Clutch went soft so I'm going to change the master cylinder. What is the best way/normal procedure to remove it?

 

I had to change one on a Dodge colt one time, and it was a PITA.

Disconnect the master cyl. shaft from the clutch pedal.
Remove bolts holding master cyl. against firewall.
pull master cyl out, being careful not to spill the brake fluid everywhere (they use brake fluid for the clutch system.. I believe DOT3.)
While your at it, might as well drain all of the old fluid out of the hose.
reverse procedure to re-assemble.
Fill reservoir up with brake fluid (Again, i believe its DOT3, check the manual to be sure)
On the slave cyl. there will be a bleeder valve. Attach some rubber hose to this, and put the end of the rubber hose in a cup that has some brake fluid in it.
Have someone pump the clutch a couple times, then hold the clutch in
Loosten (but dont remove) the bleeder valve. A bunch of dirty brake fluid and air will come out.
Repeat this process as many times as necessary till you have clean brake fluid and no air comes out. You may need to top off the reservoir a couple times till the system is fully bled.
Take it for a test drive and post the results here.

I just went out to look at mine before I hit post, and that thing will be a ***** to remove. Hope your flexible. most of the work will be in the cab, but the reservoir is hanging off of the fuse box under the hood... it'll be a biznatch to do without making a mess.

just my .02 tho. (keep in mind, I have a 2001 4.0L)

 

FYI Brandon
It is not the master that usually causes the soft clutch , but the slave cylinder.
For that you have to drop the transmission.

And Steven , you were close , but no cigar.
First the line connecting to the slave is removed, then the master cyl reservoir is unbolted from the fender.
Remove the connecting rod from under the dash from the clutch pedal , and also the clutch lock-out switch assembly.
Remove the two bolts holding the master to the firewall and wiggle it out into the engine bay (NOTE: Make sure the engine is COLD when you do this)
Pull the master cylinder , reservoir , and hoses all out in on piece.
To disconnect the line from the master that goes to the slave , you need to remove a small round pin where it connects to the master.
Removing the line from the slave takes a very small screwdriver.And patience.

 

Thanks OTR. Like I said, it was an older Dodge colt that I did this on, so a few differences.

 

Ok thanks. What is the best way to reach the cylinder? It looks difficult from underneath the truck

 

In 94-back Rangers, the clutch master cylinder is held in place by two screws.

Starting from 95MY, the clutch MC fits through a hole in the firewall and plugs into a support bracket under the dash and is rotated 1/8 turn at the factory to lock it in place.

To unlock it from the bracket, push the MC toward the rear of the truck and twist it 45 degrees before pulling it into the engine compartment. The removal direction should be counterclockwise as viewed from the driver seat, clockwise as viewed from the engine compartment. (Of course, removal of the MC is done after the clutch push rod and Pedal Position Switch have been disconnected.)

There is an easily torn grommet that seals the body of the MC to the hole in the firewall. It should be removed with the MC.

Later Rangers often have the clutch reservoir clipped to the side of the Power Distribution Box using a plastic push pin.

 

Does the line from the MC to the slave still connect to the MC with an o-ring and pin ?

 

I believe so. It did on my 2003.

 

Ok, so I pull it out into the engine compartment? Looks like it might be easier if I can remove the plastic in the wheel well...I don't think I can get at it from the top or bottom. Is this true?

 

Yes, it comes out into the engine compartment.

Removing the inner fender should make it easier because the CMC is right under the brake booster. You might be able to do it by feel from above but you won't be able to see much.

You could try releasing the lock from the interior but I don't know if you can push rearward hard enough between the firewall and bracket to let it turn the 45 degrees. Haven't tried doing it that way.

Back to the original problem. How do you know that the problem is not in the clutch slave cylinder? They fail way more often than the master does.

 

Ok, I'll give it a shot on monday when the part comes in.

I don't know that it is the master vs. slave, but I have no way of jacking the transmission to change the slave myself so I wanted to go the cheapest route and change the master before bringing it to the shop

 

hey guys, I'm in the middle of doing this...can't seem to figure out how to detach the rod and clutch switch from the cylinder, how is it done??

 

nvm, figured out the clip on the back. Now just have to get that damn pin out...

 

Finally finished this project yesterday, figured I'd give a couple pointers to anyone researching later.

- Taking off the fender made the whole process a lot easier. I didn't see it listed anywhere as part of the procedure, but I really don't see how it can be done without this step

- I made the mistake of not bleeding the new master before connecting it to the slave hose. When I tried to bleed the system several times, it would not work, causing me to have to remove the master all over again.

- An easier way to bleed the master without bench bleeding the entire system (i.e. by disconnecting the slave) is to simply disconnect the slave line so that the master is connected only to the reservoir (before attaching to clutch pedal). Then, with the actuating rod pointing down, depress the rod manually several times and allow fluid to flow through the master (don't do it too fast or it will squirt everywhere). Then, reconnect the slave line.

- After bleeding the master and reconnecting it to the slave and clutch pedal, refill the reservoir and bleed the system by opening the bleeder valve on the slave and then having someone depress the clutch. When the clutch is almost at the floor, close the bleeder valve, and have the other person pump the clutch a few times. Open the bleeder valve and repeat 2-3 times.

This is the procedure I followed and I no longer have trouble shifting into gears, for now anyway. Having never done this before it took me a good 5-6 hours all tolled.

 

not to reanimate a long dead thread BUT>>>>

Anyone ever had trouble with the bleeder valve on the slave cylinder? this SOB won't move to bleed the MC. Any ideas?

 

Try some penetrating oil like pb blaster or deep creap.

 

thank you. I finally got it loose to no avail. had to do a clutch job. running like a champ now

 

My cmc came in two pieces how dose the rod go in to the cylinder do you just push it in

 

I cannot get my rod into the cylinder! What is the trick there? if any. thanx

 

If you two are talking about the rod that goes from the MC to the clutch pedal, it just locks in when you push it. *HOWEVER makes sure you are ready to do so since its a PITA to get it apart.*

 

Hi. Can someone explain why I get a soft clutch pedal intermittently in a 1993 2.3l ranger? The pedal never sticks to the floor. It always comes back up. I do have fluid in the reservoir. when I let off the clutch, the next time I depress the pedal usually it feels normal again. I do see a leak of fluid right approx around the spot of the clutch Mc. Theres no clutch burning smell or slippage. Can someone confirm its a cmc or slave cylinder??