Thanks for all the help: Installed clutch hydraulics

[neumann]

The most patient of you may recall my attempts to address my solid as granite clutch pedal in my 1994 GS. My car had been stored for the summer and when I fired her up the clutch pedal would not depress.

Initially I thought it was likely the clutch slave cylinder, but then saw a leak in the clutch hose. I replaced it with a Corksport stainless steel line, installed a speedbleeder screw and bled. Still the same issue. So I figured it must also involve the slave cylinder. I ordered the part and set to replacing.

Unfortunately the solid clutch pipe fitting was seized with the Clutch slave cylinder. I soaked it in penetrating oil for days, tried several solvents, and it will not budge. The 10mm fitting is just stripping. So now that i have removed the slave cylinder I can't complete the install of the new slave cylinder until I get a replacement solid clutch pipe. I don't live near any wreckers and time is more important to me at this point than cost so:

1. Anyone know if there is a part number to order this from Mazda, Ford or an OEM supplier?
2. Any recommendations on salvage yards near Toronto where I would not have to crawl in the mud pulling one off a vehicle myself?
3. Anyone have one they want to sell?
4. Any recommndations on a shop in Toronto that would sell or make a generic replacement with the right fittings?
5. I assume I cannot use a flexible line?

[PATDIESEL]

A decent shop should be able to make one for you. Or, they are not that hard to make yourself. Get a tube bender, double flare tool and some brake line and go to town. I'd practice the flaring and bending first, then when you are comfortable get to the real piece. It is easy to mess us and the flaring needs to be perfect to prevent leaks.
The brake line comes with 2 ends most of the time and the ends are generic sizes and will fit your slave cylinder and clutch line.

[Trevor]

You can get a pre made piece of line from any parts store with the fittings on it, All you need is the overall lenght of the steet line. Then all you have to do is copy the bends in the part and install.

[neumann]

Thanks guys. After measuring the line (24 inches) I called a couple of places and the closest I could find premade was 30 inches. My real concern with doing the bending myself was that I might get pinching and affect flow (which couldn't be good for a hydraulic system, right?)

Anyhow, I called around a couple of Mazda dealers just to see if the original part was available. One day and $7.69 CDN later I had the Mazda part EA03-41-360E.

I did the install and the only issue was my replacement slave cylinder had a 10mm Bleed screw and my speedbleeder screw is 8mm. With that and the fact that I was running a little low on spare top up brake fluid, I did a slightly half assed bleeding. There were still a few bubbles in the bleed hose. I figure I can do better on the weekend since I am currently just trying to grab what little daylight I can spare before work.

I finished the cleanup of the install of the crank position sensor which I had previously connected to test but not really properly threaded behind the dipstick tube.

I haven't driven it yet, just shifted the gears around a bit. It feels stiff, but it may just be the not fully bled lines. Car starts fine now. And with the CPS replaced, for the first time since I bought the car the CEL is not on (thanks Trevor)

[neumann]

I grabbed about 20 minutes this morning before work and did a better job of bleeding the clutch line, and then started her up.

Clutch pedal seems a little vague, but I am used to a pretty heavy German clutch. Of more concern is when I release the clutch pedal there is a friction sound. I shut the engine down, and when I have more time will try and get my GF to sit in the driver's seat so I can try and hear the noise.

I wondered if it was the throwout bearing, or maybe I just have too little pressure or still too much air in the line. I ran out of top up brake fluid but am going to try bleeding again after I pick up a pint. How much should I be pumping the clutch with the bleed screw closed before opening it to bleed?

Is there anything else about the slave cylinder piston and clutch fork that I may have missed on reinstall. when taking the old Slave off it was frozen in a position exerting maximum force on the fork so that it came off explosively when the slave loosened. I did not therefore get a really good view of how the slave piston and boot connected to the clutch fork

[Trevor]

When Do you here the noise? What kind of noise is it? When you bled the Slave did you run a rubber hose off the bleeder screw into a cup or container of brake fluid. Your supposed to do that then pump up the clutch and crack the bleeder with the clutch pedal depressed. then pump it up and continue the proccess til there is no more bubbles in the container and the fluid comming out is clean.

[neumann]

On the bleeding, after doing the best I could myself, i did get my GF to sit in the driver's seat and depress the clutch pedal while I opened the screw. I did have a tube over it leading down to a sealed bag with some DOT3 brake fluid. After about the first two pumps there were no bubbles. so i tightened things back up.

The noise is a rotational friction soundy thing, as though there was some rubbing between rotating objects. It was only occurring when I let the clutch pedal up with the car in neutral as though there was still some contact somewhere, but it sounded like it was a much lower speed, like if something moving at about 200 RPM had something just slightly rubbing against it. More like wheel speed than engine speed. It didn't sound like a brake pad rubbing but it did sound like that type of frequency or period.

It wasn't overwhelmingly loud. Louder than the lifter tick but not deafening or really scarily grinding.

While I didn't actually have wheels turning (the car is still garaged with the hood off and wheels blocked) but I tapped the brakes a couple of times anyway and the noise stopped.

[max kl]

rotational noise is mostlikkly rust on the flywheel. if it wont go away after 20 miles than worry about it.

the brakes will also be noisy for awhile.

[neumann]

Clutch slave is in, and working, flexible hose has been replaced by Corksports SS Line, new solid clutch pipe installed and CPS has been replaced. This is more work than I have done myself on any car. Car runs for the first time since I blew the clutch line. I have put about 50 miles on it in the last two days and the transmission noise has gone away.

Thanks to everyone for their advice and help, particularly jschwauren, patdiesel, trevor. This forum rocks and I am most appreciative. One of the reasons I bought MX-3 (off this board) was I was impressed by the quality of people and discourse.

I am not at all mechanically talented but I can follow logical troubleshooting suggestions and at each step your help has been invaluable.

The shifter is still quite stiff, but as a winter car sitting for 6 months I suspect that there may be rust on exposed linkages. Any suggestion other than spraying penetrating oil?

[PATDIESEL]

Glad to hear that you got her running smooth again. You are very welcome and I greatly appreciate the thanks.
Check the shifter linkage for rust as you said, but also take a look at hte bushings. At this age they are most likely dust and with Canadian winters I'd more than bet they are gone. Mazda charges a cheap price for new shifter bushings and they are pretty easy to install. The hard part is getting the exhaust out of the way, which you'll have to do to grease the linkage under the shifter and then you migh as well replace the bushings since you went through all that work to get there. (long sentence)

[neumann]

Pat

Thanks again. I didn't really suspect the bushings because the P.O had installed a Pacesetter short shift kit about 7000 KM before I bought the car and so it didn't really occur to me as something to look at immediately (eg I immediately changed the oil and transmission fluid)

I guess I have a couple of dumb questions:

1. We are talking about two sets of bushings? One at each end of the shifter linkage (shifter and transmission)? Is the tranny end more likely to be the problem since they are more likely original?

2. Are the bushings at the shifter end changed out with the pacesetter short shift kit. eg will I have to look for a non stock part?

[PATDIESEL]

A short shifter does not come with new bushings so it is a guess as to whether they were changed or not. Generally they all need o be changed when you go to change them and I would buy the whole set from Mazda. Also, you there is a bushing on the trans end of the shift stabalizer link that is not really supposed to be replaced. The bolt holding it together it welded or something like that. You can however buy a shift linkage bolt like the shifter arm uses and use the same bushings as the tranny side of the shifter arm and use them on the stabalizer. You'll have to cut the bolt off the stabalizer and then use the one you bought in stead. It is better b/c you have all new bushings and you can remove the stabalizer more easily. (This info on the stabalizer is vauge and should be investigated before taking my word on the stabalizer bolt being welded. It was an issue run into and fixed by another MOCA member some time ago. I was not a part of the fix, but he was telling me about it and that is the best I can remember.)

[neumann]

Pat et al

On the weekend I doused the moving parts of the linkage and stabilizer with PB Blaster and a penetrating oil mixture of my own making and drove it around to work it in and heat it up.After a couple of days of use, shift feel is improved about 300%.

Probably needs new bushings but its good enough for now, so I will probably leave it til spring, when it is warm and I have my summer car out