the gearbox back.
7. Remove the reverse light switch, on the left side of the gearbox (it’s just pressed on).
8. Undo the Allen Bolts that hold the gearbox to the bell housing, these can be very tight and are different lengths so make sure you lable them up.
9. Pull the gearbox away from the bell housing, you may get some clutch fluid drop out due to the shagged cylinder. This really is easier said than done but its not too heavy and I would say the car really needs to be on a ramp to do this part. The gearbox will rest on the chassis at an angle so you will get some ATF, gearbox oil, out the rear seal where the prop shaft is missing.
10. Make sure you have the gearbox away from the bell housing and the input shaft is clear of the clutch and slave cylinder. You will be able to see four counter-sunk Allen bolts, these are the fasteners that hold the slave in. You could trying to undo these and see if you can remove the slave, it ‘should’ pull out rearwards, but the chances are that you will have to take the bell housing off and tap it out.
11. Disconnect the Clutch pressure line and the Bleed line, one in the top and one on the right side of the bell housing.
12. Disconnect the cables to the starter motor, and lable if required.
13. The bell housing is held in will more Allen Bolts. Undo these, easy to get too, and and removed the bell housing, its quite light. You will now be able to see the clutch.
14. With the bell housing out and the four counter sunk Allen bolts out that hold the slave in removed you will now be remove the slave. The best way to do this is to place some wood on the floor and tap the bell housing on the wood (bang it on the floor) the slave will come out rearwards.
15. Wash and clean the bell housing and check your clutch for broken fingers or wear.
16. Either drift out the inner part of the slave using a soft drift or a press, it may just pull out but mine didn’t.
17. Remove all the old seals and check the slave cylinder bore for any scoring. If you do have scoring then I am afraid it’s a new cylinder, call Joolz!
18. Check the release bearing and replace if required, Joolz or Carlow 01268 792817
19. Clean the cylinder and fit the new seals. Insure that you don’t twist them or catch them with your nails, also make sure your hands are clean, as is everything else. Use some clean DOT 5.1 fluid to lube up the seals or maybe some rubber grease.
20. Refit the slave cylinder with the ports (holes on the side of the slave) at the top and bottom, this maybe different to the way it came out. If you don’t do this you will never be able to bleed all the air out of the system.
21. Then put it all back together, making sure you fill the gearbox with AFT Dextron II.
22. Bleeding is straightforward, just use DOT 5.1 fluid.
Although Carlow had not done one of these before they really know what they were doing. They look after lots of British Racers from the 60’s and 70’s so they are old school. Great with mechanicals but don’t expect them to know their way about the alarm system!!!! If you do try this and get stuck drop me a mail and I will see what I can do!
Edited to add a MASSIVE Thanks to Joolz, really helped me out with bits and advice, cheers mate.
>>> Edited by Extra 300 Driver on Monday 7th March 14:12
I called Joolz and asked him for one of his uprated seal kits and a spare slave cylinder, as the bore may have been scored.
So with the help of Carlow this is how I did it!
1. Disconnected the Battery
2. Got the car on the ramps and removed the exhausts, including the cats, to get this right out you have to undo the rear anti roll bar.
3. Removed the heat shield, runs between the Exhausts and Prop shaft. About 10 screws hold this in into the chassis.
4. Undo the bolts that connect the rear diff. to the prop shaft. Pull the prop shaft out rearwards and expect a little oil to come out with it.
5. Undo and remove the rear gearbox mounting.
6. Reach up and undo the four bolts that hold the gear leaver into the gearbox, make sure you undo the four and not the two that are in the rod its self as you will not get the clearance to pull the gearbox back.
7. Remove the reverse light switch, on the left side of the gearbox (it’s just pressed on).
8. Undo the Allen Bolts that hold the gearbox to the bell housing, these can be very tight and are different lengths so make sure you lable them up.
9. Pull the gearbox away from the bell housing, you may get some clutch fluid drop out due to the shagged cylinder. This really is easier said than done but its not too heavy and I would say the car really needs to be on a ramp to do this part. The gearbox will rest on the chassis at an angle so you will get some ATF, gearbox oil, out the rear seal where the prop shaft is missing.
10. Make sure you have the gearbox away from the bell housing and the input shaft is clear of the clutch and slave cylinder. You will be able to see four counter-sunk Allen bolts, these are the fasteners that hold the slave in. You could trying to undo these and see if you can remove the slave, it ‘should’ pull out rearwards, but the chances are that you will have to take the bell housing off and tap it out.
11. Disconnect the Clutch pressure line and the Bleed line, one in the top and one on the right side of the bell housing.
12. Disconnect the cables to the starter motor, and lable if required.
13. The bell housing is held in will more Allen Bolts. Undo these, easy to get too, and and removed the bell housing, its quite light. You will now be able to see the clutch.
14. With the bell housing out and the four counter sunk Allen bolts out that hold the slave in removed you will now be remove the slave. The best way to do this is to place some wood on the floor and tap the bell housing on the wood (bang it on the floor) the slave will come out rearwards.
15. Wash and clean the bell housing and check your clutch for broken fingers or wear.
16. Either drift out the inner part of the slave using a soft drift or a press, it may just pull out but mine didn’t.
17. Remove all the old seals and check the slave cylinder bore for any scoring. If you do have scoring then I am afraid it’s a new cylinder, call Joolz!
18. Check the release bearing and replace if required, Joolz or Carlow 01268 792817
19. Clean the cylinder and fit the new seals. Insure that you don’t twist them or catch them with your nails, also make sure your hands are clean, as is everything else. Use some clean DOT 5.1 fluid to lube up the seals or maybe some rubber grease.
