QUESTION
Just recently I have started to develop a clutch issue you might be able to shed some light for me.
Pedal pressure and general driving seems fine but (maybe) once out of 10 I will change down to turn a corner or roundabout and lose pedal pressure.
It recovers straight away and off I go, no gear crunching and pedal returns to normal.
I have checked fluid level and is fine (although cloudy and in need of a bleed I guess).
I am thinking slave / master cylinder sticking but it only seems to occur under braking and into 2nd gear.
Main question, is it something a local clutch / brake specialist can deal with, either a rebuild or replacement of master / slave.
With replacement, are replacements in supply or something you can get in stock?
D.M. - Frankston
ANSWER
From your description, this is typical of the foot valve not fully sealing at the bottom of the master cylinder.
For the master cylinder to transfer movement at the slave cylinder, it is necessary to close off the port to the fluid reservoir.
Closing off the opening to reservoir ensures all the fluid pressure is diverted to the slave cylinder so it can disengage the clutch
To cure this problem it is necessary to restore the foot valve sealing integrity.
There are two options to do this -
If the existing master cylinder is in good order, then an overhaul kit can be used to replace worn internal seals.
If the existing master cylinder is in poor condition then install a brand new unit.
Whilst this may appear to be a straight forward task, removing the clutch master cylinder from a Lotus Elan +2 can prove awkward.
The clutch master cylinder is located on a steel pedal box and has to be accessed from the foot-well to remove bolts, clevis and split pin.
From experience, it is wise to remove the complete pedal box assembly and remove the master cylinder on the bench.
Whenever the pedal box is removed, it is wise to replace the weather sealing gasket as this prevent water ingress into the foot-well area.
Lotus Marques stocks all the parts required to carry out this task.
Please see our on-line parts catalogue here
If you are not inclined to tackle this yourself, then this job could be carried out by a local competent workshop if they have access to a Lotus Workshop Manual.
Copyright © 2012 Lotus Marques
Just recently I have started to develop a clutch issue you might be able to shed some light for me.
Pedal pressure and general driving seems fine but (maybe) once out of 10 I will change down to turn a corner or roundabout and lose pedal pressure.
It recovers straight away and off I go, no gear crunching and pedal returns to normal.
I have checked fluid level and is fine (although cloudy and in need of a bleed I guess).
I am thinking slave / master cylinder sticking but it only seems to occur under braking and into 2nd gear.
Main question, is it something a local clutch / brake specialist can deal with, either a rebuild or replacement of master / slave.
With replacement, are replacements in supply or something you can get in stock?
D.M. - Frankston
ANSWER
From your description, this is typical of the foot valve not fully sealing at the bottom of the master cylinder.
For the master cylinder to transfer movement at the slave cylinder, it is necessary to close off the port to the fluid reservoir.
Closing off the opening to reservoir ensures all the fluid pressure is diverted to the slave cylinder so it can disengage the clutch
To cure this problem it is necessary to restore the foot valve sealing integrity.
There are two options to do this -
If the existing master cylinder is in good order, then an overhaul kit can be used to replace worn internal seals.
If the existing master cylinder is in poor condition then install a brand new unit.
Whilst this may appear to be a straight forward task, removing the clutch master cylinder from a Lotus Elan +2 can prove awkward.
The clutch master cylinder is located on a steel pedal box and has to be accessed from the foot-well to remove bolts, clevis and split pin.
From experience, it is wise to remove the complete pedal box assembly and remove the master cylinder on the bench.
Whenever the pedal box is removed, it is wise to replace the weather sealing gasket as this prevent water ingress into the foot-well area.
Lotus Marques stocks all the parts required to carry out this task.
Please see our on-line parts catalogue here
If you are not inclined to tackle this yourself, then this job could be carried out by a local competent workshop if they have access to a Lotus Workshop Manual.
Copyright © 2012 Lotus Marques
