I have an '82. I recently replaced the clutch master cylinder and subsequently the slave cylinder. I can now drive the car again ... woohoo!!!

But I notice that the engagement point seems to be higher than before, something like and inch and a half or so from the top of the pedal. I don't remember where the master cylinder push rod was set before the replacement. Right now it is set where the service manual says, around a tenth of an inch of free travel.

Looking at the manual, it looks like I can change the pedal height (and push rod) to make it feel lower. I am not sure how much yet.

Before messing around with it, I have a couple questions:

Where should the engagement point be with factory push rod free travel? I am wondering how much clutch I have left. It is not slipping. Just curious. As a clutch wears out, does it move closer to the top of the pedal?

 

yes, as a clutch wears the engagement gets higher and higher and the clutch doesnt necessarily have to be slipping as a sign of it being old and fairly worn. Ive seen clutches that work fine right up until they die completely. if you adjust your pushrod to spec and it still feels to high then its probably the clutch, pressure plate and flywheel all wearing. leaking slave and masters can cause similar symptoms but you replaced that stuff already.

 

u can adjust the rod at the pedal to suit how u like it. i don't go by factory adjustment, i make it how i like it. the clutch disc wear has nothing to do with where the pedal is in relation to the floor when the disc starts to grab. that used to be true with the old cable style clutches back i the old days. the slippage could be somewhat adjusted out in those. there is no adjustment like that with the hydraulic systems now. it changed because u put new cylinders on it. the only adjustment u have is free play between engaged and disengaged which determines how far off the floor the pedal is before it starts to grab. and the pressure plate and flywheel doesn't wear, they're metal. the disc is what wears. that's like saying ur brake rotors wear when the pads wear. but the pads will wear the rotors if u let them get down to metal on metal.

 

Well you're right to an extent that the disc wears, but the flywheel and the PP also wear to some degree. Brake rotors also wear. Why do you think brake rotors can only be turned once or twice before they're out of spec? Even if a brake pad doesn't get down to metal on metal the rotor has still undergone some material loss. Going by your theory, assuming you never get to metal on metal with your brakes you cound indefinitely use the same set of rotors!

 

i've worked off and on for several yrs in auto repair. brake shops turn rotors and drums when doing brake jobs as part of the warranty to remove glazing or warpage to keep them running true, otherwise they wont warrenty any work done. and some shops will refuse if u want them to just replace the pads and nothing else. i couldn't tell u how many times i've replaced pads without turning the rotors, just because it's not always necessary. unless there's a pulsing feeling in the pedal when the brakes are applied. these shops are in business to make money. and the more work or parts they can sell, the more money they can make. there was this one time at a place i worked this lady brought her car in for an oil change. the car was like 10 yrs old and that's all i did to it. the forman later talked to me about it saying a 10 yr old car had to need more than just an oil change and that i need to find other things these cars needed. later they let me go cause i wasn't doing enough work on these cars to cover my pay.

 

Okay. Sounds like the clutch system is working as well as it is going to. Thanks for the info.

 

I'm not trying to ostracize you or anything of that sort, I just want to inform you that you're thinking is slightly flawed. While you are right that it is rather debatable whether some rotors really need turning if they are within spec, many shops do it for liability and sale reasons. But, the pad material does wear out the rotor. The pad is basically like having a sanding block on the metal, this is why the rotors warp and glaze is because the metal is reaching a high enough temperature to weaken the metal's structure. This temperature is caused by friction of the pad material rubbing against the metal rotor. And now you know and knowing is half the battle!