Birdy don't fly no more....

Scott Long

Registered User
I had to work in Elkhart, IN. today at 5:00 am so I drive down there, work all day. I am heading home and I get to a red light and push the clutch in and POP. Drops to the floor, so I throw it in neutral and push the car during rush hour traffic into a bank parking lot. I call a tow truck. I am pissed. So I get it towed up to the local Ford dealer and get it unloaded. I gotta go up there in the morning and talk to the mechanic who I am requesting do the work.

This is gonna hurt. I have a feeling I'm looking at 4 digits here. I called my work and ordered a new clutch, master cylinder, slave cylinder. I am going to take those parts out there plus my 3.27 gears, new u-joints, 190 lph fuel pump, new strut rod bushing, i'm gonna have them fix the fuel tank leak, also getting new motor mounts and IRS bushings. And I'm having the tranny rebuilt completely. I am so pissed at that car right now if it wasn't paid off I'd be seriously trying to sell it once I get it fixed and I would only fix whats wrong. It was leaking hydraulic fluid but I don't know if it was PS fluid or clutch fluid.

Cost $100 to get it towed up to Benton Harbor. And its sitting inside the garage so no one steals my tv and dvd player out of it. Oh and Micah I know have a black leather MOMO shifter boot in the car.

Any ideas what happened to my car? I think either the master cylinder took a @#%$ or I blew a hydraulic line. Oh well its getting the rebuild from hell. I was on my way to go buy the lowering springs and then go home, I might go in the morning and get the springs and take them out there along w/ my new shocks and have them put on too since the car is gonna be out there. I want it all done now so that the car will be ready for the Morana V6 shootout and carlilse. Then all I need to do is put up my exhaust and install my new blower pulley and I'll be good to go.

The bad news is the new wheels and tires now have to wait, son of a bitch. I was either getting some 20" Chrome Cobra R's or some 18" ASA JS5's. But they will have to wait.
 
Sounds like you blew out the slave cylinder. Same thing happened on my Cougar a few months ago while I was driving. Not much fun trying to navigate in city traffic with no way of disengaging the clutch. I would just have them put in a new slave. If you have the dealer do all the work you are talking about you'll walk out of there with your a$$ in your hands.
 
Damn

You talk to Derek? I called lst week but I did not get a return call. Is he still not wanting to work with us? I hope that's not the case.

Chris
 
Chris, Derek and I talked a few weeks ago. He is more than happy to turn some wrench on the SC. I usually do 99% of my own work but I don't know how to rebuild a 5-speed and I don't have a lift to get the car high enough. I had a hell of a time changing my trans mount yesterday laying under the car w/ it up on jack stands.

Kevin, I'm probably looking at about $2,000 in labor and parts. I'm supplying the parts, but I'm paying them $59.00/hr. for labor. I hate paying someone to do stuff that I have the tools to do, but looks like my lack of a lift forces me to pay this time. Plus I can't set up rear end gears so I guess I gotta "take one for the team" this time.
 
Same thing happened to me, sounds like clutch master cyl...

I was driving home one night back in November. Got home, then I jumped back in my 89 SC to go to the store, got about a mile away, pushed the clutch in to shift to 4th, and "POP" and the clutch went to the floor. My first thought was slave cylinder as well, but generally speaking, hydraulics will give you some sort of warning before they go (i.e. pad pedal feel, loose pedal, etc.). I rolled back home in 1st after getting it started again (while in gear, fun huh?). The first thing I did was look at the slave cylinder under the dash, and low and behold, the ring at the end of the shaft that goes into the clutch master cylinder had popped off the pedal pedestal. It seems the plastic/nylon bushing had worn out and let go. It wasn't fun to change, but much easier than changing the slave cylinder. Doesn't cost that much and can be purchased at most local parts stores.

Hope this helps

Phil
 
Oh...

Scott,

when you see him, ask if he got my message. I was going to get him to do the springs, but Idid not hear back....probabaly just busy.

I went to Ford to pick up my insulators, but I did not see him out there.

Chris
 
It coulda just blew the hydralic line outta the slave cylinder, this happend to me just <i>before</i> I replaced the whole clutch system.
 
Well I was told that I broke something that is part of the clutch pedal bracket. I don't know for certain yet.

I did however by some new parts today...

clutch set, master cylinder, slave cylinder, pilot bearing, tie rod ends, strut rod bushings, fuel filter, fuel pump strainer, and eibach lowering springs.

I dropped off the other stuff at the shop. I took them the springs, shocks, u-joints, fuel pump, 3.27 gears. Tomorrow I'll drop off the clutch set, and all the other parts.

Anyways I've already got about $1000 in parts getting ready to go on my car. Looking at around $2000 for labor. $1100 for the trans rebuild, $400 for the gear swap, plus the other labor. This is gonna put a dent in my bank account. So much for me getting my rims in a few weeks.
 
Chris, I went to Tire Rack today to get the H&R springs, and they said you got the last set and they won't get more till April 3rd. So I bought the Eibachs, but I wanted the H&R's. I paid $263 for them w/ the tax. H&R's were cheaper like $235. Oh well Steve's SC is low w/ the eibachs, and I have 245/50's which will give me more of a drop due to shorter sidewall.
 
I bought some new motor mounts today as well.

I just got back from dropping off another trunk full of parts out at the shop. They had my transmission pulled out already, and the car is on a lift. I pushed the clutch pedal and it was really stiff so I guess they must have fixed whatever I broke on that.

Now I play the waiting game while my mechanic puts all the new parts on my car. And he has at least $1000 in parts sitting on his bench waiting to go on my car. Soon as I get the rest of my exhaust stuff, he'll have that out there as well.

I'm really anxious to get this car back. It will be like driving a whole new car. I'm so used to the messed up trans, bad shocks, etc... now it will shift good, handle great, and have more performance. I want it back so bad!
 
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