Technical Clutch cable adjustment

[BARMIKE]

hey all i think my clutch cable my need adjusting on my 1.9 jtd brava as all my gears crunch when changing. reverse was always the worst but now all they have all started doing it. there is also a rattle from under the bonet that get worst when i push the clutch in.

do u think its the cable or could it be something else? and is it easy to adjust the cable?

cheers all! :worship:

 

[jug]

there isnt a clutch cable, its a hydraulic clutch. they are very prone to lekaing, which would cause a crunch going into all gears, and eventually total loss of the clutch. when that happens you cant selelct any gear and the clutch pedal feels very easy to press.

thankfully a leaking slave cylinder is easily replaced and costs less than £30 at your local motor factors.

check the brake fluid reservoir. if it is low it means you do have a leak in the cutch (clutch and breaks share the same reservoir and fluid)
next look on top of the gearbox and check for a leak at the slave cylinder. if there is a wet patch on top of the gearbox it means the slave cylinder needs replacing. all you need to do is remove the battery and battery tray (can leave tray in if you have small hands) and then remove the slave cylinder (3 bolts and 1 pipe), fit the new one, then bleed the clutch. its a very easy job. haynes will help a lot if you have any doubts.

 

[BARMIKE]

thanks mate il have a look tomorrow.

 

[Si - Punto]

Jug - Im kinda scared to even ask this but what's this like to do on the 5pot (easy enough for a DIY Mech or is it more of a specialist job)?

 

[jug]

very easy. take the battery out, then the battery tray, then remove the slave cylinder. that will take you half an hour if go for it, and no longer than an hour even if you only have 1 arm. you can even do this job on the roadside in the dark in the rain easily enough (yes I have ). no special tools are required, but there is one bolt under the battery tray that is a bit of a pig to get at.

tbh if you're going on a long journey in a bravo it would be very wise to have a break bleed kit and break fluid on you, then you can keep on bleeding a leaking cylinder until you can get to a garage. once bled you will usually get at least 20 uses from the clutch pedal, unless the leak is very bad (such as when the piston pops out the cylinder and you're stuffed)

 

[bandido41]

If the piston pops out while you driving, you could stil change by pushing the gear stick into neutral and give the accelerator a light tap to rev the engine and push the stick into gear the gearbox engages without so much as a scratch (if its done right ) this is only a measure to use as a last resort thopugh i wouldnt advise it all the time unless its an emergency and just to get you home? p.s you dont need to depress the clutch pedal at any time during this procedure.

 

[jug]

yes when moving you can change gear without a clutch if you catch it right.

but what do you do when you need to stop? you have to stall. thats not easy, or safe, and certianly not worth the risk of hitting someone or something. and then how do you pull away again once you stop? you can start the engine in 2nd gear, which will work ok, but it really isnt good for the gearbox or starter motor.

in a real emergency yes, but it would have to be something serious.

 

[Hellcat]

I wouldn't reccomend clutchless gear changes.

I was forced to clutchless change the Marea to the garage when the clutch plate failed. What resulted was a very clunky 2nd gear. I can live with it for now but face the very real threat of having to replace a 2.4JTD gearbox.

Slave cylinders on all the bravos are easy to fix. Can be done even with the battery tray still in place if you're determined enough. Only one that is impossible is some of the 2.4JTDs which have an internal slave cylinder - but they tend to be protected from the conditions which lead to the usual slave failures.

 

[jug]

internal slave cylinder

ouch!

 

[Hellcat]

ouch!

Not as bad as you think. They last at least as long as the clutches as they're protected from the elements. Mine was not internal and fell apart when they removed the gearbox haha

 

[Si - Punto]

*** Stupid Question Alert ***

Is the Clutch Slave Cyclinder model specific or is it a universal part (or at least interchangable between Fiats)???

 

[jug]

*** Stupid Question Alert ***

Is the Clutch Slave Cyclinder model specific or is it a universal part (or at least interchangable between Fiats)???

when i bought one for the 1.6 it had a differnt part number to when i bought one for my 1.8 suggesting they are model specific (they are listed by model in partco catalogue), but tbh i couldnt tell the different between either. when i had the old one from my 1.6 and 1.8 side by side and couldnt tell the difference.

 

[Si - Punto]

Cheers Jug

I thought as much to be honest but wanted to check to be sure.