Ok, I've had my Zed less than a week and I've broken her!

 

Snow or not I've been using the car on and off, just getting use to her. I haven't had any problems other than in-roads where there are two tyre tracks and a clump of ice / snow in the middle.

 

Now my Zed has huge back boxes, behind these back boxes there seem to be addition silencers, these rub and catch on the snow. I assume its these catching.

 

Anyway, I was driving along on a clear road when I could hear a rattle, which got increasingly louder. I figured I had knocked loose an exhaust clamp which was now rattling around the exhaust.

 

The rattling / vibrating was making quite a bit of noise now, but I made it home. I pulled into the car park, went to change into reverse which was crunchy and hard to engage, then back into first which almost wouldn't go in.

 

I finally parked but now have a floppy soft pedal and cant enguage any gear. I researched this on the site and have topped up the clutch reservoir, which literally took an inch of fluid. This made no difference, still a floppy pedal.

 

Due to the darkness and cold, not to mention snow and ice, I've only been able to jack the car up and have a quick look, I haven't been able to get under the car yet. I will on Saturday.

 

Thing is I originally thought I'd damaged the slave cylinder or pipes and had leaked all my fluid, but it seems not, that seems fine. So I think I must have damaged something mechanical, probably with snow or ice?

 

I am wondering now whether what I thought was an loose exhaust clamp is actually somehow connected to the loss of clutch?

 

The plan is to get under the car on Saturday, but any help on what to look for or what to do would be appreciated. :)

 

My car is a 2+2 N/A. As far as I know it wasn't converted to manual, its always been manual.

sounds like your slave cylinder may have popped, you'l have to look under the car and see where it goes into the gearbox. Its quite a common thing to fail. or ****ted it on the ice lol.

sounds like your slave cylinder may have popped, you'l have to look under the car and see where it goes into the gearbox. Its quite a common thing to fail. or ****ted it on the ice lol.

 

If it has popped will it show signs of leakage?

Yeah if theres still some in there it would probably have leaked and dripped into a pool beneath the gearbox, or look for wetness and fluid on the slave cylinder itself.

Yeah if theres still some in there it would probably have leaked and dripped into a pool beneath the gearbox, or look for wetness and fluid on the slave cylinder itself.

 

The thing is I bought a litre of fluid thinking I would need to refill the entire system, but it took only an inch before it was full. :confused1:

The rattle could perhaps be the guards on the underneath of the 2 cats, if you have caught them on some ice etc...

The rattle could perhaps be the guards on the underneath of the 2 cats, if you have caught them on some ice etc...

 

I've noticed a large steel tie between both pipes just before the cat, there may be a jubillee clip too...

 

I guess I just need to get under the car instead of guessing everything. Roll on Saturday!

cant offer any help mate but good luck and hopefully its nothing too serious

 

andy

a loss of pedal can only really be caused by a couple of things, loss of fluid or your fork/pivot ball has broken.

Ok, thought I'd write an update.

 

Got under the car and had someone pump the clutch, the slave was moving the clutch leaver, though not a lot.

 

Meanwhile inside the car, in the foot-well behind the clutch; fluid was streaming from the master cylinder....

 

So looks like the seals have gone. There is some pressure getting to the clutch, but not enough to engage a gear. Odd that they should go 3 days after buying the car...hmm, but I don't see how the problem could have been disguised.

 

I don't suppose anyone has a spare lying around, I've noticed there is one for sale in the Sale section, but its for a TT and I have an NA.

 

I'm looking at this and will likely buy it unless someone tells me not to for some reason -

 

http://www.importcarparts.co.uk/parts_info.asp?id=3793&cat=87&sub=126&sec=0&var=0&dc=&gen=&searchKey=

 

I saw a rebuild kit in the US, but they didn't ship internationally.

 

http://www.importcarparts.co.uk/parts_info.asp?id=3793&cat=87&sub=126&sec=0&var=0&dc=&gen=&searchKey=

 

Can't see a problem with that,worth a punt IMHO.-the rattle is worrying tho' did it start the same time as the clutch problem?-does it rattle when stationary?

Can't see a problem with that,worth a punt IMHO.-the rattle is worrying tho' did it start the same time as the clutch problem?-does it rattle when stationary?

 

I think the rattling was an odd piece of pipe attached to the exhaust, part of a bracket. Its difficult to explain. I don't know why its there, but it as hanging off, likely knocked off with snow/ice, so I pushed it back on. I also tightened a jubilee clip and fastening both pipes together. So I'm hoping the rattling is over, but wont know until I get the car moving again.

mjp trader on this site can get the rebuild kit, it`s not pricey and a genuine nissan kit. My new master started leaking after only being on for a couple of years so bought the kit, easy to do.

mjp trader on this site can get the rebuild kit, it`s not pricey and a genuine nissan kit. My new master started leaking after only being on for a couple of years so bought the kit, easy to do.