20. Refit the slave cylinder with the ports (holes on the side of the slave) at the top and bottom, this maybe different to the way it came out. If you don’t do this you will never be able to bleed all the air out of the system.
21. Then put it all back together, making sure you fill the gearbox with AFT Dextron II.
22. Bleeding is straightforward, just use DOT 5.1 fluid.
Although Carlow had not done one of these before they really know what they were doing. They look after lots of British Racers from the 60’s and 70’s so they are old school. Great with mechanicals but don’t expect them to know their way about the alarm system!!!! If you do try this and get stuck drop me a mail and I will see what I can do!
Edited to add a MASSIVE Thanks to Joolz, really helped me out with bits and advice, cheers mate.
>>> Edited by Extra 300 Driver on Monday 7th March 14:12
Extra 300 Driver said:
As you may, or may not, be aware I have had some trouble with my Clutch Slave Cylinder. With a bit of luck I was on holiday from work at the time and thought I would give it a go with a hand from a local British Sports Car specialist, Carlow Engineering.
I called Joolz and asked him for one of his uprated seal kits and a spare slave cylinder, as the bore may have been scored.
So with the help of Carlow this is how I did it!
1. Disconnected the Battery
2. Got the car on the ramps and removed the exhausts, including the cats, to get this right out you have to undo the rear anti roll bar.
3. Removed the heat shield, runs between the Exhausts and Prop shaft. About 10 screws hold this in into the chassis.
4. Undo the bolts that connect the rear diff. to the prop shaft. Pull the prop shaft out rearwards and expect a little oil to come out with it.
5. Undo and remove the rear gearbox mounting.
6. Reach up and undo the four bolts that hold the gear leaver into the gearbox, make sure you undo the four and not the two that are in the rod its self as you will not get the clearance to pull the gearbox back.
7. Remove the reverse light switch, on the left side of the gearbox (it’s just pressed on).
8. Undo the Allen Bolts that hold the gearbox to the bell housing, these can be very tight and are different lengths so make sure you lable them up.
9. Pull the gearbox away from the bell housing, you may get some clutch fluid drop out due to the shagged cylinder. This really is easier said than done but its not too heavy and I would say the car really needs to be on a ramp to do this part. The gearbox will rest on the chassis at an angle so you will get some ATF, gearbox oil, out the rear seal where the prop shaft is missing.
10. Make sure you have the gearbox away from the bell housing and the input shaft is clear of the clutch and slave cylinder. You will be able to see four counter-sunk Allen bolts, these are the fasteners that hold the slave in. You could trying to undo these and see if you can remove the slave, it ‘should’ pull out rearwards, but the chances are that you will have to take the bell housing off and tap it out.
11. Disconnect the Clutch pressure line and the Bleed line, one in the top and one on the right side of the bell housing.
12. Disconnect the cables to the starter motor, and lable if required.
13. The bell housing is held in will more Allen Bolts. Undo these, easy to get too, and and removed the bell housing, its quite light. You will now be able to see the clutch.
14. With the bell housing out and the four counter sunk Allen bolts out that hold the slave in removed you will now be remove the slave. The best way to do this is to place some wood on the floor and tap the bell housing on the wood (bang it on the floor) the slave will come out rearwards.
15. Wash and clean the bell housing and check your clutch for broken fingers or wear.
16. Either drift out the inner part of the slave using a soft drift or a press, it may just pull out but mine didn’t.
17. Remove all the old seals and check the slave cylinder bore for any scoring. If you do have scoring then I am afraid it’s a new cylinder, call Joolz!
18. Check the release bearing and replace if required, Joolz or Carlow 01268 792817
19. Clean the cylinder and fit the new seals. Insure that you don’t twist them or catch them with your nails, also make sure your hands are clean, as is everything else. Use some clean DOT 5.1 fluid to lube up the seals or maybe some rubber grease.
20. Refit the slave cylinder with the ports (holes on the side of the slave) at the top and bottom, this maybe different to the way it came out. If you don’t do this you will never be able to bleed all the air out of the system.
21. Then put it all back together, making sure you fill the gearbox with AFT Dextron II.
22. Bleeding is straightforward, just use DOT 5.1 fluid.
Although Carlow had not done one of these before they really know what they were doing. They look after lots of British Racers from the 60’s and 70’s so they are old school. Great with mechanicals but don’t expect them to know their way about the alarm system!!!! If you do try this and get stuck drop me a mail and I will see what I can do!
Edited to add a MASSIVE Thanks to Joolz, really helped me out with bits and advice, cheers mate.
>>> Edited by Extra 300 Driver on Monday 7th March 14:12
Jesus! I would'nt know where to start, let alone put it all back together again. You are one brave and skilled man
hi, i've done this job twice now on my 97 4.2 in Australia.
Did you have the later type clutch? what year is your car? We had to remove exhaust manifold bolts and slide the manifolds up and forwards to get the gearbox off. We choose to support the rear of the engine too incase it damaged the engine mounts or any pipework under or around the sump.
All in all it was a straightforward 3-4 hour exercise to remove everything (with the luxury of a hoist), but much longer to re--fit everything.
I have photos if anyone wants/needs them.
nick page
Did you have the later type clutch? what year is your car? We had to remove exhaust manifold bolts and slide the manifolds up and forwards to get the gearbox off. We choose to support the rear of the engine too incase it damaged the engine mounts or any pipework under or around the sump.
All in all it was a straightforward 3-4 hour exercise to remove everything (with the luxury of a hoist), but much longer to re--fit everything.
I have photos if anyone wants/needs them.
nick page
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