I just bought a 1982 280zx, and while bringing it home the clurch pedal fell to the floor. I went to step on it to downshift, and there was no pedal! It was no problem while on the highway, but what a mess once I got into traffic! It looks like there is a little leakage around the reservoir on the clutch master cylinder. What is the first thing that you would suspect as the problem? Is it a failed clutch master cylinder, or a failure in the actuating cylinder, or a problem with the clutch itself?

I was able to drive it by starting it in first, letting the starter get the car rolling, and then timing my shifts with the RPM's. But I also noticed that the car was having problems

I'm new to the z cars, so I need help!!

Nathan

most likely its your clutch master and or slave cylinder. The only way I can see it being the pressure plate is if all the "springs" broke at the same time. replace BOTH master and slave cylinder don't for get to replace the lines also they are most likely cracked and leaking. Good luck and welcome to the club!

Matt-

I don't think it would be the slave cylinder. As I recall, when mine went out, the pedel was fine, but it wouldn't engage. You could just feel it wouldn't ever "grab."

Let me add a piece of info here. The pedal is dead on the floor. It can be brought back to the original position, but it is as limp as a fish when depressed. There is no pressure whatsoever. Also, I began having trouble with the throttle near the end of this misadventure. It felt fuel starved, or like the engine was bogging down, even at 2500 rpms. Could the clutchplates be stuck in some wierd position? How expensive is it to replace the clutch?

First of all top off the clutch master cylinder reservoir, it must be nearly empty and sucking air into the hydraulics. Once you get some fluid in it you should be able to tell where the leak is - master cylinder or slave cylinder. As was previously suggested, replacing both is probably a good idea if they are the same age.

Good Luck

From the description of the problem it might "pedal fell to the floor", it might be worth investigating whether the pin might have fallen out which connects the pedal assembly to the clutch master cylinder, or that the pedal return spring may have become disconnected. Usually when there is a rapid loss of hydraulic fluid, you'll at least get some kind of initial pedal resistance once as the fluid is squirting out of the closed system, i.e. blown master or slave cylinder seals or crack in the hydraulic line.

Mark

Yet another bit of information: I jacked up the car to inspect the slave cylinder, and I found what might be the problem. The lever coming out of the bell housing that the slave cylinder actuates is limp. It flops back and forth. There is no pressure in it at all. Clutches are not my area, so pardon my ignorance here. Could this mean that some type spring system inside the clutch or its parts is busted? I assume that the lever should have pressure coming back towards the slave cylinder???

If someone steps on the clutch peddle (slowly!) see if the slave cyclinder pushes out. If nothing happens then you have a hydralic problem. Now if the piston pushes out then you have some sort of a clutch pressure plate problem. That lever comming out of the trans bell housing is actually a "fork". the fork pushes a throwout bearing into the "springs" of the clutch pressure plate. The only way to find out what is going on with the fork is to pull off the transmition. So make sure that its not the cluch hydrolics so you don't go through all that work if you don't need to.

Matt-