Hi all,
I have a 1993 or 94 F250 Turbodiesel 7.3l with the manual 4x4 trans. Recently my wife was driving it and had a problem with the clutch. At a stop sign she went to engage the clutch to put it in first and the pedal went to the floor. What I think is the "roll pin" from the slave cyinder and the retaining clip had popped out. A good samaratin helped her put it back in and tried to secure the retaining clip with zip tie... I had the same thing occur to me today, and it seemed like the tension of the clip is gone and that this was all there is to stop the assembly come loose... Am I missing some piece of hardware that holds this thing together? Like a spring or something??? I retensioned the retaining clip with a pair of pliers and made it home but it seems like it is going to come loose again, probably at an inconvienient, dangerous moment, knowing my luck lately...
Can you get this clip from a parts store? Is it easy enough to get the cylinder out of the old clip?
Any help much appreciated.
-Richard

 

Richard Forster,
Welcome to FTE and the IDI diesel forum.

I have never tried to get just the clip, but you get a new one with a replacement slave cylinder.

I recently purchased a new one from NAPA for around 40 dollars.

The hardest part of the swap is getting the dowel pin out and then replaced in the new cylinder.

 

Then the real battle of getting it bled out!

 

Actually the last one I installed I pre filled the slave cylinder and then installed it.
Yes it was a little messy, but once I got it in place the clutch actually worked well enough to get it in gear.
Then I just went for my usual drive on some rough roads and shifted gears a lot.
Everything was great in just a few miles of driving.

Easiest one I have ever done.

NAPA also has the plastic slave cylinder like the original, I hope it lasts like the original.
The metal replacements would only last me for about 8 or 9 thousand miles.
The original plastic one went for about 200 thousand before it failed.

 

Thanks Dave, although you know what, I am more confused than I was before. I guess I need a book on the truck with a diagram.
Is the dowel pin you are talking about the piece that goes between the cylinder and the lever that goes into the housing to the clutch?
If so, that is my problem, that it has been popping out of its own accord as we drive down the road! Actually it happens when we are at low speed, shifting in and out of neutral (I think). So far we have been able to recover it each time and jam it back in there and get back on the road. Last it happened I tied a piece of wire to one of the little plastic tabs and hooked the other end of the wire around a braided steel cable so that if it happens again we're less likely to lose the pin. Just until we get the source of the problem figured out, you understand!
So, should I just replace the slave cylinder, or is it the mounting of the retaining clip that is the real culprit, do you think? The truck has 180 000 odd miles on it. The cylinder has a plastic piston, I don't know if it is original or not. I know that the clutch has been replaced before my time.
Thanks again!

 

The dowel pin I am refering to hold the hydraulic line from the clutch master cylinder into the slave cylinder.
PIA to remove to get the hydraulic line out of the slave cylinder under the truck. Even bigger PIA to replace in the new cylinder while holding pressure on the hydraulic line so it goes over the shoulder of the line.
Also watch the tiny O ring that slides over the line shoulder, if you drop it it likes to hide.

I am trying to picture my slave cylinder mount in my mind, as I remember mine is rather hard to get out even with the clip removed. Mine is an 86 with a four speed, but the slave cylinders are the same.

You have a five speed?
Examine your bell housing carefully looking for cracks.

 

Yeah, definitely a 5 speed. Had a good look at the bell housing and it is solid. No cracks. Definitely not in the area where the slave and clip are... Seems like the little black plastic tabs on the removable pin are suppose to clip over these little tapered bumps on the slave cylinder housing, just above where the dust boot fits over the end of the cylinder, to hold it up against the cylinder, but they don't quite reach. Maybe there is something like a cotter pin that is supposed to connect the two that broke... Heck, I don't know! With everything in place the clutch works fine, so I don't think I have a problem with hydraulics. I hope not anyway!
Thanks again.

 

No cotter pin on mine.

The reason I mentioned removing the slave cylinder is that is probably going to be the only way to get a new clip.

I am going to go up to the garage and see if I still have my old slave cylinder laying up there.
I will post back after I look at it later this evening.
Where are you at?

Never mind the last question, I looked at your profile. Can not get there from here.

 

I trying to follow this...does the entire slave cylinder come off?
or just the hydrolic line that fits into the slave cylinder come off?

 

bc, the slave cylinder is sliding out of the mount on the transmission because the clip is coming off.

OK, I did have a slave cylinder laying in my garage.
The side of the clip opposite the clutch fork has barbs bent on the outside of the clip that keep it from sliding off the mount.
So either your barbs are bent flat or the mount on the transmission is worn and letting the barbs slide over it.

Should be an easy fix if you can get the clip off without letting the piston out of the slave cylinder. A good set of pliers or a set of vice grips and bend the barbs over a little more so it does not slide off any more.
I should have taken a picture of it.

 

Thanks a lot Dave for taking the time to investigate this. I did exactly what you said, used a pair of pliers to squeeze the "barbs" as you put it closed a little more. Still seems pretty sloppy, but I'll drive it in to town tomorrow and see if it holds on. Probably I should have taken a picture! Might have made more sense from the start...
So, aside from the clip being tired, this isn't an indication of something else being amiss?

 

The only thing I could think of would be a cracked housing.

My clip has a small slit on each side of the fork part of the clip toward the outside.
The side of the clip is bent 90 degrees to the fork part to make the barb as I am calling it. The barb is bent in on the side toward the slave cylinder.

 

I had this same problem with an 89 superduty and an 88 F350. The slave cylinder slide off the mount and left parts all over the road. The permanent solution was to drill a small hole through the clip and the mount and install a 1/4 inch bolt and nut. Never had another prooblem with them.

P.S. My mechanic showed me this on the first one.

 

I'm just thinking...if the clip was loose, every time your ingauge the clutch, it could and did, migrate its way out?
Never experienced or heard of this happening before.
But there is a first time for every thing.
If you are NOT haveing any shifting issues, count your self lucky and go with DPorters solution.

 

Well, I made it to town and back, 50 or so miles round trip, without it falling off again, so touch wood, "retensioning" the clip seemed to work. I am thinking that DPorter's solution will give me a lot of peace of mind. Nice to hear that I am not the first person this has happened to.
BC6.9, I tried to figure out what was common to each time that it actually popped out and the best I could come up with was that it was at low speed, shifting in or out of neutral. It actually managed to stay put in between times for like, 20 miles at a time, with plenty of shifting each time. Like you say, I guess we're lucky nothing worse happened as a result. The only part that ended up on the road was that darn little pin!
Thanks all for all the help.