High load, lost pedal pressure
02-10-2009, 11:28 AM
#1
TECH Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: S Florida
Posts: 462
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
High load, lost pedal pressure OK I installed a new LS7 clutch kit a little while back and since I don't drive the car often I have been slowly building the miles to break it in. At about 165 miles (about 2 months of casual use) I goosed it in 2nd and short-shifted about 5k to 3rd chirping the tires. Well immediately after the pedal went to the floor. Within about 30 seconds I began to smell fluid. Sure enough it was dripping out the bellhousing weep hole.
Luckily I was able to pump up the pedal enough to get it into 4th and continue to a nearby gas station where I filled the reservoir with new fluid. This got me going again, but before long it was draining faster and faster.
I was able to safely get to a place to shut it down and figure out what happened. I'm glad I punched a hole in the floor to access the bleeder valve back when I changed the clutch.
Back when I changed the clutch and slave cyl I tightened the bleeder valve with a 1/4" socket driver thinking it wanted to be closed tight by hand and not cranked down. After it sprung the leak on Sunday I tried the socket driver again and it still felt tight. However, with a 1/4" ratchet I was easily able to turn the bleeder an additional 30 degrees or so without much effort. After bleeding it and cinching it down I had no further trouble the rest of the way home.
Cliff's Notes: tighten the bleeder valve on your slave cyl with a ratchet, not just a socket driver.
Luckily I was able to pump up the pedal enough to get it into 4th and continue to a nearby gas station where I filled the reservoir with new fluid. This got me going again, but before long it was draining faster and faster.
I was able to safely get to a place to shut it down and figure out what happened. I'm glad I punched a hole in the floor to access the bleeder valve back when I changed the clutch.
Back when I changed the clutch and slave cyl I tightened the bleeder valve with a 1/4" socket driver thinking it wanted to be closed tight by hand and not cranked down. After it sprung the leak on Sunday I tried the socket driver again and it still felt tight. However, with a 1/4" ratchet I was easily able to turn the bleeder an additional 30 degrees or so without much effort. After bleeding it and cinching it down I had no further trouble the rest of the way home.
Cliff's Notes: tighten the bleeder valve on your slave cyl with a ratchet, not just a socket driver.
02-10-2009, 12:00 PM
#2
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Indianapolis Indiana
Posts: 1,299
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You probably just ruined your slave cylinder, the bleeder shouldn't require that much force to seal good. Hopefully you didn't ruin the clutch getting brake fluid on it.
02-11-2009, 08:17 PM
#5
TECH Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: S Florida
Posts: 462
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I tried out the word 'cinching' in the original post. I think that's somewhere just passed snug but not as far as cranked. I certainly didn't wail on it with a 3/8" ratchet, hope nobody thinks that's what I mean.
