Honda Car Forum

Hello,

While doing a minor service, my mechanic found that the master clutch
cylinder (is that the right terminology?) is leaking and needs to be
replaced.

How common is this failure? The car has only 86k miles on it. Also,
what would cause the leak to occur, simple wear & tear or driver's
action?

Thank you.

gigelus2k3 wrote:
> Hello,
>
> While doing a minor service, my mechanic found that the master clutch
> cylinder (is that the right terminology?) is leaking and needs to be
> replaced.
>
> How common is this failure? The car has only 86k miles on it. Also,
> what would cause the leak to occur, simple wear & tear or driver's
> action?
>
> Thank you.

---------------------------------

It _can_ be caused by somebody doing a careless job of bleeding the
brakes. Some will tell you it can't happen. They sometimes fail for no
reason, but yours is LOW mileage.

'Curly'

motsco_ <motsco_@interbaun.com> wrote in
news:13eehldblr1k297@corp.supernews.com:

> gigelus2k3 wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> While doing a minor service, my mechanic found that the master clutch
>> cylinder (is that the right terminology?) is leaking and needs to be
>> replaced.
>>
>> How common is this failure? The car has only 86k miles on it. Also,
>> what would cause the leak to occur, simple wear & tear or driver's
>> action?
>>
>> Thank you.
>
> ---------------------------------
>
> It _can_ be caused by somebody doing a careless job of bleeding the
> brakes. Some will tell you it can't happen. They sometimes fail for no
> reason, but yours is LOW mileage.
>
> 'Curly'
>

what does brake bleeding have to do with a CLUTCH master cylinder?

hydraulic fluid can absorb moisture and that can cause corrosion in the
aluminum bore of the master cylinder,which wears out the piston seal.
(neoprene plastic?)
I suspect changing the fluid every 5 years might make a difference.

I suppose that the number of times the clutch pedal is operated matters for
seal wear,too. stop n go driving makes you use the clutch a lot more than
cruising mode.

My 94 Integra GS-R needed a clutch master cylinder fairly early in
mileage,but only after ~8 of years of driving.It also needed a brake
master cylinder a couple of years later.(my car only had 59K miles when it
was stolen,stripped and torched in Jun29-07)

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

gigelus2k3 <popescu.serban@gmail.com> wrote in
news:1189540072.238070.109060@i13g2000prf.googlegr oups.com:

> Hello,
>
> While doing a minor service, my mechanic found that the master clutch
> cylinder (is that the right terminology?)


Yes, but I would rearrange that to say that the "clutch master cylinder" is
leaking.

Grammatically, the subject is the "clutch", while the object is the "master
cylinder".


> is leaking and needs to be
> replaced.
>
> How common is this failure? The car has only 86k miles on it. Also,
> what would cause the leak to occur, simple wear & tear or driver's
> action?


Both, actually.

If you've never changed the fluid, the seals will wear out in jig time.

If you spend lots of time in city traffic, the pedal gets a lot of pumps,
and each pump is one more scrape of seals against cylinder wall, and thus
that much more wear.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Jim Yanik wrote:
> motsco_ <motsco_@interbaun.com> wrote in
> news:13eehldblr1k297@corp.supernews.com:
>
>> gigelus2k3 wrote:
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> While doing a minor service, my mechanic found that the master clutch
>>> cylinder (is that the right terminology?) is leaking and needs to be
>>> replaced.
>>>
>>> How common is this failure? The car has only 86k miles on it. Also,
>>> what would cause the leak to occur, simple wear & tear or driver's
>>> action?
>>>
>>> Thank you.
>> ---------------------------------
>>
>> It _can_ be caused by somebody doing a careless job of bleeding the
>> brakes. Some will tell you it can't happen. They sometimes fail for no
>> reason, but yours is LOW mileage.
>>
>> 'Curly'
>>
>
> what does brake bleeding have to do with a CLUTCH master cylinder?
>
-------------------------------

Good point. I was picturing the master BRAKE cylinder.

'Curly'

Tegger <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in
news:Xns99A8E320E6AC8tegger@207.14.116.130:

> gigelus2k3 <popescu.serban@gmail.com> wrote in
> news:1189540072.238070.109060@i13g2000prf.googlegr oups.com:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> While doing a minor service, my mechanic found that the master clutch
>> cylinder (is that the right terminology?)
>
>
> Yes, but I would rearrange that to say that the "clutch master
> cylinder" is leaking.
>
> Grammatically, the subject is the "clutch", while the object is the
> "master cylinder".
>
>
>> is leaking and needs to be
>> replaced.
>>
>> How common is this failure? The car has only 86k miles on it. Also,
>> what would cause the leak to occur, simple wear & tear or driver's
>> action?
>
>
> Both, actually.
>
> If you've never changed the fluid, the seals will wear out in jig
> time.
>
> If you spend lots of time in city traffic, the pedal gets a lot of
> pumps, and each pump is one more scrape of seals against cylinder
> wall, and thus that much more wear.
>

is there a recommended mileage or # of months for clutch fluid replacement?

I suspect there is for the brakes.(don't have a owner's manual anymore to
refer to)

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

On Sep 12, 6:07 am, Jim Yanik <jya...@abuse.gov> wrote:
> Tegger <teg...@tegger.c0m> wrote innews:Xns99A8E320E6AC8tegger@207.14.116.130:
>
>
>
> > gigelus2k3 <popescu.ser...@gmail.com> wrote in
> >news:1189540072.238070.109060@i13g2000prf.googleg roups.com:
>
> >> Hello,
>
> >> While doing a minor service, my mechanic found that the master clutch
> >> cylinder (is that the right terminology?)
>
> > Yes, but I would rearrange that to say that the "clutch master
> > cylinder" is leaking.
>
> > Grammatically, the subject is the "clutch", while the object is the
> > "master cylinder".
>
> >> is leaking and needs to be
> >> replaced.
>
> >> How common is this failure? The car has only 86k miles on it. Also,
> >> what would cause the leak to occur, simple wear & tear or driver's
> >> action?
>
> > Both, actually.
>
> > If you've never changed the fluid, the seals will wear out in jig
> > time.
>
> > If you spend lots of time in city traffic, the pedal gets a lot of
> > pumps, and each pump is one more scrape of seals against cylinder
> > wall, and thus that much more wear.
>
> is there a recommended mileage or # of months for clutch fluid replacement?
>
> I suspect there is for the brakes.(don't have a owner's manual anymore to
> refer to)
>
> --
> Jim Yanik
> jyanik
> at
> kua.net

I'll check later, but don't remember seeing it in the maintenance list.

Jim Yanik <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote in
news:Xns99A95CDE0ABB6jyanikkuanet@64.209.0.86:


>>
>
> is there a recommended mileage or # of months for clutch fluid
> replacement?
>
> I suspect there is for the brakes.(don't have a owner's manual anymore
> to refer to)
>


Every three years regardless of mileage for both brake and clutch. They are
constructed the same way and use the same fluid.

This interval assumes the use of genuine Honda brake fluid. If you're using
aftermarket fluid (like I do), you need to change it very year.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

gigelus2k3 <popescu.serban@gmail.com> wrote in
news:1189612180.696199.321000@r34g2000hsd.googlegr oups.com:

> On Sep 12, 6:07 am, Jim Yanik <jya...@abuse.gov> wrote:

>>
>> is there a recommended mileage or # of months for clutch fluid
>> replacement?
>>
>> I suspect there is for the brakes.(don't have a owner's manual
>> anymore to refer to)
>>
>
> I'll check later, but don't remember seeing it in the maintenance
> list.
>
>


It's /not/ in there, for some odd reason.

But the brake and clutch mechanisms are the same basic construction and use
the same fluid. The fluids need to be changed at the same time.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

I'll probably get flamed but I have never changed any of the following in my
car:

Brake fluid
Clutch fluid (dealer didn't even flush this when they did the clutch on
warranty at 170000kms)
P/S fluid
Coolant (I did change 1/2 of it when I did my water pump)

I have also been told by more than one Honda dealer that the above are
considered "Lifetime" fluids. I suppose that means that there is no listing
on the maintenance schedule, so do it as needed.

I have changed:

Engine Oil (every 5000-10000kms) - Mobil 1 synthetic since about 80000kms
Tranny Fluid (Manual trannie, every 50000-75000km) - Honda fluid only

I have a 98 Civic LX Sedan 5spd manual with 283000kms on it.

t

gigelus2k3 wrote:
>> >> Hello,
>>
>[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
>> at
>> kua.net
>
>I'll check later, but don't remember seeing it in the maintenance list.

--
Message posted via http://www.carkb.com