IAIS

Hey guys, this is my first actual post past the get enough posts going thing.

I live in OKC (south, close to Mustang) and recently purchased a 1982 RX7. It runs (sorta), is in pretty decent shape, but I can't seem to keep it running after the manual choke lets go. My neighbor (who is a 'car' guy) suspects a vacuum leak, but I don't think that is the problem. Of course, I can't come up with a better solution, so as far as I know, he may be correct.

Also, is there an easy way to trace a problem with the clutch master and slave cylinders, or would it just behoove me to get a new master and slave cylinder as well as the lines that run to them? In an attempt to see if fluid would run through the lines, I disconnected the metal line on the front of the master cylinder and hit the pedal once; fluid jumped on out of there, but once I rehooked the line then losened the bleeder nut and pressed the pedal; no dice. I will say this, when I originally started messing with the clutch master cylinder, I used a baster to draw the old liquid out of the reservior and when I got to the bottom, it was nothing but sludge.

Anywho, that's all for now. If any of you can give some professional (or non-professional) advice, or if anyone lives close that could take a looksy, I would surely appreciate it.

Thanks!

gamble302

your hydraulic clutch system probably just needs to be bled at this point since you let air in the system, assuming the parts are still good of course.

i cannot recommend a vacuum pump like this enough for doing any sort of brake/clutch work:
http://www.amazon.com/OEM-25136-Vacu...2939911&sr=8-2

with that thing you no longer have to have someone inside the car pumping, waiting, and so on. just hook the tube up, pump up the vacuum thing by hand, open the nipple and continue pumping until the little reservoir on it is full and close the nipple back up. make sure the fluid reservoir on the clutch/brake master doesn't go dry or you get to start over though... granted it is not a must, but if you do as many brake jobs for friends as i do, you'll thank yourself in the long run. my last one made it 10 years before the handle broke beyond repair.

as for the more involved issue of keeping it running, head on over to the first gen section and post some questions in there. they won't bite :P

IAIS

I didn't say I was having problems with the brakes.

OzzManG149

iTrader: (2)

the brake and clutch are run off the same master cylinder.

j_tso

iTrader: (2)

Your problem could very well be a vacuum leak. If it dies it's a big one and my first guess would be the hose to the anti-afterburn valve. It runs from the intake manifold to carburetor on the rear side. It's subjected to a lot of heat from the exhaust manifold.

the hose should like the one here: http://www.mazdatrix.com/c-5.htm , last item on the bottom of the page.

They're separate on first gens.


They're both hydraulic systems and require bleeding when being worked on.

IAIS

Ok, j. I will check the vacuum hose you mentioned at first light this morning. As for the 'clutch' problem that runs off of it own master cylinder (don't know a whole lot about cars, but I knew it had it's own master cylinder), should I just replace it. And here's the reason I ask...first, I removed it and tried to take it apart. I released the locking pin (washer, ring, whatever one wants to refer to the piece removed by squeezing it together in order to get to the first washer) but could not seem to loosen the thick washer behind it. The car sat for an unmentionable (or unknown) amount of years and basically most of the fluids had thickened or turned to sludge. I would imagine that the fluid here may have deteriorated the plunger, or may be hardened and stuck to the sides of the cylinder itself in which case I would probably not get the correct pressure needed in order to bleed the clutch anyway. What do you think?

Okie-RX7

iTrader: (1)

Try to bleed the clutch, then you will know for sure if you need to replace the slave/master cylinder. If it doesn't build pressure then one of the two is bad and in your case I would just replace both. If they do hold pressure and your worried about the condition of your brake fluid, drain it out of all the lines and refill and re-bleed it.

IAIS

Sounds good. Yeah, I have already tried the whole bleeding process. Looked on line and found that for under $100 I can replace both...there's my after Christmas project. Any suggestions for parts, though?