 

Thanks! I'll email mjp and see if he can get one, beats paying £80! :thumbup1:

Edited December 12, 201015 yr by MasterCookieman

Ok, I have a new master clutch cylinder.

 

I spent hours in the freezing cold trying to get the old one off. I managed to get the nuts off attaching it to the firewall and pulled the cir-clip from the banjo bolt that connects it to the clutch pedal.

 

I just cant get the pipe nut loose from the bottom of the cylinder. I can get a 10mm spanner on it but there is no room to move it, the brake cylinder / servo is in the way. I could try getting to it from underneath the car but I dont think it will make any difference tbh.

 

I'm left with the option of disconnecting it at the slave and pulling it all up through the engine bay, which I'd like to avoid.

 

Any suggestions?

I`d advise using a proper brake hose spanner on the nut. They`re very soft and easy to round off. You only need to crack it off a little then couple more goes and you can undo by hand. Good luck.

Thing is, even if I had one, once I had it on the nut I still wouldn't be able to move it. I've been looking at 'S' spanners but they tend to be ring spanners which isn't any good.

 

Its now snowing again!! If I can get under the Zed tomorrow I may just undo the the slave flexi pipe and pull up the master until I can get it out enough to undo pipe bolt underneath.

 

I just want to drive my car!! Arrrrgh! (Charlie Brown style)

Meanwhile.....

 

I got my master cylinder off today, it was not easy. This might just be the most fiddly annoying job I've ever done on a a car!

 

Anyway, as I couldn't get to the pipe nut at the bottom of the cylinder I was forced to try and disconnect it at the flexi pipe connection under the car. However, even with a proper 10mm brake spanner I still managed to round it off, it simply wasn't budging.

 

I finally managed to disconnect it using every tool known to man and brute force.

 

I removed the bolts from the shield on the firewall and thought it would all pull up through the engine bay. How wrong I was.

 

Long story short the master clutch cylinder is out, after snapping the pipe off and several finger. I've found that its not a single piece of pipe from the master to the flexi pipe, it joins into a weird block connector under the brake master cylinder! So I could have been disconnecting it from there all this time! So now I have to replace two pieces of pipe...

 

My question however, is what's the point of this block connector. It has a larger pipe joining at the back of it? I'm concerned that I may be unintentionally causing other problems elsewhere, letting air into something etc...I don't know.

 

I don't see logically why anything else would be connected between the master and slave clutch cylinders, and definitely not something that needs a pipe that big (about 13mm maybe).

 

I have an NA, so this be be totally foreign to all the TT people?

 

Cheers!

Edited December 29, 201014 yr by MasterCookieman

I found a diagram, which has many blocks and I also have that other bit that comes out into the wing, for bleeding I think.

 

Part 30655 is the block connector I'm refering to, but mine has another bigger pipe going into it, unless that is the bit that goes to the wing.

 

 

http://img716.imageshack.us/i/nissan300zxclutchpiping.jpg

Edited December 29, 201014 yr by MasterCookieman

The reason behind the block is that from there an extra pipe is connected which comes up to the inner wing by the drivers headlight area for bleeding purposes.

 

When replacing the cylinder just make up a single piece of pipe either in copper or in the ones available in flexible pipe, direct from the master to the slave, will work just fine and in my view is easier when bleeding and less hassle.

 

Jeff TT

When replacing the cylinder just make up a single piece of pipe either in copper or in the ones available in flexible pipe, direct from the master to the slave, will work just fine and in my view is easier when bleeding and less hassle.

 

Jeff TT

 

This makes a lot of sense! So bypassing the block wont mess anything else up?

 

Then surely I can get rid of that other bit of bleed pipe in the wing?

You are correct, remove anything not required.

 

Jeff TT

Great, roll on tomorrow.

 

Just one last thing, why is the block there and all the extra pipe if I dont need it?

 

I'm guessing its as the TT has a whole bunch of extra stuff in the wing for the cluch and so they just left it on the NA during the manufacturing process, if you know what I mean.

Just bin it all and get the direct hose. I also got some speed bleeders,,makes bleeding a total doddle.

 

Well, the new cylinder is on. The new pipe is in and connected to the flexi. Shields are back in place and all is bolted together.

 

All I have to do is connect the clutch pedal and put in the fluid, check for leaks and bleed!

 

I finally get to drive my car again tomorrow!!! :)

Edited December 30, 201014 yr by MasterCookieman

I drove my Zed today and it was good! Though still getting used to the insane decibels coming from my huge exhausts.

 

The banjo went back into the clutch pedal fairly easily, the pin / circlip went back in easier than it came out, which was a real surprise.

 

I topped up the master cylinder and let it run through using gravity then bled the master. All is fine there and nothing appears to be leaking.

 

I even had time to change the oil afterwards!

 

Thanks for all the help everyone! :thumbup: