UKSaabs

My 1997 9000CS 2.3T (RHD) has developed a clutch problem. So far it is still working but...

During my ownership it has always had some play in the clutch pedal, which I am almost sure is down to wear in the link where the pedal joins the actuating rod on the master cylinder. However, it still disengages the clutch properly, despite the resulting low pedal.
Recently, part of the way through the stroke (after the play is taken up and the clutch has started to disengage) the pedal becomes stiffer and remains so through the rest of the travel.

My assumption is that there is a problem with the master cylinder. There are no visible leaks. However, I thought I should canvass opinion before I shell out for a new one as they aren't cheap. I suppose it's possible that there is some blockage in the hose but the problem seems too consistent for that to be the case. I think I would replace the hose anyway to avoid sweeping any mank into the slave cylinder while bleeding. I can knock up a stainless braided one.

So, any other ideas? I'm not using the car at the moment because I don't want to become stranded and I'd like to get it back on the road.

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Sounds logical Bill. Have you considered rebuilding your clutch M/C?

There are some posts on Saab Central from a guy down under that has rebuilt the clutch pivot point. If you can bear their horrid new format on the forum...

What about crud / rust on the input shaft ?. Could be causing the pressure plate to bind. Hence the higher foot pressure needed.

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92 9000 CSE 2.0T TD04
2x 97 9000 Aero's 2.3T.
08 Vauxhall Astra 1.8 Elite

Thanks, Aerohead. While money is tight, so is time. So I'd prefer simply to replace it if it turns out to be faulty, rather than rebuild it and find afterwards that it really needed replacing and have to do it again. It's 22 years and 170-odd thousand miles old now. I did see SaabCentral had changed. Still waiting for Autoguides to respond to my enquiry about advertising there...

Paul, an interesting thought but surely corrosion would only cause the driven plate to bind on the shaft and that wouldn't affect the pressure plate at all. It would simply cause the driven plate to drag even when the pressure plate is compressed, which isn't what is happening.

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It's not the clutch pedal pivot is it?

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Might one day get around to the 234 conversion.

My Aero does something similar, but is unpleasantly stiff.

I want to take the box out at some point and see what is going on inside, so am interested to see how yours develops, Bill.

I owned a '92 Carlsson which needed the master cylinder replaced, significantly younger than yours at 110k. That was done, but less than 2k miles later the slave failed. Apparently the extra pressure of a new master can lead to slave failure. I hope that doesn't happen this time.

It is actually quite quick to remove the M/C and rebuild it, easier than it looks. We did it on my sons after he had had the full clutch kit changed thinking it was that as it was bad and slipping (Stg 3 9k) and it came back worse than it went in. We removed the M/C and found small bits of rubber floating around, presumably from the seals or the flex tube breaking down. We changed the M/C seals and put in a new flex (try Saabits who supplied a nice pink one) and it was massively improved. IIRC it probably took less than a couple of hours without rushing and including pressure bleeding with an Eezibleed.

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Alan

'03 Saab 9-5 2.3t Vector Estate Auto Noob Stg 1
'01 Saab 9-3 2.0t SE Vert
'81 Triumph TR7 DHC

I still don't want to have to do it again if the rebuild doesn't fix it. And I'd like to replace the knackered linkage. I'll also replace the cotter pin.
So no-one thinks it might be the slave cylinder? I can't see it myself.

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Well, I'll look at that. I can disconnect the pedal from the linkage and see if it works smoothly.

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I've had an issue with the clutch pedal bending slightly towards the drivers door - the result is that halfway down it catches the steering column, might be worth a look. Problem is a lot worse when using the uprated Sachs clutch due to the heavy pedal.

Bill,

I had a very heavy clutch pedal on my '97 9000. Finally cured it after I found severe wear on the input rod to the master cylinder where the clevis pin attaches it to the pedal. Replaced with one from a 'spares' car and all was well. If the hole in the yoke wears oval and out of line then the drive direction from the pedal to the M/C changes and the pedal becomes very heavy.

Paul @ Kippen

Paul, Neil, yes there is obviously some wear somewhere so it's worth checking that. I was planning to replace the clevis pin too.

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Unfortunately this Pin was never in the maintenance schedule.
Back when i was running "The Saab Clinic", we used to grease all the pedal linkages on C900 & 9000's at every service.

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92 9000 CSE 2.0T TD04
2x 97 9000 Aero's 2.3T.
08 Vauxhall Astra 1.8 Elite

Thanks, everyone. I have a master cylinder arriving here tomorrow and I'll investigate then with the spare on hand in case it's required. If not I can return it or keep it on the shelf for another customer.
Some time ago I would simply have attacked it, diagnosed it and fixed it but I have so little spare time at the moment I wanted to see if I could narrow it down before starting work on it.

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