So, I've searched for and read every thread I can find on clutch issues, bleeding issues, shifting issues etc... It took me a week and a half of reading 24 hours a day to do it. :-)
I can't believe this clutch design is so troublesome, and yet, I find myself in the very same situation as many others.
I bought my 87 L4 / 5spd Notchie for 500 bucks, 97k miles. So far I have 850$ in it and I've driven it to work twice. (total of a hundred miles) I replaced the clutch master and slave with O'reilly auto parts items as it wouldn't shift when I got it. New construction for the master and the slave. I install them easy peasy, bleed the piss out of them and we're on the road. Except, after about 50 shifts, it starts getting hard to go into gear... by 100 shifts... I can't get it in gear... I bleed it again and again etc etc.... repeat the same 50/100 pattern.
After checking for the pedal being bent and all the other hot spots, the Master cylinder is leaking behind the boot. SOB!!!
So, I'm only out 80$, a quart of brake fluid and a Saturday. Lesson learned. RD master and slave shipped yesterday.
I am looking forward to being able to post "Rodney's parts have fixed another one." Cause man am I addicted to this little car...
I wonder how many engine / auto trans swaps were started because of the stupid hydraulic clutch?
I hear ya,Eric... My Indy convertible has been sitting in the garage all summer because of lousy hydraulics.. Same thing.. sloppy pedal,then very hard shifting.. (all parts are brand new) Sigh........
