I'm a first-time visitor. I have a 96 Accord LX with 169,000 miles. 5 months and 4000 miles ago the clutch was slipping and I paid $700 to have a new clutch pack kit put in. I’ve driven sticks all my life but never worked on a clutch myself. A month ago I again felt the clutch slipping a few times after it had been engaged in second and third gears and took it back to the mechanic. His response was to bleed the hydraulic line.

Since then I’ve babied it and it did not slip. Then my son came back from school and took it out and did not baby it and said it slipped. Then today I was getting on the freeway and had to accelerate hard after engaging it in third gear and it slipped on me. It was in third, my foot was off the clutch and I heard a billowing over-revving from the motor and saw the tach spike unnaturally as I hit the gas. After that I experimented with hard acceleration and it slipped again sporadically. Sometimes there’s no slippage during acceleration and sometimes there is, in second, third and fourth. There's been zero free-play since the new clutch was put in.

Now I’m halfway through the warranty and want to get this resolved. A car mechanic friend just listened to this story and says that one of the following isn’t releasing fully: master cylinder, release bearing, or slave cylinder. He recommended asking specialists like you. Any suggestions about what needs to be done?
Pete

 

there shld be abt 1 inch of free play, try bleeding your system

 

if it slips bleeding isnt going to help genius. if it slips either the clutch is bad.... or the trans or the rear main seal is leaming and getting onto trhe flywheel. take a peek through the timing hole or pull the starter or the lower inspection cover off and


1. verify that theres a new clutch (PP should at least look new)
2. verify that its dry and not wet inthe bellhousing


having air in the hydraulic line if anything will make it hard to put into gear ans shift... but not effect the engaugement at all to make it slip. Even the wrong fork wont do that

 

he said he has no freeplay which could be from air in his system buddy

 

Thanks- So it won't help to bleed the hydraulic line. If there was air there'd be no push in the line and you'd never be able to disengage to shift.

This morning I was taking the car to the mechanic who put the clutch in. On the freeway the clutch never slipped and I accelerated hard down many ramps. I don't know why it would slip yesterday and be fine today. Why would a clutch problem be intermittent?

Leaking seal. I looked under the car an hour after I got back today. No oil spot on the pavement and no dripping. So- it has to go up on a rack to get a look in the housing like you described.

With this 96 Accord hydraulic line is there any way to adjust the free play?
Pete

 

sorry for my earlier post, i confused myself, but the no freeplay could be the throwout bearing

 

Here are a couple more clues. This afternoon after about 45 minutes of driving it started slipping each time I went into 2nd gear while accelerating. Each time as it slipped the electric/battery light on the dash flickered on for an instant. Maybe this is the leaking Extralarge was talking about. As the car is driven could oil be working its way into the clutch so it only starts to slip after the length of time (say 45 minutes) it took for the oil to get in? Could anything else be happening?
Pete

 

Do you guys know if the free play on the hydraulic clutch of the 96 Accord can be adjusted? Two mechanics, including the guy who did my clutch said no. But I just found a forum where a guy asked about free play adjustment for a 96 Accord LX (hondaaccordforum.com) Here's the answer they gave.

Shown in the picture below,there are 2 nuts used to adjust the pedal height.To adjust the clutch pedal height, loosen the locknut on the clutch switch until it no longer touches the pedal. Then loosen the locknut on the clutch pushrod. Turn the pushrod to adjust pedal height then tighten the locknut. Turn the switch until it contacts the pedal arm, then turn it an additional 3/4 turn. Tighten the lock nut.

You should also pay close attention to the clutch free play,to my knowledge it should be around 10mm of free play,so have your ruler ready.
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My clutch pedal has no free play. It engages at the very top of the travel. Maybe the clutch is getting hotter over time due to not engaging due to limited pedal range and it finally starts slipping. Maybe the key is to give it some free play.

 

you said its still under their warranty.

take it back and make them fix it......

no use in putting you through all of this dude.

 

And youre supposedly a tech??? Thats scary.

You cant "overbleed" the system dude... The only way that it could even possibly be an issue would be to bleed it.. THEN adjust the pedal out too far, at the master... Im SURE he didnt (at least i hope not), as if he did it wouldnt be intermitent Not to mention that youd have to SERIOUISLY **** that up.

 

Theres another issue. I agree take it back to the shop. They might give you **** for having put so many miles on it before complaining, but i is what it is.... Im thinking its getting fluid of one kind or another..... Only other thing is ive had a clutch fork pivot ball break ( I have a really nasty clutch in my car to handle the 650 plus WHP it makes)....which ****ed up the fork then the TO bearing that would make it slip, but it was stuck in one place... I DOUBT thats it in your case. I still think its getting soaked in oil somehow.

They should have caught that, but judging from you having this issue still even after changing the old one, it seems you have a persisting lingering issue thats being missed.

 

actaully air( a small amt) in your hydraulic system, can cause little to no freeplay which in itself can cause the slippage

 

your mechanic said no because typically there is no adjustment on a hydraulic clutch, but honda's may have one

 

I'm gonna have to call BS on that. Air in your line could cause an inability to DISengage, but would not cause an inability to ENGAGE. That hydraulic system is not sealed, so an air bubble would not be able to exert pressure on the hydraulic fluid. Any pressure in the line would push back into the master cylinder.

If, for some retarded reason, your mechanic adjusted your pedal so much as to not allow the clutch to engage fully, then it may be the cause of your problem. But I see that as being much less likely than the rear main seal as nog said.

 

ok I understand more clearly, but what I said technically can happen but is unlikely. His problem is more likely either the throw out bearing or the return springs in the master

 

the more i read it, the more i keeping thinking rear main seal. which, is doubtful as soon as you got your car back, it has gotten to the point where it is leaking enough to slip the clutch. the shop you went to should have noticed that. i mean come on. they were already there, could have sold you another part, and earned more money, thats dumb.

 

There typically is no pedal adjustment on a hydraulic system so i doubt he adjusted anything

 

yeah he could sue for that, safety comes into play there, no professional shop would do that

 

You should post where you work so people know where NOT to take their **** to get worked on... Seriously

 

actually hondas do have a pedal adjustment there is a threaded rod on the back of the pedal with a locking nut 12mm, loosen the nut, then try and turn the rod (you might need small channel locks) adjust that to abt inch or less of freeplay and that shld fix the slipping problem

 

ahaha your funny, I didnt bash your stupid idea

 

If pedal adjustment was out of wack you notice before pulling the car out of the driveway. And for a clutch replacement why was the pedal touched in the first place? im going with pressure plate or clutch as the problem for the win.
oil on the clutch would slip constantly. easy thing to check first though.

 

Oil on the assy would npt slip consistantly. Most probably only through the midrange where tq is greater

 

he said his clutch has no freeplay

 

Stupid? I find that To be comical coming from you judging by your input this far.... so genius... how many 600-700 whp cars do you have experience with? Just stop. You'll lose... all by yourself.

I repeat. You're a tech? Jesus