How to tell if the Hydrolic Slave Cylinder or Clutch needing repair?? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

OverRunWithSons · 04-28-2007, 01:14 PM

I am the wife asking for my husband, we have an '88 Suburban with manual tranny, he did change the Master cylinder about a year ago or more in it. Now he thinks/hopes he only has to change the Slave cylinder on it. This is what has been happening.... Been slowing getting worse over a few months.... It changes into gears fine, it is when you go to put your foot on the gas, you can hear the motor raoring and lacking power, it does this with all the gears (I think). How to know when it is a Slave problem Vs. a Need a whole new clutch problem? Where should be start in fixing? Thanks, love this board for advice.

rcbildr · 04-30-2007, 04:45 AM

If you are able to shift gears fine and without any grinding, I would think the clutch hydraulics are fine. It sounds to me like your clutch needs to be replaced.

OverRunWithSons · 04-30-2007, 02:50 PM

Yes, it shifts fine , no grinding, My husband just is hoping it is the Slave -he says something is leaking under there, like one of those. He bought the parts, didnt get to it yet.. SOunds like he will have to replace that plus the clutch. I'll be designated to be the helper, not looking forward to this. Thanks

rcbildr · 04-30-2007, 05:14 PM

I had a similar situation with an 84 Ford Ranger. I knew the clutch was good, but the hydraulics were leaking and bleeding off pressure. Sometimes this would happen at a stop light and it would take me a minute to pump it up enough to work.

I also get to do the same thing with my Suburban. When I converted it to a manual (as far as I know diesel burbs only came with automatics), all I had available was the mechanical linkage. Around new years the throwout bearing/clutch fork seized up so Ihad to drop the tranny to fix that. A few days later something else went wrong and now I have to drop the tranny again. I think something broke on the pressure plate because I don't get full travel from the pedal and it is 100 times harder to move than before. When I drop the tranny this time, I am going to replace the clutch and get rid of the linkages...I have most of the parts to convert it to a hydraulic set up. Then I get to take it to a tranny shop and find out what the rattling noise is at 60mph...which means I will probably have to drop the tranny again.

Sorry for the rambling. Hope you get your truck fixed.

OverRunWithSons · 05-02-2007, 11:23 AM

He is now in process of changing this CLutch, he is a little worried he might have to get into taking the muffler off, the hard part of the muffler, I can not remember what he called it--but would make the job considerably longer and more difficult & worried about getting it back on without braking it. Does any of you know if changing the clutch in a '88 suburban requires involving any part of the muffler's difficult area?

04-28-2007, 01:14 PM	#1
OverRunWithSons Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: PA Posts: 121	How to tell if the Hydrolic Slave Cylinder or Clutch needing repair?? I am the wife asking for my husband, we have an '88 Suburban with manual tranny, he did change the Master cylinder about a year ago or more in it. Now he thinks/hopes he only has to change the Slave cylinder on it. This is what has been happening.... Been slowing getting worse over a few months.... It changes into gears fine, it is when you go to put your foot on the gas, you can hear the motor raoring and lacking power, it does this with all the gears (I think). How to know when it is a Slave problem Vs. a Need a whole new clutch problem? Where should be start in fixing? Thanks, love this board for advice.

04-30-2007, 04:45 AM	#2
rcbildr Registered User Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Gold Bar, WA Posts: 1,216	Re: How to tell if the Hydrolic Slave Cylinder or Clutch needing repair?? If you are able to shift gears fine and without any grinding, I would think the clutch hydraulics are fine. It sounds to me like your clutch needs to be replaced. __________________ My Projects: 1960 GMC 1/2ton with 305 V6 (daily driver) 1963 Chevy 1/2ton 2wd...converting to 4x4 1967 Suburban 1/2ton 2wd My Girlfriends Projects 1985 Chevy Suburban 3/4ton 4x4 with 6.2L diesel, 4" lift, converted to TH-400, Warn Premium manual hubs, & Wildcat 315/75/R16 tires. (daily driver) 1978 Camaro Type LT with a Marine 350 & vortec heads, Rochester Carb, & roller cam 1978 Camaro Z28

04-30-2007, 02:50 PM	#3
OverRunWithSons Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: PA Posts: 121	Re: How to tell if the Hydrolic Slave Cylinder or Clutch needing repair?? Yes, it shifts fine , no grinding, My husband just is hoping it is the Slave -he says something is leaking under there, like one of those. He bought the parts, didnt get to it yet.. SOunds like he will have to replace that plus the clutch. I'll be designated to be the helper, not looking forward to this. Thanks

04-30-2007, 05:14 PM	#4
rcbildr Registered User Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Gold Bar, WA Posts: 1,216	Re: How to tell if the Hydrolic Slave Cylinder or Clutch needing repair?? I had a similar situation with an 84 Ford Ranger. I knew the clutch was good, but the hydraulics were leaking and bleeding off pressure. Sometimes this would happen at a stop light and it would take me a minute to pump it up enough to work. I also get to do the same thing with my Suburban. When I converted it to a manual (as far as I know diesel burbs only came with automatics), all I had available was the mechanical linkage. Around new years the throwout bearing/clutch fork seized up so Ihad to drop the tranny to fix that. A few days later something else went wrong and now I have to drop the tranny again. I think something broke on the pressure plate because I don't get full travel from the pedal and it is 100 times harder to move than before. When I drop the tranny this time, I am going to replace the clutch and get rid of the linkages...I have most of the parts to convert it to a hydraulic set up. Then I get to take it to a tranny shop and find out what the rattling noise is at 60mph...which means I will probably have to drop the tranny again. Sorry for the rambling. Hope you get your truck fixed. __________________ My Projects: 1960 GMC 1/2ton with 305 V6 (daily driver) 1963 Chevy 1/2ton 2wd...converting to 4x4 1967 Suburban 1/2ton 2wd My Girlfriends Projects 1985 Chevy Suburban 3/4ton 4x4 with 6.2L diesel, 4" lift, converted to TH-400, Warn Premium manual hubs, & Wildcat 315/75/R16 tires. (daily driver) 1978 Camaro Type LT with a Marine 350 & vortec heads, Rochester Carb, & roller cam 1978 Camaro Z28 Last edited by rcbildr; 04-30-2007 at 05:14 PM.

05-02-2007, 11:23 AM	#5
OverRunWithSons Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: PA Posts: 121	Re: How to tell if the Hydrolic Slave Cylinder or Clutch needing repair?? He is now in process of changing this CLutch, he is a little worried he might have to get into taking the muffler off, the hard part of the muffler, I can not remember what he called it--but would make the job considerably longer and more difficult & worried about getting it back on without braking it. Does any of you know if changing the clutch in a '88 suburban requires involving any part of the muffler's difficult area?



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