1998 Mazda B3000 Free play in my clutch

CINCYBNGLS

MEMBER
1998 MAZDA B3000
6 CYL
4WD
MANUAL
185,000 MILES

Hey guys, I was wondering why my clutch has free play in it. It comes and goes very sporadically. It might be nice and tight for a couple of days then all of a sudden, I have like 8 inches of free play in the clutch. I fill they hydraulic fluid reservoir about once a week or so. It really doesn't seem to matter if it is full or not. I don't notice any leaks and a friend of mine who is a mechanic said that the doesn't see any fluid in the tranny. (Never actually took it apart) When the clutch is tight the truck seems to run a lot better. Not as much lifter noise, etc. It just seems like a tighter truck. When the clutch has the free play in it, I have a heck of a time getting it into gear. Thanks for any help you can give me.

3 Replies

JAMES W.

MECHANIC
2,394 POSTS

Your fluid has to be going somewhere. If it's not a the slave cylinder on the transmission, then it has to be master cylinder leaking under the dash on the fire wall. My first suspect would be the master is bypassing.

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Saturday, November 1st, 2008 AT 9:42 PM

CINCYBNGLS

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Is that a pretty big job? What actually does that consist of? And also, why would it keep coming and going like it does?

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Sunday, November 2nd, 2008 AT 1:13 PM

JAMES W.

MECHANIC
2,394 POSTS

No, to change the clutch cylinder is not a big job. Why does it come and go you ask. Sometimes the clutch cylinder will catch a full stroke and sometimes it will bypass. You need to find out where your fluid is going. If you look under the dash there should be a rod coming through the firewall and attaching to the clutch pedal lever. I'm guessing you will see fluid around where the rod comes through the firewall.

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Sunday, November 2nd, 2008 AT 6:09 PM