Clutch Problems ZF-6

[jared]

Has anyone clutch got so hard you literally had to stand on it? I don't know whats wrong with mine. The other day the clutch pedal wouln't come back up. It stayed down about half way. And you had to push it to the floor to get it to go in gear. It seems like it only does it after you take off. Not when you slow down for a stop light. Ever since I had my truck it hasn't been nothing but problems. I was wondering if this had to do something with the flywheel or the cluth itself or is it the slave cylinder.

[Jelisfc]

What year is it and how many miles?

If I drive at least an hour on the highway mine will get about twice as hard as normal. After a couple times through the gears it goes away. My clutch fluid is black as sin so I suspect the slave cylinder. Others have cured the problem with a slave replacement. Just like my squeaky clutch pedal it's on my list but none of my issues are big enough to tie it up right now. Your problem sounds serious regardless of the cause.

[johnpugh]

Ditto on what Jelisfc says. Our almost identical trucks seem to be experiencing the same quirks. My clutch gets hard after a long haul in 6th almost twice as hard as normal. Like Jelisfc's truck, a couple pumps on the clutch clears it up.

I suspect yours clutch symptoms are something we others have to look forward to. Maybe your fluid is severly contaminated or burnt, and your slave cylinder is pitted and sticking because of the fluid.

Get it checked out and let us know the verdict.

Yep my clutch pedal squeaks too....

Later

[DieselsRule]

This topic has been around before

My Truck History for the fix

1. Flush & Change Clutch Fluid
2. Wrap Line with Heat Tape, Flsh/Change Fluid
3. New Pressure Plate/Slave Cylinder
4. Install External Aftermarket Trans cooler

Have not taken it for a long drive yet to see if the transcooler fixes the problem.

The couple of Pumps only clears it for a while. Drive it 10 minutes or so back on the highway and it is hard as a rock again. Once I about never got the pedal down as I was approaching a toll booth that was after a two hour interstate ride. Not a good thing.

[MaxRock]

I guess I'm lucky. My truck has almost 50k and I do not have any of the problems y'all are talking about. My only complaint is when the temperature gets above 70o, my pedal squeeks.

jared, I would bring it into the dealer. Something is definetly wrong...

I'm counting my blessings, as long as the dual-mass stays together.

MaxRock

[ 05-15-2003: Message edited by: MaxRock ]</p>

[jared]

My truck has about 27000 on it. Its a 2002. Me and a boy from the dealer took the clutch pedal out about 4 times one night and still couldn't fix the clutch squeek. I finally made a stainless steel pin to fit it on the pivot rod and cut the two guides of where the spring is and its still squeeks a little. Not as much as it did before. Yes the spring will stay on there without those two giudes. I beleive the squeek I got now is where the slave cylinder goes into the pedal. Me and that boy can have the pedal out and a nother one put in in about 20 minutes.

[johnpugh]

My fluid is turning dark too, kinda looks like coffee right now.

Anyway, I decided to check out GM TechLink and see if they have anything posted. I did find an article that relates to the Corvette that states that the discoloration is "normal". It further states that the discoloration is from the carbon black used in the seal manufacturing process. The carbon black is leaching out of the seals. GM says its not a reason to flush the hydraulic system.

Later....

[luvthesmellofdiesel]

My pedal is hard after highway cruising for a few hours too, then loosens right up. Fluid is dark. And definitely the clutch pedal squeaks, hate it! Tried to lubricate it, nothing seems to cure it.

Thanks,
Tim

[srubrn]

luvthesmellofdiesel,

Take a look at my thread called: Clutch fixed!!
Oh I still have the squeak. No hard pedal though.