OK.....thanks to you guys, I have been able to figure out most issues with this little truck but I now have something I'm not sure about. Not long ago I replaced the tranny. The clutch was replaced about 10k miles before that. Figuring out how to bleed the clutch was a bugger too but when I finally did, it worked great. BUT.....now for whatever reason, when I push the clutch pedal in all the way I hear a clutch related noise but when if I let up on the clutch a little then the noise stops. When it make the noise, its clearly harder to engage 1st gear, unless I let the clutch pedal out that little bit, and when I put it in gear then the noise will speed up when the clutch plate and input shaft become stationary and the pressure plate is still spinning. There is only two things this noise can be by the sound it makes and when it makes it, and those possibles would be either the pressure plate contacting the clutch disk upon full clutch pedal placement or the pilot bearing. I dont think its the pilot bearing otherwise it would make a deeper more grinding noise and the pilot bearing wouldn't stop making the noise when I let the clutch out a little. The throwout bearing would make the noise all the time I touched the clutch so thats not it. That to me says its the pressure plate touching the clutch disk but the question is WHY? And why now? Why would the master cylinder and slave cylinder become so over productive and all of a sudden push the pressure plate to far? Also, I forgot to mention that even though it does this all the time, it also does it more when the engine is at operating temp. Any ideas?

 

Well I see that I stumped some guys since many looked at this thread but none replied. So let me update as to what I just found out.....and maybe someone will know whats up.

I was just driving down the road and noticed that the clutch pedal had ZERO play. So just for kicks, I pushed the clutch to the floor and let it snap back. Opps.....I now have NO clutch.....or should I say, I have TO MUCH clutch. Either the master cylinder or the slave cylinder isn't allowing the clutch slave to bleed down and is building pressure. So now my slave cylinder is stuck as if the clutch pedal is being held to the floor. I'm stumped. I'm guessing its the master cylinder since there's nothing in the slave that would allow this to happen. Again.....any ideas? Is there some sort of one way valve that I dont know of?

 

If you can just disconnect the clutch line at the transmission and then check and see if you can push the clutch pedal with your hand. You should have approx 1/8". If it goes down more then you will need to remove your clutch Master cylinder and bench bleed and you may even have to replace the Master cylinder but it must be bench Bled 1st.

 

Thanks. Given how the clutch pedal feels, I think its the master cylinder not letting the fluid back out of the slave.

 

The line traps air and as you continue to use the clutch it traps air in the master Cylinder. here a link for bleeding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgNTD...layer_embedded

 

Thanks again but thats not whats happening. I've been down that road before. I know I'm not explaining it very good but I dont have a soft pedal or lack of response with the clutch. The clutch is not releasing. The slave isn't being allowed to release and the only thing I can imagine is the master isn't letting the fluid back up the line.

 

One way you can test the theory of the master keeping pressure in the slave. Loosen the bleeder on the slave. If fluid squirts out, you've likely got a bad master. If fluid just drips out, the slave could be stuck, or the clutch disc is bad.

 

I was about to change the master but noticed that I couldn't release the quick connect fitting because of the built up pressure retained in the line. So I opened the bleeder valve on the slave and fluid did come out. Just out of curiosity, before I tore anything apart, I checked the clutch pedal and now everything is back to normal. What the heck????? So now I'm not sure what to do. Do I change the $70 master or do I leave it alone and see if it happens again? The problem that concerns me is I'm not sure why this whole thing happened in the first place.

 

HAve you disconnected the line at the transmission yet?

 

No. I hadn't taken anything apart yet before I discovered that releasing the slave bleed valve put everything back to normal. So I'm stumped as to why this would have even happened. Its like the master was acting like a one way pump.....but is now OK.....?

 

The master has a check valve in it that closes as you press the pedal down, so fluid is pushed down to the slave, not back towards the resivoir. Sounds like it isn't working correctly.
I'd bet the master is about gone. You can try flushing out the old fluid, and see what happens, but I suspect you will eventually end up having to replace the master....

 

You just answered what I was wondering. That check valve must have been acting up because after I released the pressure at the slave and everything seemed fine, it wasn't but a few miles before you could feel it starting to rebuild the pressure against the slave. So.....hoping I could save the $70, I gave in and changed out the master. On a positive note, I farted around with bleeding the clutch so much before when I replaced the tranny that I think I've mastered the bleeding process. If switching out the master took me 30 minutes, I'd be surprised. But nonetheless, it works like a charm now. Anyone reading can chalk this up as just another possible issue with the clutch system. Thanks for the help.

 

Glad to know you got it solved.
The same type of thing can happen to the brake master as well. When it does, it's like driving with the brake pedal pressed. Once it gets bad enough, you don't go anywhere.....