Clutch acts like it will not disengage.

[TheSofaFox]

The vehicle in question is;

1995 S10 Truck

283 Small Block Chevy with a Getrag NV3500 5 speed mated to it.

Stock 2.2L Master Cylinder. (no leaks)

Stock 4.3L Slave Cylinder. (new)

11inch 10 spline clutch.

New pilot bearing.

New throw out bearing.

Pressure plate is fine.

Nothing is catching on anything and is aligned correctly.





The problem I\'m encountering is mind numbling stupid. The entire drivetrain is together and working fine with on exception. When I start the truck in gear, it lurches. When I start the truck in nuteral, and attempt to change gears it grinds like nobodies business. I dropped the transmission and made damn sure everything was spic and span. The transmission does turn through all gears correctly, the clutch does engage the fork and move throw out bearing. The clutch is not rusted to the flywheel. But for some reason, it acts like the clutch is not disengaging.



Before this the truck would only act correctly if it was in 5th gear.

After redoing the whole damn thing, it will work in 3rd and 5th gears. We bled the clutch correctly, and the fork does move.



The rear end is now on jacks, the wheels do move when the clutch pedal is mashed in gears 1-2 and 4, and reverse. Everything I read about the conversion says that the stock 2.2L master cylinder and the stock 4.3L slave cylinder are fine and up to the job, but it sure as hell is not working correctly.http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_mad.gif



I\'m hoping its something as simple as my friend\'s dad says, the clutch line has air in it. But I though we had bleed it correctly. Open bleed screw, jame hose onto bleed screw, insert hose into clear bottle full of brake fuild. Top of resivior and mash the every loving piss out of the pedal till you don\'t see anymore bubbles. Also note, everyting invovling the clutch is brand new with the exception of the Master Cylinder which worked fine prior to this.



I\'m so close to finishing this damn thing, and its like my truck is taunting me. Waving it\'s junk in my face going \"nah nah ni nah nah\".



My truck is an asshole.http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_frown.gif



Ideas?

[spacecadet]

Is the pedal stiff? or a little mushy? Not as mushy as before you started the bleed process?

I would be inclinded to think you have air in the line. The way the slave sits if the nose is high and back of truck is low it can hold an air bubble in the slave. Put the back of the truck on stands and the front low on the ground and That may solve it. However, On some trucks the angle that the line comes out of the master is upwards then bends down. It will hold an air bulbble there also. The only way I know to get that one easly is to reverse bleed the system. That is where you use a hand pump and force fluid through the slave. It will force any air bubles up and out of the reservo bottle. The only thing is this does make a mess, so keep some non-chlorinated brake cleaner on hand to clean up spilled fluid.



Space.

[TheSofaFox]

On 2006-06-11 22:43, spacecadet wrote:

Is the pedal stiff? or a little mushy? Not as mushy as before you started the bleed process?

First time around, it was mushy as hell, second time around after re planting the tranny, it was stiff, now we tried to bleed it again and it soft.

The only way I know to get that one easly is to reverse bleed the system. That is where you use a hand pump and force fluid through the slave. It will force any air bubles up and out of the reservo bottle. The only thing is this does make a mess, so keep some non-chlorinated brake cleaner on hand to clean up spilled fluid.



What will I need to do this?

He has a vacuum pump, but all the fittings are too small for the slave\'s bleed screw.

Like this: http://www.mityvac.com/

I heard these do not go well with clutch systems.



The slave cylinder on these bleed from the bottom of the screw and the very top driver side of the cylinder too. So when you losen it even a little bit, it will shoot out a little hole on the side and the screw itself. Its not a crack, or a defect. Its how it was made.

[ZZ4Blazer]

Im gonna agree that you\'ve still got air in there. Probably in the slave cylinder. I dont remember exactly what the stock slave looks like, but Im willing to bet the bleeder is right next to the hy line. So, when you bleed the master and line down, the excess fluid and air just comes straight out that hole. Wont get any air trapped in the end of the slave out.



I\'ve had this happen to me almost every time I\'ve had the line open.



I\'ll usually bleed the master and line good like usual. Then, I\"ll undo the slave from the bellhousing, and release the slave rod. That way, it fills the slave with more fluid. Then crack the bleeder open, and push the slave rod in, forcing the fluid and air out of the slave. Shut the bleeder, release the rod, and the slave will pull good fluid into it down from the master. Just make sure to keep the master full when your doing it, and I\'ll usually do that 2 or 3 times. Reattach the slave to the bellhousing, and the clutch pedal should be firm and right at the top of the pedal travel.

[mzoomora]

Try a good 2 man bleed. Have somebody pump the pedal a few times and then hold it. While they are holding it open the bleeder until the fluid stop coming out then close it. Then they can release the pedal. Do that a bunch of times.

First though I would try it the way ZZ4 said. If you can remove the line from the slave and bench beed it before hooking it up that helps also, just have to be careful to try and keep the slave close to level before hooking it up. You can also try pumping the slave while it is in place with a screwdriver through the hole that is in the bell housing right behind where the slave hooks up.

The problem with the stock slave cylinders is that some of them do not have a stock style bleeder, instead they have what is basically a plug so it is hard to vac bleed them.

It is a pain, so just keep at it.