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Sun Nov 17, 2013 6:56 am

Yesterday I noticed that the clutch was VERY soft and didn't engage until 3/4 of the way to the floor. I pulled the instrument cluster and the brake fluid reservoir was half empty. I checked under the van and looked for leaks but didn't find any right off the bat. I then had the wife engage the clutch and the slave cylinder seemed to actuate as designed. I then pressed lightly on the side of the slave cylinder boot and fluid (a fair amount) came out of the bottom of the boot.

Couple questions:
1. Is my clutch slave cylinder bad?
2. If the answer to (1.) is yes; is there anything else I need to replace when I replace the slave?
3. Is replacing the slave a fairly easy job or should I just take it to the mechanic?

I'm fairly good mechanically but time is limited.

Thank you,
David

Sun Nov 17, 2013 7:05 am

replacing the slave cylinder is not a technically hard job, its just a pain because of the location. i would replace it if its leaking. they arent expensive. The clutch system takes fluid from the brake master cylinder reservoir at a braided hose on the side. If the fluid level drops below that hose, air will be sucked into the system. a dry seal in a hydraulic cylinder will cause leaks like yours. i would also check the clutch master cylinder for leaks.

Sun Nov 17, 2013 7:07 am

Thank you NavyVW

Dang I didn't realize there was a clutch Master and Slave. I am looking at the cylinder on the drivers side of the transmission. Is this Master or Slave? Where is the other :D

Sun Nov 17, 2013 7:15 am

NM I found it. it is dry as a bone...no leaks there.

Sun Nov 17, 2013 7:15 am

you are looking at the slave cylinder. the master cylinder is above the clutch pedal. you have to squirm in there and you can see it with a flashlight (use a mirror if handy). you'll notice the hose comes off the reservoir and goes down to the master cylinder. the pedal pushes a pushrod to actuate the master cylinder which actuates the slave cylinder.

Sun Nov 17, 2013 8:49 am

This is entirely up to you, but you may want to bleed the old slave first. When I replaced mine and then bled my new shiny slave, the old fluid was black. Kind of bummed me out to take a new unit and bleed all that crap through until new clean fluid came out.

Probably has no effect, but sure did not make me feel great about it.

Sun Nov 17, 2013 9:55 am

vanagonjr wrote: This is entirely up to you, but you may want to bleed the old slave first. When I replaced mine and then bled my new shiny slave, the old fluid was black. Kind of bummed me out to take a new unit and bleed all that crap through until new clean fluid came out.

Probably has no effect, but sure did not make me feel great about it. good advice here. bleed the old stuff through the old cylinder so that you are only introducing new clean fluid to the new cylinder.

Fri Jun 12, 2015 11:12 am

How long of a job is it and can it be all bleed out with one person...My extra help is limited.

Fri Jun 12, 2015 5:54 pm

It takes about one hour to replace both the clutch master cylinder and the slave cylinder if the slave is not rusted into place and to bleed the system without a helper. (A syncro slave is harder to replace).

I recommend that you replace both the master and slave if only the slave was leaking, mainly because the master usually craps out shortly after you replace the slave cylinder.

You can bleed the system easily yourself if you lift the front of the van or drive the front wheels onto ramps. Place a clear hose over the slave bleed nipple, open it up, place the end of the hose in a clear container with brake fluid just covering the bottom of the bleed hose. Now pump away, add brake fluid to the reservoir as necessary, and close the bleeder to check if your clutch operates. Raising the front of the van ensures that the master cylinder and the reservoir are both higher than the slave, forcing any air out. Thankfully, the slave bleeder nipple is actually at the highest point on the item needing bleeding - - a rare occurrence in a VW.

Fri Jun 12, 2015 10:22 pm

Here is my experience with the clutch slave and no issues with the master. In short the German brand failed in 2 years and the cheap one has now lasted 3 years with no issues.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=503226&highlight=slave

Sat Jun 13, 2015 4:22 am

You can also bleed it using a 2x4 or similar piece of wood long enough to fit between the clutch pedal when fully pushed down and seat box.
Pump the pedal down and put the wood in place to hold it down.
Then go to the slave cylinder and open the bleed port to release the pressure and close it. A clear bleeding tube on the bleed port running down to a container to catch the fluid lets you see the fluid that comes out.
I like this method better as you are flushing out the old fluid.

Sat Jun 13, 2015 3:05 pm

Steve M. wrote: You can also bleed it using a 2x4 or similar piece of wood long enough to fit between the clutch pedal when fully pushed down and seat box.
Pump the pedal down and put the wood in place to hold it down.
Then go to the slave cylinder and open the bleed port to release the pressure and close it. A clear bleeding tube on the bleed port running down to a container to catch the fluid lets you see the fluid that comes out.
I like this method better as you are flushing out the old fluid.

That's how I do it most of the time. The lady of the house doesn't like to be tasked with such things as putting her foot on the pedal and pumping a few times. :roll: