Clutch Slave Cylinder Job

Report on: Tiger Clutch Slave Rebuild and R&R

Back in December (2009) I fired up Tiger Blue for a "just for the heck of it" drive and found I had a problem. Clutch pedal was feeling funny and although it worked the clutch was engaging just off the bottom of the travel. Not good! Checking the clutch master confirmed an issue with the fluid level at the bottom of the bowl. A leak! someplace. Getting underneath I found that the slave cylinder had some glistening drops of liquid on the working end.

I have a 1999 receipt for both the clutch slave and master cylinders indicating their age, over 10 years! I ordered rebuild kits from C.A.T. Parts guessing they were in pretty good shape because the car had been used regularly. Pitting/corrosion in the area of the bore where the piston seal travels may not be successfully reconditioned. I could do the work myself or take it to a mechanic but driving would be iffy? Other than being lazy I had no good reason not to give it a try. No problem working in the garage here in the California winter. (Sorry Duke)

Some of the things I considered important to getting it done safely and other things I learned (some of which I needed to learn again the hard way) as I went along:

Jack it up as high as safely possible. Use safety stands!

Use fender covers always but be very very careful with the brake fluid. It eats paint to the metal if you let it. I know this.

Headers make this a harder job than it should be. I needed to try some different combinations of extensions and universals to reach the nuts and bolts. Tight work for large hands but doable.

The rebuild kit had nothing you could call instructions. Only three parts and some lubricant. I only used the new boot and piston seal. The third part appeared to be a dust cap for the bleeder. Did not fit, I tossed it. There was some minor corrosion near the lip of the cylinder which I cleaned up with very fine grit. The bore further down where the seal moves looked great.

Be careful with the flare nuts on the hydraulic lines! Flare nut wrenches are a good investment to avoid rounding the flats off. The hydraulic lines are stiff, so do not bolt everything up and try to thread it in. In that tight space it is easy to cross thread. I did! and so I gave myself a time-out to think about a better way. The following day I removed the cylinder from the car again and used the bleeder (same threads) to clean up/chase the threads for the flare nut. Then more carefully with the cylinder free to move, (no bolts) succeeded in getting the flare nut started and several turns in. For the second time I installed the bolts and tightened things up. Whew! Dodged a bullet there!

Decided to defer the rebuild of the clutch master until later so filled it and bled it. The slave is working again like new!

Rick

My clutch bleeding method:

1. Fill the reservoir.

2. With the bleeder open move the clutch pedal a few short strokes until fluid exits the bleeder.

3. Tighten the bleeder and refill.

4. Call a helper to push the pedal to the floor and hold. Open and tighten the bleeder to let any remaining air out. Both you and helper should be done. Note: This method will not work for bleeding the brakes.

clutch slave cylinder rebuild

You're right about no instructions. But the things are pretty simple. A couple of tips: I use Castrol GT LMA (low moisture activity) brake fluid, as it is supposed to absorbe less moisture over time. The best thing is to bleed the system periodically. To make that easier I replace all the bleed valves with Russell speed bleeders. These have a check valve that permits one-man bleeding. Summit has them.

Clutch Master Cylinder

Today I got around to finishing the clutch hydraulics rebuild. Part II the master cylinder.

Went pretty smoothly and I took some pictures as I went along.

The piston and assembly is more complex in the master cylinder but I studied it a bit and guessed right as to how to take it apart. Check the photo and note the tab which the screwdriver tip points to. Assembled, that tab is bent inward to catch under the shoulder at the end of the piston. I pried it back outward and the piston was removed.

I was glad I had pictures because the spring is still under tension. The rod inside the spring is held by a slot with an open side. With the piston centering the rod it is locked but after the piston is removed it can and did let go like a mouse trap if handled a little.

After replacing two rubber parts it went back together easily and I bent the tab inward to catch the shoulder on the piston again.

Something to watch is making sure the inside snap ring which holds the actuating rod in the hole is fully seated. I have had the inconvenience of the actuator popping all the way out which results in a jammed pedal and the clutch stays engaged until it is fixed. The kit comes with a new ring and I had to persuade it to fully seat in the channel.

All cleaned up it went back in the car. first thing was to thread in the flare nut with the master cylinder free to move to get perfect alignment. After everything was bolted up and bled it works like new.

Rick

R & R Master Cylinder

I knew I would get around to the Master Brake Cyl. The time arrived when after exiting from TigerBlue after an exercise drive earlier this month. A puddle of brake fluid was on the rubber floor mat and the bottom of my right foot.

The rubber boot on the shaft had filled with fluid and was squiting brake fluid like a super soaker when the pedal was depressed. Then I was depressed.

CAT Parts provided another 3/4" bore (smaller than stock 7/8") so all I had to do was the R&R. BTW I use the smaller bore because I do not run a vacuum booster. The smaller bore provides leverage which helps compensate for the increased pedal effort of no booster.

The new Master came with a straight shaft threaded on the end rather than the fork used in a Tiger. Seems like I did this before. In fact it was 11 years back when I first installed a 3/4" bore and I did not remember how! Getting that little hole in the bellows over either end of the shaft was difficult. I finally used a couple screwdrivers to lever the forked end through and hold it. See photo. The bellows remains quiet and did not complain although it looks painful.

As with the Clutch Master making sure the circlip is fully seated is very important. Bolting it into the car required some help from Bonnie as hands are needed inside the car too or the bolts fall in on the floor. Tighten, fill and bleed and it was done.

Rick

Hey Rick,

I read through your posts earlier and just now sat down to look at your pics and the first image I looked at was Tiger Blue, front end up, on stands.

I still have a pair of jack stands just like yours but I would only use them on a bicycle. The cross section through one of the 3 legs that carries the load down to the base is almost flat and very thin, we're talking sheet metal thin, which could buckle very easily especially if you were to go around to the rear end now and lift it. If the legs were just in that certain position there could be a just enough lateral load to cause a leg to fold and down it would come. At least you wouldn't be underneath but I think you will understand what I'm getting at.

If anyone has stands like these I would suggest cutting them in 2 through the legs, so dumpster divers can't retrieve them, and put them out in the trash then go out and buy some new stands and swap those old ones out before you go under again.

Justin

One of my biggest frustrations with the Tiger has always been the clutch master cylinder always leaking fluid under the carpet. Never seems to be much warning. The fluid is a little low one day, top it off and the next time I want to go for a drive its almost empty.

I've rebuilt that thing close to a dozen times since I've owned it. Bought a new master just a few years ago and its leaking already. The slave or brakes never seem to be a problem. Is this normal?

The Tiger was my second car I ever bought and became the only car I owned for many years and my only experience with a hydraulic clutch.

How often do these things need to be rebuilt?

Justin