Clutch Problem

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

My daughter's Caviler has a clutch problem.
She was out in it and went to slow down and the clutch felt real soft and stayed close to the floor.
She got to a family dollar store and did add some fluid to the reservoir and regained the pedal.
Now it won't go in gear.
Pushes clutch in and puts in gear and lets clutch out and just gets grinding noise.
Can put in gear with engine off, push clutch in and start and it will go and if she let's the clutch out the rpms come up but will go no faster.
What say you all?

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Clutch Problem

Slave cylinder leaked/failed and now system is full of air...

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Clutch Problem

Slave cylinder leaked/failed and now system is full of air...

Could the rod have fell off the throw out bearing fork?

 

[j442w30]

Re: Clutch Problem

There is no rod on the throwout bearing, it sits directly on top of the slave cylinder which slides onto the input shaft in the transmission. Sounds like you have a bad slave cylinder or a leak somewhere thats letting air in, check the quick connect right where the line goes into the transmission. I have a 98 cavalier 5 speed and my slave had been leaking for a while and made the clutch real grabby when it was cold. I finally replaced it last summer, its not a hard job just an absolute PITA to get the transmission out and you have to take apart most of the front suspension. I don't know what your mechanical abilities are but I was able to do it with the manual, just a lot of work. I ended up replacing the clutch with a high capacity one so I could tow my boat. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with, always happy to help out a fellow cavalier owner.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Clutch Problem

Yea, I have a guy going after it tomorrow and fix it. He said it sounded like the slave to him also.
Thanks for the replies fellows.

 

[ob]

Re: Clutch Problem

Initially from your opening comments I thought slave cylinder or leak somewhere between clutch fluid reservoir and slave cylinder,since she had to add some fluid.However,if you can place the tranny in gear with engine off and start engine and let the clutch out with little or no forward progress as the rpms increase,I'd say the clutch disc assy. is worn out and needs replacement.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Clutch Problem

Initially from your opening comments I thought slave cylinder or leak somewhere between clutch fluid reservoir and slave cylinder,since she had to add some fluid.However,if you can place the tranny in gear with engine off and start engine and let the clutch out with little or no forward progress as the rpms increase,I'd say the clutch disc assy. is worn out and needs replacement.

Let me clarify.
With engine off, put in gear.
Start engine and car takes off with clutch having no effect on it.
This is new clutch, complete less than a month old so I would not figure it's went bad this quick.
Oh well, we will find out tomorrow.
I will post what I find.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Clutch Problem

Its already been said but either the master or slave is leaking. It got so low that it sucked air in the system. Adding fluid back to it got some of the air out and allowed limited clutch movement. My 89 F250/350 has had a leaking slave for 3 years now. I have a new one that been sitting in the garage for over a year. When I just flat out refuse to drive without the damn clutch working right I'll replace it. I'll add fluid just about every time before I drive it and pump the pedal about 20 times first. As a plus its my farm truck and it only gets about 3500 miles a year.