Oh noes, teh Slave Cylinder again!

[Twizzler09]

So it seems that every year or so.... I have to replace the slave cylinder in my truck due to it being rather leaky.

So far its gone through 3 slaves over the past 20k miles, any ideas on what can cause that? My first thought was the pilot bushing....dunno if that'd do it though.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Do you sit at stop lights holding in the clutch instead of leaving it in nuetral and foot off the clutch?

 

[srteach]

Don't ride the clutch, change the clutch fluid. Other than that, I have no idea why.

 

[ElleShooTiger]

Did you flush all the fluid when you last replaced it? Old dirty fluid remaining in the fluid line and master cylinder can destroy the seals on a new slave.

 

[Twizzler09]

When the slave was replaced last time, there wasn't an ounce of fluid left in the whole system. It had been leaking at the time for a couple weeks, but then the throw-out bearing on it took a HUUUUUGE dump right in the middle of an intersection and left me without a workable clutch. Dumped every bit of fluid in the whole thing all over the street, lol.

I dont ride the clutch at stop lights, nor do I leave it in gear with the clutch pedal depressed for any length of time. The only odd thing I have been able to find/hear is occasionally at idle, and until the engine reaches 1,400rpm or higher, is like a rattle. Not the kind of rattle that comes from something like loose dashboard stuff, but it sounds kinda like a rattling bearing or something. All I know for sure is that the noise is directly RPM/engine load related.

 

[baddis]

hey matt i don't remember but has the pressure plate been replaced?

 

[Twizzler09]

Thats a negative, Brian. I haven't ever replaced it, not that I can remember. It had a clutch replacement done years ago (2005) and it had 164k on the odometer at the time. Can't remember if the pressure plate was replaced then or not.

 

[AllanD]

I ride the clutch at stop lights and have only had one slave fail... that was sometime in 1998.... around 200,000 ago...

AD

 

[Twizzler09]

I know Slaves don't normally fail this often or severely, so something is definitely messed up, but I haven't got a clue what it could possibly be.

One thing I *can* remember is a comment that was made by the mechanic that did the clutch work a few years ago, "For a hydraulic clutch, it sure takes alot of oomph to move that pedal. It seems pretty stiff."

Since then I've driven other manual trans vehicles, and I have to agree, mine does require a fairly significant amount more pressure to move the pedal. Not sure if that means anything though, could just be one of those little quirky things about my truck.

 

[baddis]

next time you replace it try replacing the clutch and pressure plate

 

[Twizzler09]

Guess I'll hafta try that when the chance comes up...which probably won't be for awhile, lol.