Clutch Slippage - Troubleshooting prior to replacing

[ejaf]

Can this happen?

About a week into the bleed, it "seems" as if the slippage signs I was having is gone!

I know that it is possible that the clutch is on it's way out (I'm not the only one driving, I hadn't bled it until 85K, I have tried to teach how to dive a manual to my teenage daughter, etc. etc.), but how would bleeding it help so much?

At first try fter the bleed, it was still exhibiting the same behavior (flooring it in 3rd from 3500 rpm, the engine would rev), but now it seems, after a week, that that no longer occurs.

Is it possible the new fluid took a while to clean the plate? I'm baffled.

Eric

[CoryM]

Originally Posted by ejaf

Can this happen?

About a week into the bleed, it "seems" as if the slippage signs I was having is gone!

The clutch fluid is contained within a simple hydraulic circuit that consists of one piston (Master) pushing on a second piston (Slave) via fluid. The only way changing your clutch fluid could improve the clutch is if there was air in the system. Air will make it harder to shift, but not cause slipping. There is no theory, or practical experience I know of that would cause the clutch slipping to be affected by changing the fluid.

I would guess when you change your clutch, you will find the fingers on the pressure-plate are very worn. I think this is the cause of the erratic clutch feel that happens on these cars, but cannot say for sure. Take the car and in 3rd or 4th gear go from low rpm and floor it. If your engine RPM go up faster than your vehicle speed the clutch is slipping and should be replaced.

Good luck.