Boiling the clutch fluid?

[navinf]

Have been on a road trip to the south of France, taking in the San Bernadino pass, Fluelapass and attemped the Stelvio Pass. However, half-way up the northern side of the Stelvio pass, the clutch went completely soft and I could not engage any gear. Managed to coast into a lay-by and was recovered to a local garage (Herbert Egger) where after about 2 hours, was able to engage gears as normal. It had been 35+ degrees with lots of slow traffic.

Cautiously continued my trip and was sticking to mainly motorways but in my quest to break the boredom I ventured into some great mountain roads north of Nice and had a recurrence of the same problem. Again it was unbearably hot and oil and water temps were 95+ degrees. Let the car cool down and all seemed ok. Will now ony stick to motorways for my trip home!

Does this sound like the clutch fluid has boiled and I need to change it or do you think the slave cylinder or worse the clutch itself is going to go?....

PS: Hi to the 2005 Tuscan 2 that we passed between San Remo and Monaco....

[zx10ben]

Geez that doesn't bode well, I'm looking to take mine on the Rally for Heroes next year, which incorporates all of the above and the Grossglockner!
I've been batting off the standard TVR pub jibes for the past couple of months. I'll never hear the end of it, if I fail to make the summit of the Stelvio!

[ronspeedsix]

Sounds to me as boiling fluid or system not bleeded well. Small air bubbles in your you slave cilinder will grow when becoming hotter an press away the fluid in the master or slave clinder. So bleed the system.
If no cure then it's probably the water in the sytem (because of the hygroscopic nature of brake-fluid). Change fluid.
Don't think it's a problem with master/slave cilinder. Guess you would have leakage, loosing fluid and need top up frequently.

Ronald

[TVR_owner]

navinf said:

Have been on a road trip to the south of France, taking in the San Bernadino pass, Fluelapass and attemped the Stelvio Pass. However, half-way up the northern side of the Stelvio pass, the clutch went completely soft and I could not engage any gear. Managed to coast into a lay-by and was recovered to a local garage (Herbert Egger) where after about 2 hours, was able to engage gears as normal. It had been 35+ degrees with lots of slow traffic.

Cautiously continued my trip and was sticking to mainly motorways but in my quest to break the boredom I ventured into some great mountain roads north of Nice and had a recurrence of the same problem. Again it was unbearably hot and oil and water temps were 95+ degrees. Let the car cool down and all seemed ok. Will now ony stick to motorways for my trip home!

Does this sound like the clutch fluid has boiled and I need to change it or do you think the slave cylinder or worse the clutch itself is going to go?....

PS: Hi to the 2005 Tuscan 2 that we passed between San Remo and Monaco....

Clutch and brakes use the same fluid, so if your brakes were ok, its probably the slave cylinder for the clutch. If cooking the fluid is a concern use something like Castrol SRF. You will not boil that in a road car on or off track, the price may make you wobble a bit though...

[330p4]

Check your fluid has it lost any. I had this in Bordeaux got the odd drip on the floor under the bellhousing did 120 miles next day & it went again more fluid loss the slave cylinder seal were on there way out recovery from spanish border best £46 i have spent
Ian