darenchu

Today I got in my 951S to drive home and after about 5 minutes of driving normally, my clutch pedal lost all resistance and fell to the floor when I was shifting. With the pedal down, my car stayed in gear and it still drove fine and in the down position I could still disengage(engage?) the clutch and shift gears without grinding or burning it. The clutch would not pop back up to normal height after shifting (it felt like the clutch travel was super shortened). I didn't see/smell/hear the clutch burning so I drove home gently and I took a look under the foot-well(?) and I saw some fluid dripping down. I took pics and a video... I think the master cylinder is dead (based on google and briefly looking at clarks-garage). I'd be glad to learn how to fix it myself but I don't really have the confidence, haha. So here are my questions:
1. Is it the master cylinder? If not, then what?
2. Is it reparable or do I have to replace it?
3. Is it an easy DIY fix? (car-noob)
4. How much (approx.) am I looking at if I take it to a shop?
5. Stupid-question: is it still safe to drive (I probably won't)?

Here's a video: http://youtu.be/PSj67_SX2Vg?hd=1
Excuse my childish looking hand. I tried to use one finger to show how little the resistance is lol. Thanks.

F40LM

FWIW.....Yep sounds like textbook master.

Did not look at your video but your description is right out of my experience as well. Yes they are repairable in that repair kits are out there but most folks just replace it. It is doable yourself but it is kind of a PITA. The you will have to deal with bleeding the system as well. Sometimes this is very easy (get a power bleeder and hold your mouth just right), for others like me it turns into an almost religious experience which involves alot of trying different trechniques and considering an animal sacrifice to make the gods of DIY happy.

My advice, do it yourself. Do your homework and take the leap. Go ahead and do both master and slave...trust me...do them both same time and bleed once. Or you will replace one, it will lead to the other going bad in 2 weeks then you will have to bleed again.

keep us posted,

michael

darenchu

Actually I have a 1985/1 944 N/A I'm taking apart. Everything on the car worked fine, would that master/slave cylinder be swappable onto the '88 951S?

Grandpa#3

Hello, From your vid you can see the Master Cylinder leaking inside the car. Why go through the trouble of removing the Master Cyl. and replace it with a USED part that is sure to fail? When one fails you replace both Master and Slave Cylinder, also replace the line between the two. The line will fail from the inside out. Use Clark's Garage. com maintenance and look under "B" for brakes. Really very little is usable from a 85/1 na to a 88/951.

http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-ma...ure-index3.htm

Cheers,
Larry

Justin S2

^^ Don't forget the paper gasket for the master cylinder against the firewall!

darenchu

Anyone know what size hose clamps to use?

http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...FILTER_TOOL=ON

I decided I'm gonna fix it myself. I have the next two days off from work so I'll have time to put the old master cylinder from my other car in so I have a car to drive until all the new parts come in. It is my DD so I need it for work and stuff. I figure I'll take the next two days learning while I do it, then when the new master/slave/hose/etc. comes in it'll be easy as pie I hope.

darenchu

I did it. I fixed it and turbos are a nightmare to work on so much extra stuff in the way. Anyways, I learned a lot but I hope I don't have to do that ever again.