Clutch Pedal soft, no resistance, does not engage clutch

[Shivam]

Hi I have a 93 Jeep Wrangler my clutch pedal suddenly stopped working. It has become extremely soft and can go all the way down without any resistance, it does come back up again tho.It was working fine when I parked it over night and the next day pressing the clutch pedal does not allow me to engage the clutch and put the car into gear.

I haven't checked for any hydraulic fluid leaks yet but at first sign I did not see any leaks inside the cabin around the clutch pedal and the push rod going from the pedal through the firewall seems to be intact as well.

From what I've read on other posts it seems like the problem could be caused by a failed master cylinder, failed slave cylinder or a failure some where along the linkage system.

Can some one please guide on where I should start to trouble shoot and the steps I should take? I understand it would make sense to check linkage first and look for any leaks. If I don't find a trouble with the linkage how do I trouble shoot the two calenders and know for sure which one it?

Any help and pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Shivam.

 

[Shivam]

So i went back to my Jeep and here's what I observed.

1. I found no leaks any where along the linkage system, master cylinder or the slave cylinder.
2. The reserve for the hydraulic fluid was really low however so I topped it off.
3. When I press on the pedal there's some bubbles that surface up in the reserve tank.
4. The clutch pedal has some resistance, the resistance is not completely gone but it is not nearly as hard as it used to be.
5. The two rods sticking out of the slave cylinder can be moved back and forth, in and out. I am not sure if it's supposed be like this.

So leaks are out of the question since I did not find any. How would I test to see which of the two cylinders has failed??

Thanks again,
Shivam.

 

[SteelHeadz]

I would just replace the Master and Slave cylinder and be done with it.

 

[Nick Mud]

The 93 has an internal slave cylinder. I had to replace mine. WhicH means the trans comes out. Very crappy design. Try to bleed the system first. Top off the fluid and you will need a helper. By the bell housing where the line goes to the linkage there is a bleeder valve just like on your brake system. Open the bleeder, have the helper slowly engage the clutch pedal to the floor. When the pedal is on the floor close the bleeder, top off the fluid and see if you have any pedal. This design is notorious for leaking internally. If you have pedal pressure and the clutch works, keep the fluid topped off. This should buy you some time.

 

[Pilotnut]

I know this is an old post but I figured I'd add my 2 cents as it might help future searchers. I had a similar experience with my 86 CJ7 (manual clutch linkage), the trans would shift in and out of gear fine without the engine running, however once you started the engine the clutch would not disengage the trans. I had minimal clutch pedal pressure. It turned out to be the throw out bearing and preassure plate. If/when a throw out bearing siezes, it will wear through the fingers on the pressure plate in short order thereby rendering the clutch ineffective. A new clutch kit solved the problem.

 

[MikeDumboNYC]

Thanks for the post. I just experienced the same issue re: no resistance on clutch. All worked fine yesterday. When I started my jeep this am, I could not shift into gears - no pressure on the clutch... I am no mechanics so will have to revert to whatever my garage says. How big of a repair is it to install a new clutch kit and / or change master and slave cylinders?

I know this is an old post but I figured I'd add my 2 cents as it might help future searchers. I had a similar experience with my 86 CJ7 (manual clutch linkage), the trans would shift in and out of gear fine without the engine running, however once you started the engine the clutch would not disengage the trans. I had minimal clutch pedal pressure. It turned out to be the throw out bearing and preassure plate. If/when a throw out bearing siezes, it will wear through the fingers on the pressure plate in short order thereby rendering the clutch ineffective. A new clutch kit solved the problem.

 

[Pilotnut]

Be sure to check and eliminate the smaller stuff (slave cylinder, linkage, etc) before you dive into the bigger stuff. Crawl under the jeep while someone depresses the clutch and see if the linkage is moving. A slave cylinder is much easier to do yourself than a complete clutch. A clutch is a pretty big job especially if you are doing it without the benefit of a lift or professional tools (air tools, transmission jack, etc). I did the job on my back in my garage over a few days. With moderate mechanical ability, decent tools and a service manual you should be able to do the job. Search the web for step-by-step articles with pictures, helped me out a lot. If you do decide to bring it to a mechanic, you can expect to pay anywhere from $300-$800 depending on what needs to be replaced.

 

[Pilotnut]

Be sure to check and eliminate the smaller stuff (slave cylinder, linkage, etc) before you dive into the bigger stuff. Crawl under the jeep while someone depresses the clutch and see if the linkage is moving. A slave cylinder is much easier to do yourself than a complete clutch. A clutch is a pretty big job especially if you are doing it without the benefit of a lift or professional tools (air tools, transmission jack, etc). I did the job on my back in my garage over a few days. With moderate mechanical ability, decent tools and a service manual you should be able to do the job. Search the web for step-by-step articles with pictures, helped me out a lot. If you do decide to bring it to a mechanic, you can expect to pay anywhere from $300-$800 depending on what needs to be replaced.

 

[MikeDumboNYC]

Slave cylinder was the issue. Had master cylinder replaced at the same time. Repair cost me $375...

 

[73cj5guy27]

MikeDumbNYC how far does ur fork move when clutch is being pushed.or is all the way to the floor cause even though i have the old school set up mine only moves 1in if that