Clutch and Clutch Parts at 1A Auto

Question: What does the Clutch system do?

Answer: The Clutch on a vehicle engages and disengages the power from the engine to the rest of the drive train. When you press on your clutch peddle the peddle pushes or pulls on a Clutch Master Cylinder which applies pressure to hydraulic fluid through a line. The pressurized hydraulic fluid then pushes against the Clutch Slave Cylinder that presses on a Clutch Fork and moves it to engage or disengage the power of the engine to the rest of the drive train. Hydraulic Clutches are more prevalent in modern vehicles because of their reliability and their ability to automatically adjust through out the life of the clutch. Hydraulic Clutches are also easier to engage and disengage by pressing the peddle making it an over all "easier to drive" design.

Question: How do I know when my clutch master cylinder or slave cylinder is wearing out?

Answer:1. Leaking hydraulic fluid from the system. Over time the pistons inside the slave and master cylinder may wear down allowing fluid to seep around the pistons and leak out. If your clutch hydraulic fluid is leaking look at the master cylinder which is where you fill the fluid and look at the slave cylinder underneath the car to identify where the fluid is leaking from.
2. Sporadic or inconsistent performance from the clutch. As the slave cylinder or master cylinder wears it may not disengage the transmission fully. This leads to having trouble getting the vehicle to shift gears and even grinding of the gears.
3. There also may be small puddles of fluid under your car after parked for a period of time. The clutch system uses brake fluid which is generally clear, viscous but not slippery, corrosive, and does not have much of a smell.

Question: How do I know when my Clutch Fork has worn out?

Answer: Clutch Forks wear out over time. Usually the rod attached to the slave cylinder just wears through the clutch fork causing the Clutch Fork to not move and to never disengage the clutch. Sometimes the carrier bearing can wear out and, if not fixed, it can damage the fork to the point that the fork needs replacement.

Question:How easy is it to change a Master or Slave Cylinder?

Answer:The Clutch Master and Slave Cylinder are not complicated to change. Be careful not to damage the hydraulic lines. The hydraulic lines going to and from the cylinders can be fragile and easily damaged. This is especially a problem in "rust-belt" areas where the lines corrode or rust. We recommend using a penetrative lubricant at the attachment points to ease line removal. Loosen the fitting and see if the fitting is turning freely or if the line is also twisting. If the line twists with the fitting then continue to coat with penetrative lubricate and work the fitting loose.

Question: How easy is it to replace the Clutch Fork?

Answer: This depends on your vehicle and the problem. On most vehicles, changing the Clutch Fork can be done without removing the transmission. If your clutch fork is bad at the throw out bearing end then most likely your throw out bearing is bad and you are going to need to remove the transmission anyway. If you are not comfortable removing your transmission we recommend the work be done by a professional.

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  The 1A Auto Team
  

For more than 50 years, the Green family has been installing and using the same high quality auto parts that you'll find on our website. We actually use the parts we sell, and we've been selling online since 1999. Our company's mission is to make your car projects go smoothly, and to become your trusted source for auto parts. To this end, we treat our customers like family.

We employ USA based, knowledgeable support technicians. They'll help you through your project. We always make sure you get the right part. And we boast the industry's most generous returns policy. You won't find a company more passionate about auto parts than 1A Auto.