Technical One thing after a bloody 'nother - clutch hydraulics

[Monkey79]

If any of you have read my other threads (I wouldn't blame you if you hadn't, they're mostly me moaning about my car so far) then you'll know I had issues with the alternator...

alternator replaced and sorted...

then I had issues with the clutch plate being deader than a dead thing...

clutch replaced...

I'd sent off my vehicle reg docs to get the address changed etc, had the insurance sorted to start today and went off to the post office, docs in hand, to get my car taxed this morning. Thoroughly enjoying being able to drive again, I popped into the post office, forked up some money for that little annoying paper disc and went back out to my car. No more than half a mile down the road, something goes bad.

I managed to get the car up onto the pavement and noticed a rather large puddle of what I later presumed was hydraulic fluid from the clutch. I reasoned this because the clutch is as light as a feather and offers absolutely zero resistance. Oh and also being unable to put it into gear is a rather telling symptom of non-clutch workiness.

I'm waiting for a call at the mo from a mechanic friend to confirm he can come and check the poorly little tipo out later tonight and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is going to be a cheap fix, having forked out £300 in the space of a few weeks just to get the bugger to explode on me has left me a little miffed.

So the question I pose to you all is this... would it be likely that an original hydraulic clutch unit would be put under additional strain by the replacement of the old clutch for a new one? That's the only thing I can logically think; my reasoning is that the new clutch offers more resistance to the hydraulics unit than the older worn in one and just makes any weak points worse, to the point of epic failure in my case.

Does that sound about right? :bang:

One other question and it's a painful one; is it time to bin the tipo?

I don't want to nor can I afford to buy a new car, I enjoy driving her about and I'm really loath to get rid of her but if the current spate of failures is any indication of the way this car is going then I think I'd be better off dusting off my mountain bike :yuck:

Granted, the alternator was on its way out for a long long time.. the clutch a result of me being towed because the alternator packed in and subsequently, the hydraulics going as a result of the new clutch which again leads back to the alternator... so realistically speaking I could have avoided this headache if I'd have just replaced the alternator long before it finally packed in. Or is there more problems in the pipeline?

This post really isn't going anywhere other than for me to vent frustrations with my current lack of car and distinct lack of luck (oh, I'm also being made redundant.. d'oh! :doh

yours,
an aggrieved fiat tipo owner

 

[maddogmorg]

could just be a simple fix, maybe something not quite connected properly if you've just changed the clutch. if it's your slave cylinder it's an easy fix as well. hopefully shouldn't be a problem.
as for whether to bin it or not is up to you. mine had got to the age where things were just falling apart and i didn't have the money/will to fix it. that's a 1992 so yours should have a while left in it.

 

[Hellcat]

I'm guessing the clutch hydraulic system had to be disassembled in some form to replace the clutch.... Perhaps a seal has been pushed in a way it had not become acustomed to?

 

[Monkey79]

edit: ^^^ possibly, I'm not sure if my mechanic friend took that part apart at all. I'm waiting on a call back from him to confirm whether or not he can come look at it tonight at all, doesn't look like he's going to though.

Another thing I just remembered, my girlfriend has offered to let me use her clio whilst I'm getting my car sorted so atleast I'll be mobile

hehe it's a 92.........

Beyond a few minor patches of rust and the aforemention alternator giving up the ghost, she's in quite good condition. The bodywork is exemplary, a few minor patches of rust on one of the passenger doors and that's it. Like I say, I'm really loath to bin her because she's such an enjoyable drive and barring the recent troubles she's been quite good to me.

I think I'll try fixing her up with a view to seeing how she's going 6 months down the line... if I have any major upsets then she's outta here

 

[Monkey79]

phew! mechanic friend did turn up.... turns out it's just the flexible hose that went pop.

:woot:

That's one happy monkey.... now.... where the hell will I find a replacement?

 

[bluejohn125]

Clutch slave cylinders go all the time anyway, I've done 2 on Tipos and one on a 6 year old Brava.

As for the Tipo, stick with it, most faults will be reasonable for an oldish car and fairly easy too sort. Critical problems are generally rusted front subframe and leaking sunroof. They are very straightforward, enjoyable cars.

 

[sediciRich]

Seals on the slave cylinder can go - but dont get a new cylinder just rebuild it with new seals - i did cost me a whole 50p worth of seals.

 

[Hellcat]

Seals on the slave cylinder can go - but dont get a new cylinder just rebuild it with new seals - i did cost me a whole 50p worth of seals.

Quicker though to swap for a new one, then refurb the old one and put it in storage for next time. Keeps the off-the-road time down.

 

[Monkey79]

Clutch slave cylinders go all the time anyway, I've done 2 on Tipos and one on a 6 year old Brava.

As for the Tipo, stick with it, most faults will be reasonable for an oldish car and fairly easy too sort. Critical problems are generally rusted front subframe and leaking sunroof. They are very straightforward, enjoyable cars.

hehehe, the leaky sunroof is something I've somehow managed to avoid so far!... yet my girlfriends P reg Renault Clio leaks like a bugger from the sunroof

I shouldn't laugh too much though, it's definitely getting rusty up there.

Thanks everybody for your replies again, turns out it definitely was the flexible hose and I ordered one last friday from the nearest fiat dealer (30 miles away... d'oh!) and picked it up yesterday, just waiting on the mechanic friend to come and help me sort it out

Bluejohn, I've decided that you're right... most of the faults I've suffered in the car recently can all be loosely traced back to the alternator going. In that I was stupid to use the clutch to try slowing myself down whilst being towed... if I'd have just replaced the alternator when the warning light had come on sometime last year then I'd have avoided most of the recent issues

With that in mind I'm more than happy to keep hold of the old girl for a little longer..... must make a mental note to buy breakdown cover though just in case

 

[bluejohn125]

If your '92 Tipo is totally bog standard like you say, you will probably find that a standard feature these days is deteriorating underseal beneath the sills, and rust starting to attack! Get it up on stands and have a good scrape!

 

[greenbriggs9]

I have had all the same problems my freind, and more. Like you said "One thing after another" I am starting to get fed up, and i am a mechanic. There is the old sying. Fix It Again Tomorrow....

 

[Monkey79]

Well, she's all fixed now! My mechanic friend came down and replaced the old broken pipe for the new, bled the clutch and brakes and et voila... went for a drive around the neighbouring towns in the old girl I'm still paranoid as hell that something is going to go wrong, particularly as I have a 2nd interview tomorrow and it's a 30 odd mile drive away... fingers crossed the car is fine for now, atleast to get me there!

I'll give her a bit of a chance yet, she is fun to drive after all

 

[maddogmorg]

when bleeding the clutch, you have the jam jar and tube etc. should the pedal come back up again automatically or don't you pump it like you do with the brakes, or do you have to pull the pedal back up?

if it's not supposed to stay down as i'm guessing it's not would it be slave cylinder? or clutch? hmmmmmm.