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[terry paget]

Haynes does not mention any angle tightening bolts in the clutch section, Al. Are you talking DMF bolts?

[05omegav6]

Haynes does not mention any angle tightening bolts in the clutch section, Al. Are you talking DMF bolts?

Yup

[terry paget]

I see lots of Omega clutch slave cylinders on e-bay and google; both petrol and diesel seem to be the same. Some come with bearing, presumably clutch thrust bearing. I have never had one fail before. Have any other members suffered this failure?

[terry paget]

.... There is a small gap at the bottom of the bell housing, and there is a damp patch there. Could it be clutch slave cylinder? I read that the concentric slave cylinders were bullet proof. I have mopped up around the hole and topped up the master cylinder again. Could it be clutch master cylinder, where would that leak to?

If you have brake fluid at the bottom of the bell housing I reckon you've found your leak. Never had a manual, but I think the master cylinder is above the pedal, which would make the fluid leak into the footwell somewhere 

I have found the clutch master cylinder. It is under the bonnet, behind the brake servo. I remember when I changed the clutch on my 3.2 last year I had to unplug the clutch hydraulic pipe to release the gearbox. It is under the scuttle . I can see it - it is not leaking. I am now confident my fluid leak is from the clutch slave cylinder.

[05omegav6]

I see lots of Omega clutch slave cylinders on e-bay and google; both petrol and diesel seem to be the same. Some come with bearing, presumably clutch thrust bearing. I have never had one fail before. Have any other members suffered this failure?

Yup... first 3.2 had had a new clutch at some point between Devon and Cornwall and me buying it from the trader that bought it straight from service...

Bearing started of being a bit whiny in slow traffic before getting worse. It eventually exploded about 5 miles from first whine

In doing so it cracked the slave, broke several fingers on the pressure plate before punching the drive plate into the flywheel taking chunks out of that as well. Had that car repaired at Vauxhall... £1,300 inc vat bill, £800 ex vat was the flywheel.

As a result, I always change everything... the slave, the bearing, the pressure plate and the drive plate

[terry paget]

Thanks Al. Good advice, and I expect I shall follow it. It just goes against the grain to spend more on the parts than the car cost me. The car is tatty in appearance, and the rear windows do not open, yet I like the car. It is sweet to drive and the sound system is excellent.

[terry paget]

My intention was to enquire whether anyone has suffered a leaking clutch slave cylinder, with no symptons other than fluid loss. This is my first.

[05omegav6]

I have, but on a Seat... symptoms are limited to a gradually crunchy gearchange after a cruise... ie slowing to a junction coming off a motorway slip road. The becomes worse as you are less able to put pressure into the slave causing you to pump the pedal just to change gear.

Ultimately, the pedal drops to the floor... changing gear is still possible, but relies on starting in gear and feathering the throttle to hit the correct rpms to change gears... actually quite satisfying when you get it right. Slave will only leak when you use it... so you could save it for starting off and emergencies in the short term

[terry paget]

I have, but on a Seat... symptoms are limited to a gradually crunchy gearchange after a cruise... ie slowing to a junction coming off a motorway slip road. The becomes worse as you are less able to put pressure into the slave causing you to pump the pedal just to change gear.

Ultimately, the pedal drops to the floor... changing gear is still possible, but relies on starting in gear and feathering the throttle to hit the correct rpms to change gears... actually quite satisfying when you get it right. Slave will only leak when you use it... so you could save it for starting off and emergencies in the short term

I have had a couple of cars whose hydraulic clutches failed; what went was the pressed steel lever linking the external slave cylinder to the thrust bearing. Lever cracked at the pivot. The cars were still driveable as you describe. What you cannot do is a hill start; this requires forward planning. I was once at Wallingford with a Peugeot 505 family estate full of relations when the clutch arm failed. I did not tell them and drove home to Somerset without a clutch; no-one noticed.

On this Omega the clutch is still working normally, but I am losing brake fluid and the loss appears to stop when the fluid level reached the bottom of the pipe to clutch. Something is dripping out of the bell housing, looks like brake fluid. Maybe what has failed is the coil of pipe to the slave, not the slave, but either way I need to remove the bell housing to investigate. Once there it would be daft not to replace all the clutch components, car is 15 years and 150,000 miles old.

[05omegav6]

Sounds like a plan...

Incidentally, that is precisely why the clutch feed is above the brake fluid minimum level... An undetected brake leak will disable the clutch long before the lack of brakes kills you...

[terry paget]

Struggling to remove the gear lever bottom cover without damage. It's not the same as the 3.2. Pic follows I hope.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8atisz1x387gvya/gearLEVERlowerCOVER70%25.jpg?dl=0

[05omegav6]

Looks like both 3.2s I have done clutches on...

Centre flat part pulls down and the whole clip hypothetically pulls straight out... I say hypothetically because you will invariably break it (shit design which doesn't age well).

Clips can be replaced by cable ties if they do disintegrate on removal

[terry paget]

Now I see it. The tongue is a puller outer. I got rough with it and they all ame out without damage, though I lost one for a while. Pic follows if you are interested.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/by9gh1mwezmposd/gearLEVclip70%25.jpg?dl=0

[05omegav6]

Once rubber boot is off, two spring clips and a metal rod is all that connects the linkage to the gear lever... Two bolts hold the bracket to the top of the box (13mm and a long extension from memory)

[terry paget]

Thanks for your help Al. This pic shows the clips I expected, as on my 3.2.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jwkrlb4nlv622vd/3.2leverGAITER.70%25.JPG?dl=0