Bad clutch master cylinder?

[Cris]

97 Camry V6, 5-speed, I installed a new clutch slave cylinder and I bled it and got a good solid pedal. When I drove it, the pedal still had a good feel but dropped to the floor and it was stuck and I had to pull the pedal up with my foot. I pushed the pedal in again and it was fine and after a few pumps it sank to the floor.

The fluid level in the clutch master cylinder is full and I tried bleeding it again and I got a great solid pedal but after a few pumps it dropped again to the floor. I looked by the clutch pedal and it is dry and in the engine bay I don’t see any fluid by the master cylinder.

Is this symptoms of a bad clutch master cylinder? I don’t know what else would cause this to happen?

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[Its me]

If you are not losing any fluid and the slave was bled properly, then yes… This leads to a bad master cylinder. Just out of curiosity, why did you replace the slave cylinder?

-Karl

[Cris]

I used the Mityvac vacuum pump to bleed the slave cylinder. The original slave cylinder had a leak by the boot. The master cylinder is still at the full mark, and I checked it again by the pedal and master cylinder for leaks and none found.

[Its me]

Try a manual bleed where someone steps on the clutch and someone else opens and closes the Slave cylinder bleed valve (although the vacuum pump should have done everything fine)… If after that, the condition continues, then replace the Master Cylinder. When a Master Cylinder goes bad, the seals allow fluid to go past and will give you what you have.

All the best.

-Karl

[Cris]

I did try a manual bleed and got the same results. When I get the new clutch master cylinder, does it need to be bench bled first before installing?

[Cris]

I got the new clutch master cylinder and how do I remove the line nut that goes to the clutch master cylinder? There is no room at all to get a line wrench on the nut. Does the brake booster need to come off?

[Author]

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