Suite to Master or Slave cylinder question - I have no clutch now

[Radek]

No, I didn't find any leaks.  The brake fluid reservoir is full.
Radek.

>Message: 18
>Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 14:08:09 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Richard J Lebens <rick-l at rocketmail.com>
>Subject: Re: Suite to Master or Slave cylinder question - I have no clutch
>now
>To: quattro at audifans.com

>I have no experience but you didn't say if you were losing fluid.


--- radek at istar.ca wrote:
> Hello listers.
>
> Thanks to all who responded yesterday to my call for help on the
> master/slave cylinder
> question.
> I checked the return spring - it's OK.  I have enough fluid in the
> reservoir.
>
> The clutch failed on my Typ 89 a short time afterwards. On my way
> from work I had to shift
> clutch-less.
> Actually, it's not as hard as I thought, the whole trick is not to
> get stopped. As long as
> you are moving,
> shifting is easy.  Not a single crunch all the way but I came close
> to running a couple of
> lights.
>
> My problem now is this:  how can I tell which part of the system has
> failed?
> My friendly local parts dealer insists that, based on the symptoms I
> described to him,
> it's more likely
> a failure of the clutch mechanism itself (e.g., a realease bearing
> sticking) than of the
> hydraulic system.
> To confirm that, I'd have to remove the transmission (no, not today).
>  So I hope I can get
> some
> diagnostic help from the group, please.
>
> Here are the symptoms:
> First, the clutch pedal would not return fully (would go up about
> half of the way).  If I
> pressed on it,
> there would be resistance  and the clutch would operate normally.  If
> I lifted the pedal
> with my foot
> to the normal position, it would stay there.  If I then pressed on
> it, it would be "empty"
> half way and
> then I could feel normal resistance.
>
> The second thing than happened, the pedal started returning less and
> less, untill finally
> it would not
> return at all.  No clutch.  When lifted to the normal position, it
> would stay there.  When
> pressed, there
> would be no resistance all the way to the floor.  Actually, it felt
> like something was
> pulling it down,
> like vacum or suction.
>
> After remaining undisturbed for the night, the pedal would again show
> some weak resistance
> when being pressed but only for the first time.  The second time I
> pressed it there was no
> resistance
> again.
>
> So my question is:  what failed?  Any hints?  Should I be buying a
> new master cylinder,
> slave cylinder
> or a clutch kit (the clutch was replaced by PO about 60k km (38k
> miles))!
>
> TIA
> Radek
> 88 90Q
> 91 V8Q 5-sp.
>