1984 2M4 Won't go into gear while running (Page 2/2)
Fienix APR 22, 06:14 PM
Thanks Jon. It looks like just around an inch of slave travel, though I may check again when I have a helper around to press the pedal for me. When I was installing the new pedal, I did have a pretty tough time getting the banjo hole onto the pedal. It was kinda like it wasn't perfectly round, I really had to force it on so maybe it is the banjo after all. It feels like I could be losing about 1/4" or so of actual pedal travel because of the slop.

If I'm going to replace the banjo, would it be worth my time & money to just replace the whole master cylinder with one from Rodney while I'm at it? I have Rodney's slave cylinder already, are you talking about something different with the piston?

UPDATE 6/25/21: After installing new master cylinder w/ adjustable banjo and more bleeding and still no success, took the car to a mechanic who is knowledgeable about Fieros. Will update when he can diagnose the issue.

[This message has been edited by Fienix (edited 06-25-2021).]

Fienix JUL 02, 08:11 PM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:

That's a worse case scenario, and seldom the reason for the problem you're experiencing.

You haven't mentioned how much travel you have at the slave since replacing the clutch pedal.



Unfortunately the worst case scenario ended up being the issue. I was missing a torsion spring.
Patrick JUL 02, 08:18 PM

quote
Originally posted by Fienix:

the worst case scenario ended up being the issue. I was missing a torsion spring.



That's quite unfortunate that the clutch disc was the culprit. Usually, disengagement problems are due to some issue with the hydraulic system.

Thanks for returning and posting what the actual problem turned out to be. Could be helpful info for someone in the future.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 07-02-2021).]

Dennis LaGrua JUL 03, 11:31 AM
The clutch system on a Fiero can be temperamental and as pointed out here on this thread , there are numerous areas that can affect clutch operation. If you are changing the clutch just remember to employ the critical master/slave bleeding process. I would say that you are looking at 8-12 hours of labor. If the master/slave units are original you might want to consider replacing them as well. The sad part of this story is the scoundrel that sold you the car under false pretenses.

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Matthew_Fiero JUL 06, 02:08 PM
It's possible the PO assumed it needed bleeding only. Would the only way to tell if a torsion spring was missing be a visual inspection? If so I don't see anyone re-mating the bellhousing without repairing the clutch.
Fienix JUL 06, 07:38 PM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:

That's quite unfortunate that the clutch disc was the culprit. Usually, disengagement problems are due to some issue with the hydraulic system.

Thanks for returning and posting what the actual problem turned out to be. Could be helpful info for someone in the future.




That's my hope, that maybe my trial and error will be helpful to someone else down the line. Previous threads on this issue were very helpful to me when I was trying to figure out what was going on.


quote
Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua:

The clutch system on a Fiero can be temperamental and as pointed out here on this thread, there are numerous areas that can affect clutch operation. If you are changing the clutch just remember to employ the critical master/slave bleeding process. I would say that you are looking at 8-12 hours of labor. If the master/slave units are original you might want to consider replacing them as well. The sad part of this story is the scoundrel that sold you the car under false pretenses.




I already swapped out the master and slave for Rodney's replacements so that's sorted. I'm paying someone with Fiero experience to replace the clutch for me, that's a little above my ability. As Matthew_Fiero said, it's possible he didn't know this was going on. My first reaction was to feel ripped off too, but I think the car had been in storage for a while before I bought it so I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. I don't think you'd be able to diagnose this without pulling the clutch apart.
Dennis LaGrua JUL 08, 10:59 AM

quote
Originally posted by Matthew_Fiero:

It's possible the PO assumed it needed bleeding only. Would the only way to tell if a torsion spring was missing be a visual inspection? If so I don't see anyone re-mating the bellhousing without repairing the clutch.



Yes this could be an honest mistake but when you sell a car, I don't believe "assuming"is the correct way to describe a problem. IMO what the seller should have said is " I'm not sure what the problem is" The purchaser is now faced with an expensive repair by the sellers assumption.
Matthew_Fiero JUL 08, 12:31 PM

quote
Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua:


Yes this could be an honest mistake but when you sell a car, I don't believe "assuming"is the correct way to describe a problem. IMO what the seller should have said is " I'm not sure what the problem is" The purchaser is now faced with an expensive repair by the sellers assumption.



Now that I think of it my first Fiero (and car) was sold to me under the exact same problem. Just needs a clutch bleed! 3 years later I had it on the road...no idea if he knew or not. He changed his number after selling me the car lol.
fierofool JUL 08, 04:53 PM
The 84 has an entirely different slave cylinder than all other year Fieros, but it works the same. I read that you jacked up the driver's side of the car, but where did you jack it? At the factory jack point at the back of the door? That's not the best place.

With a floor jack, go underneath, just behind the left front wheel and jack on the subframe structure, just enough to lift the front wheel off the ground. Remove the master reservoir cap and fill the reservoir to the top. Now, go to the rear and open the slave bleeder valve and let the fluid run. With a heavy tool, rap on the side of the slave a few times to break loose any air bubbles stuck toward the pushrod end of the slave. Keep watch on the master and when it nears empty, fill it to the top again. Go back to the rear and rap on the slave some more until you see no bubbles coming out of the bleeder. Top off the reservoir one more time, rap on the slave, and when the fluid level reaches the full mark, close the bleeder. If the problem is air in the line, this will solve that issue. It's a one person operation and the pedal shouldn't be pumped with this method.

Have someone operate the clutch pedal while you observe the slave cylinder. If the slave moves around, it may be that one of the mounting bolts is loose or broken. I have found that on at least one car.

Also, if not already mentioned, be sure that the curl of the master cylinder banjo rod is turned upward. As novices to the Fiero, we tend to turn the curl downward, causing the issues you're experiencing. The correct position is shown in the link to BuddyCraigg's thread.