Need some help with my clutch please

happy

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Got a 02 gts and it’s been going on a few years now trying to chase this issue. Originally took it in for a rear crank seal leaking and replaced everything, clutch slave and resurfaces flywheel. when I got it back pedal was soft. So figured took to much of fly wheel and ended up ordering a fidnaza and put it in and same thing soft pedal again. Took out and replaced slave and still soft.. 4 years later and a different shop and still chasing this soft pedal issue, replaced master cylinder from roe racing and on number 8 slave cylinder and still can’t get a hard pedal at all, we used a mutt vac we bleed them slave cylinders every way possible everyone has mentioned.. I know it’s a simple system.. but I’m at a stand still.. just getting tired of pulling that tranny out.... what would you guys try next. If I unplug the line to the slave cylinder the pedal gets hard. Plug it back in and soft again. Think my master is wore out from pressing it and out a million times??? Thanks guys!
 

steve e

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If the clutch pedal is soft, and the slave and master cylinder is good, and the car shifts fine it is most likely the pressure plate, a weak pressure plate will have a soft clutch and a hi performance plate will be harder to press in.
 
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happy

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No that’s not it! It gets softer the longer your drive it starting and stopping in the heat makes it worse! Seems like air gets introduced to the system but no fluid ever leaves..
 

Steve-Indy

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There are people who believe that you need to bleed a clutch hydraulic system by pressure to fully and unequivocally remove any retained air. Certainly, a two person job if using clutch pedal to create this pressure...while second person opens bleeder under full pressure, then closes bleeder before pedal released. If done for 6-8 "cycles"...pumping pedal 20-25 times between bleeder venting, the air will be gone.

Admittedly, while alone at home, I use a vacuum system to bleed clutch fluid.
 
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happy

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I have pumped that pedal so much over the last 3 years trying to bleed 8 slave cylinders... it Doesent seem to work on this car lol we used the mity vac and when we install a new slave cylinder every time there is no pedal at all at first takes about 20 pumps to even make pedal half hard.. quick connect allways popped in never any leaks.. do you think I got a ****** master cylinder?? I don’t know what else to do or try..
 

steve e

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Whats baffling to me is if you say it gets softer and softer the longer you drive, and you believe its the master or slave, it would grind trying to shift gears, because it would not release the clutch fully and apparently it shifts fine. One common trait of a bad clutch plate is the hotter it gets the softer the pedal. If it was my car I would first swap out the master and see how it is, much easier than dropping the trans and plate, and yes a bad master would give you all the grief you are experiencing.
 

Steve-Indy

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Thanks for the clarification, happy...just trying to eliminate simple variables...figuring that you probably already had.

A bad master cylinder comes to mind as you have suggested.
 

MoparMap

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You could try putting some heat shield over the line between the master and slave as well. If there is air the heat would be expanding it and making the pedal worse. At this point it's probably the only thing in the system you haven't replaced, so you might also consider that. Always a chance there could be something funny going on in the line. Does the clutch actually release even with the soft pedal? That seems like the strangest thing if it's just soft but works fine.
 

Serb Venom

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I live and LA and I just replaced my clutch, cylinder the works at the VIPER specialist shop called SPT and let me say this - you don't have a problem, my clutch went from being hard as a rock to being soft. Don't bang your head over it, enjoy it
 

srt10power

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I'm thinking along the same thing as MoparMap could be a problem with the hydraulic line between master and slave. Even if it doesn't leak the internal braids could be coming apart from the heat and give you a soft pedal. I replaced the master, slave, hydraulic line and clutch in my 2004 srt10 with no issues.
 

InTheZoneAC

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If the clutch pedal is soft, and the slave and master cylinder is good, and the car shifts fine it is most likely the pressure plate, a weak pressure plate will have a soft clutch and a hi performance plate will be harder to press in.
bingo

you could even remove the entire line from the cmc to the slave cylinder and test the pressure to make sure it's properly bled. But The only thing left would be the pressure plate if the clutch line assembly is good.
 

InTheZoneAC

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I live and LA and I just replaced my clutch, cylinder the works at the VIPER specialist shop called SPT and let me say this - you don't have a problem, my clutch went from being hard as a rock to being soft. Don't bang your head over it, enjoy it
a different pressure plate could cause a softer pedal, but it should NEVER feel different with the same parts in the same conditions.
 

USA car guy

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Pulled my tranny and had it rebuilt. Prior to that had mushy clutch with heat build up. Heat shield wrapped the line and fixed that problem. When I put the car back together, I tried everything to get the clutch working properly again. Two person and vacuum bleeding. Beat my head against the wall. Finally succumb to taking it to a local speed shop. Pressure plate was the whole problem. I am inclined to think this goes back to PSI plate. (Embarrassing thing about mine was trash in the flywheel bolt holes had kept mine from seating down properly. I torqued them to spec but the trash messed it up where it wasn’t going to work properly.) Sorry for the super long post, but this is my two cents.
 

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