I'm having a slight problem lately shifting gears in my teg ls. It sticks in the first 3 gears to go into gear and feels like the clutch pedal should go down more to allow the gear to shift easier. I don't know if it would be the master cylinder or slave cylinder or both or even the whole assembly. If someone could help me out on this one I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

 

First take care of the easy stuff. Look for fluid leaks around the slave, or thru the firewall around the clutch pedal. Then check the fluid & bleed the clutch. Maybe you just have air in the lines. Then check the pedal height & free play. Maybe a hinge pin or something at the pedal is worn loose & sloppy? If none of that does any good, come back & tell us...

 

exactly, check for leaks then bleed the system.

There's no doubt that bleeding the system will improve what youre experiencing now but checking for leaks would be a first step in fixing the problem. The other possibility is the transmission or clutch/flywheel itself. Do the cheaper and easy solution first and go the other route if you must.

 

Thank you both for giving me that...I'll try to get those done first...I was thinkin about checking the pedel cause it does seem like it has a lot of play...a lot more than it used to have. I'll have to remember how to bleed the lines...if you could give me the process just so I don't mess it up then I would be grateful. Thank you for the help

 

Stick your head down there & take a good look at the pivot pins on the pedal. If something's loose & sloppy you can deal with that first. You can adjust the height of the pedal by lengthening or shortening the piston rod from the pedal into the master cylinder. A shop manual should list the proper height...

Get a clear hose & empty jar for the bleeder. You want a hose that fits tight on the nipple of the bleed screw. Get a bottle or 2 of brake fluid. Open the reservoir, take out that silly little plastic float, suck the old fluid out if you want. Fill the reservoir with fresh fluid. Loop a string around the pedal...

Helper pumps clutch, then holds the pedal down to the floor. You open the bleed valve (1/8 turn) & the fluid will come out thru the hose into your empty jar. Close the valve. Helper lets the pedal up, but probably it doesn't spring itself up. That's what the string is for. Pull on the string while letting the pedal up - kinda slowly - don't just snap the pedal up.

Repeat pressing the pedal - bleeding fluid - lifting - etc... After the first few strokes yoru helper probably doesn't have to pump the pedal before holding it down.

You may as well use up the bottle of new fluid, because once the seal is broken the clock starts ticking on it's 2-year lifespan. Better yet, get 2 quarts & do your brakes too.