Just an update that I resolved my clutch problem.
PROBLEM: The PO said the clutch was working okay when he bought it in
February, but then the fluid level went waaaaaay down when he let the car
sit for over a month. He filled the m/c, but didn't bleed the system - just
pumped the pedal several times to get it working.
When I test drove the car, it worked okay; not great, but okay. When I
picked up the car, almost no clutch. Some creative speed-shifting to get it
home.
SOLUTION: Get ready to flush/bleed clutch. Open clutch master
cylinder...hmmmm...fluid low again, but no apparent leak. Oh, well, crawl
under car while lovely assistant gets ready to pump da pedal. Before getting
into car, she looks at me and says "Hey, is that an oil drip on the ground?"
I look over and see a single wet spot, then look up....ah-HA! Minute,
itty-bitty drops of brake fluid on the bottom of the car.
I crawl out from under and -REALLY- start checking the clutch m/c...VOILA!
Turns out the screw on the bottom of the m/c that holds the piston in place
is only finger-tight allowing the fluid to weep out onto the firewall. The
screw and the leakage is completely out-of-sight unless you flood the area
with light.
Tightened the screw (hmmmm, my '66 Roadster is SAE threads, but the '66
PL411 is metric?), then start bleeding the clutch slave (hmmmm #2...roadster
slave has return spring, but PL411 does not?). Get aerated, milky crap for
5-10 minutes of fill/pump/bleed/fill/pump/bleed/etc before the fluid starts
clearing up and there's pressure at the pedal. Another 10 minutes and we
have clutch. wooHOO!
Of course, getting dark and time for dinner, so hopefully tonight I'll get a
chance to take it for a test drive.
The downside is I got a good look under the car: oil pan bolts loose
(tightened those), hanging wires, tranny mount looks like it's ready to
disentigrate, loose tranny mount bolts, etc. The kicker is the homebrew
cutting/welding to get that L20B in there. Definitely requires a closer
inspection.
NEXT ON THE TODO LIST: wipers and electrical.
Are we having fuN yet?
` ___ '
Pete - (O o) -
------------------ooO--(_)--Ooo-----
Lake Forest Park, WA
1966 1600 SPL311 roadster
1966 L20B PL411 wagon
1971 1.7L Porsche 914
plus 2 cars, 1 truck & a motorcycle.
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