Clutch problems

[CheeTAH]

i have a '71 240Z that was neglected for a while, and when i got it, the brakes were locked, and the clutch had no feel at all. i put fluid in the clutch, still no joy. come to find out the slave cylinder was toast, so i replaced it. no joy. so before i go replacing the master cylinder, i was wondering if there was something i may be missing. i can see the clutch fluid moving around in the master cylinder when i depress the pedal, but i not sure if it is actually working.

oh and one more thing, are the wipers and horns always broken on older Z's? they don't work on my 240, and i have a '79 280zx that they don't work on either. just wondering. thanks.

[hmsports]

I'm sure you checked/replaced the rubber hose that feeds the slave cylinder and bled the slave. The master cylinders are actually quite inexpensive. Make sure to check the adjustment of the nut on the slave cylinder too. Do you see movement down there when someone else presses on the clutch?

[Graeme Suckling]

Horns are probably full of dust/mud/whatever and are hardly worth repairing. Check for horn relay operation first, and power on horn lead. If electricals are ok, ditch the old beepers and fit new ones. In my experience, if the wiper motor actually works, then the wiper shafts may be siezed where they come through the alloy sleeves at the windshield. To verify this, disconnect the mechanical crank at the wiper motor output shaft and try the motor electrically with no mechanical load. If he operates ok then you will need to remove all the wiper mechanism and re-furbish.

MAKE SURE YOU NOTE HOW THE LINKAGES ARE ASSEMBLED BEFORE YOU PULL ANYTHING APART!!!!!!! Remove all the Nissan wire clips holding things together. With patience, CRC/WD40 and some gentle force you can press a galled shaft from the alloy bearing. I then replace all the halfbaked circlips Nissan used with "real" external clips, lube all bearing surfaces with Castrol PH grease and reassemble. All is then well.

Clutch problem is typical. First check that the pedal actually moves the plunger into the master cylinder. If there is no mechanical movement at the slave actuating rod, my suggestion is new slave, new master, new rubber hose and flush well with new, clean hydraulic fluid. Then bleed as appropriate.

These components are not economical to repair - they are throwaway items. Some slaves have the bleed nipple on the LOWEST side of the slave. Not very helpful. If this is your case, just de-mount it from the bell housing, up end to place the bleed nipple at the highest point of the slave, release the bleed nipple and allow the fluid to flow out for a few secs. to burp any air out.

Refit the slave and top up the master. DO NOT PUSH THE CLUTCH PEDAL WITH THE SLAVE DE-MOUNTED.