Need urgent advice for clutch slave piston fix...

[jules]

Master is the container under the bonnet you fill up. Here on the GC, they would do this for free!

Slave is the bit that attaches to the gearbox and actuates the clutch.

It goes like this.
1/ You press the clutch pedal.
2/ Pedal is attached to the Master Cylinder and thus fluid is pushed through the clutch line.
3/ Slave is actuated by the fluid and pushes a small rod against the clutch fork.

See, Master to Slave.
Actually when you think about it YOU should be the Master shouldn't you?


Jules

[Madaz-mx5]

OK, lucky

I cancelled the mechanics order for parts and whent to mazda parts in parramatta and bought both for $250 (genuine & brand new)

i havent paid for the slave yet which is $110, but the guy told me about repair kits for $35 and $25

Its too late for the master as I have ordered and paid for it, but for the slave...when its had its age, is it still ok to repair it?

or as CT said, will it take too long and not a guarantee seal/worth it?

[jules]

I would think if you're doing it yourself, just easier to buy the whole slave cylinder. I probably would.

From memory, to fix the old one, you need to pull out the piston and sand the bore (wet/dry) to get it smooth again. Then fit the seal and presto!


Jules

[bigdog]

Use a brake cylinder hone in you electric drill (cost about $15 from tool shops) to hone the bore of the slave cylinder or master cylinder. If they are badly corroded you will end up with a bore that is larger than the rubbers in the repair kit, and it won't seal. Most brake shops will sleeve the cylinder in stainless steel for you if this is the case. If there is no obvious corrosion in the bore then hone it lightly, wash it thoroughly with metho and then coat the bore with brake fluid and reassemble with new rubbers. Master Cylinder is done the same way. If you are a novice and unsure of the proceedure simply pay the money and get new ones, bolt them in place, fill with fluid and bleed them with the help of a friend.

[bigdog]

reconditioned slave cylinder from Mania is $36...

[Madaz-mx5]

i will buy the slave now..

so you guys are saying that I should install it myself and save $100

I would have never done it myself, but the explanations on miata.net makes it seem ok

is it worth it... as in will be proffessional?

or are there tools I need that I might not have at home?

[Andrew]

or are there tools I need that I might not have at home?

nup, but i would recommend wearing latex gloves to avoid getting brake fluid on you hands and have a water sprayer to wash the area once the change has been performed

[jules]

If you have an accomplice and some spanners then do it yourself!

It is as simple as you have read, and really nothing can go wrong (other than leaving air in the system, which you will know about because the pedal will feel spongey)

It's bled right when there's no more bubbles coming out and the pedal feels good.


Jules

[Babalouie]

i will buy the slave now..

so you guys are saying that I should install it myself and save $100

I would have never done it myself, but the explanations on miata.net makes it seem ok

is it worth it... as in will be proffessional?

or are there tools I need that I might not have at home?

It can be a little fiddly. When you're under the car and looking at it, it seems straightfwd. The tricky part is that the nut that holds the fluid line to the slave has a small hex on it, and it is very easy to round it off if its really very tight.

IIRC you need a good quality 10mm flare wrench, I have one you can borrow, but if you're not really a DIY kind of person, just drive it to MX5Mania and get them to sort it for you.

[Madaz-mx5]

How much would mania charge for installing?

and is it worth buying the reconditioned for $36 as bigdog mentioned?

oh and do mx5mania EVER answer their phone calls?

[Madaz-mx5]

How much would mania charge for installing?

and is it worth buying the reconditioned for $36 as bigdog mentioned?

oh and do mx5mania EVER answer their phone calls?

[rodent]

I still have black crap under my fingernails from rebuilding my slave cylinder on Saturday, so yeah gloves are a great idea...

Best to get a new slave cylinder altogether though, since there's no telling how long a reconditioned cylinder would last. As bigdog mentioned there's a chance the bore's already worn through too much.

jonno.

[maxwolfie]

How much would mania charge for installing?

and is it worth buying the reconditioned for $36 as bigdog mentioned?

oh and do mx5mania EVER answer their phone calls?

i dont think so

ive heard they are pretty notorious for that

[bigdog]

We need to clear up a misconception here - a reconditioned slave or master cylinder with a stainless steel sleeve will last LONGER than the OEM cylinders - they don't have a stainless steel insert (experts please correct me if I have misjudged Mazda here) and so are prone to rust. Very few OEM clutch and brake components are made with stainless internals for cost saving reasons - so long as they can get the component past the warranty period it is fine... I have reco components on my race cars that are over 40 years old and still in perfect shape.

However, if the reco parts are not sleeved with stainless, then they may well fail at some point in the future. Ask before you purchase.[/u]

[Madaz-mx5]

im just gonna stick with the mazda part so that my mechanic can fix it all tommorrow

Thanks heaps for everyones replys

without these I would have been $365 ripped off, and still the problem wouldnt have been fixed