Intermittent clutch disengagment when shifting

[clarknm]

BLUF: Clutch is not disengaging occasionally, brand new master and slave cylinders, HELP.

I just got my car back from a timing belt service, which I don't think is related but I figured I would mention just in case. The car was working wonderfully, we went across town and stopped for a bit at a store. On the way back home I started to have difficulty getting it into gear. I pumped the pedal a few times and got it into first, which seemed to be the primary problem gear (or reverse), and got it home. It reminded me of when my master cylinder went out, and some searching also pointed me this way.

So I replaced the master and slave cylinders, neither of which showed any indications of a leak btw, and the first test drive was great. I took it to work today, no problem. I went to the store after work, and right before I got there it started having problems...this time going into third. Pumped the pedal, got it in, made my way home with intermittently needing to try the shift multiple times. If it didn't want to go into gear I simply released the pedal and tried again. The pedal firmness is consistent. It's a RPS clutch.

I'm at a loss, anyone know what the problem might be? So far going to the store seems to cause the problem, maybe my car succumbed to communist propaganda while getting serviced! Sorry for the long winded post!

 

[Taj]

Did you prime the cylinders before installation? Did you bleed the clutch? If there is no leak in the system, it could be air.

 

[clarknm]

I didn't prime them, I did bleed them. I will bleed again this weekend and see if that helps, though I would expect air to be more consistently problematic? But I may be way off base with that thought.

 

[Taj]

Any luck with your clutch?

 

[clarknm]

Nope, same thing post-bleeding. Didn't see any evidence of air when I bled it either. I've started looking at new clutches, maybe the SOS this time. I find the RPS a bit stiff for everyday stop n go driving.

 

[Taj]

The best for you is to find out the root cause of your problem before you jump into a new clutch. Anyway, SOS produces good products. They do test it on their own car and make continuous improvement.

 

[Larry Bastanza]

Nope, same thing post-bleeding. Didn't see any evidence of air when I bled it either. I've started looking at new clutches, maybe the SOS this time. I find the RPS a bit stiff for everyday stop n go driving.

Does the clutch system stilll have the "damper"?

 

[clarknm]

Yes, my car still has the stock damper.

 

[davidf]

Are the slave/master new OEM or reman'd.

 

[clarknm]

The previous ones were new/oem from the dealer, the current are new/Adler from amazon.

 

[davidf]

The previous ones were new/oem from the dealer, the current are new/Adler from amazon.

The reason I asked is, a friend of mine replaced both slave and master on his Dodge 3500 dually with aftermarket and never got his problem fixed until he replaced both with OEM. Worked like new. I'm a sucker for OEM.

 

[Larry Bastanza]

Yes, my car still has the stock damper.

Since the RPS clutch is so stiff, I would suggest eliminating the damper first, may fix it. Pretty cheap repair vs. a clutch replacement. Worth a try IMO.

Regards,
LarryB

 

[clarknm]

I'll give it a shot when I get a chance!

 

[clarknm]

Been a busy few months, just had our first baby, NSX time is limited . But, as an update to this thread... Have not had time to bypass the damper. However I took the car out for a drive and ended up stuck, no pedal pressure at all after stopping for a bit. Clutch fluid on the ground. Long story short, the hose is leaking at/around the slave cylinder attachment point. Replacement hose on the way. Must have been a tiny leak when all this started.

 

[NRG TRADR]

Hose comes with a new oring. On flare connection of the hose it's 10 mm and hose must be reinstalled in the correct orientation as the retainer bracket is D shaped. Make sure to finger thread the flare fitting. The damper is right there if you are replacing that.