how do you know if your clutch master cylinder is defective or leaking?

my gears are starting to grind and i know that my slave cylinder is leaking, but im not sure if i should change the master as well?

 

could be your syncro's going bad..

but i dont know how to check the cluck MC

 

Would be best to change both but just change whats leaking and take it from there.

 

push on the clutch while someone is watching the reservoir. If the fluid goes up and down while the pedal is being pumped its bad... but thats only if its really bad. as far as your gears grinding, clutch master cylinder is a common cause. good luck

 

Another good way to tell is when you press the brakes. Typically a bad master cylinder will slowly sink to the floor while pressing the brakes instead of stopping at a certain point.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JustROLLIN &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Another good way to tell is when you press the brakes. Typically a bad master cylinder will slowly sink to the floor while pressing the brakes instead of stopping at a certain point.</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's the break MC, not the clutch MC

 

An internal leak in the clutch MC is pretty much like in the brake MC, but here's how you can check...

Open that rubber boot over the throw-out fork. Have someone pump the pedal, then hold it down. If the MC is leaking back into the reservoir, then the throw-out fork will slowly move back towards the slave. While holding down the pedal, the T-O fork isn't supposed to move.

 

If you are replacing one, I would do both. You may want to make sure your tranny fluid level is good and bleed your clutch lines before you replace parts.