What causes the clutch friction point to change ?

[hungt1999]

I have the 1996 DX, 1.6L, 200,000 km on the original clutch

lately, I have noticed the friction point is getting closer to the floor

what causes the friction to change? If it were clutch material wearing, the friction point should move up, not down right?

the car drives good, the pick-up is good, I don't think I have issue with the clutch slipping. I did the handbrake start test and all is good.

[BDSL]

A few things to check:
- air in your clutch line....bleed your clutch line
- master cylinder
- slave cylinder

[hungt1999]

so if there is air in the system, if I pump the clutch several times and immediately test the friction point, it should be higher (where it used to be) right?

[1jzdreamer]

Originally Posted by hungt1999

so if there is air in the system, if I pump the clutch several times and immediately test the friction point, it should be higher (where it used to be) right?

Probably not. Just best to bleed it. The slave cylinder is on the front of the transmission, looks like so


Same bleeding procedure applies as to brakes. Someone pumps 2-3 strokes, then while holding the pedal to the floor, someone cracks the bleeder screw and then retightens it before giving the instruction to let the pedal go and proceed again. Make sure to watch the level in the resevoir and dont let it run low. Keep topping it up. Do this till the fluid is flushed and clear, I use dot4 brake fluid myself but dot 3 is the stock standard.

[hungt1999]

does the clutch master cylinder needs to be bled as well?

or bleeding the slave cylinder is sufficient to get any air out in the entire system?

[fredricktflail]

You use the slave to do the bleeding on the clutch system. If its not the fluid your clutch disk is probley shot, you do alot of stop and go driveing?

[hungt1999]

I was free during the weekend so I took a couple hours to have a closer look of my car:

1- checked the fluid level: full so no leak here
2- bled the clutch master cylinder. After bleeding, no change in the friction point

3- so I took out the clevis pin from the clutch pedal support and adjusted the travel length of the rod to make the pedal higher.

all is good now, the friction point is about half way up the pedal travel distance, just the way I like it

[torpy]

Hey hungt! I'm glad that you were able to fix your clutch friction point again. I'm not sure if you remember, but I had a similar issue on my corolla.

I followed your recommendations regarding the adjustment of the push-rod and for about a week all was well with the friction point in my 'rolla.

However, I noticed that the friction point has returned to its old position again(high up on the pedal, opposite of your problem).

Now according to your last post, did you just turn/adjust the push-rod again? Or did you make a different change?

[hungt1999]

Originally Posted by torpy

Hey hungt! I'm glad that you were able to fix your clutch friction point again. I'm not sure if you remember, but I had a similar issue on my corolla.

I followed your recommendations regarding the adjustment of the push-rod and for about a week all was well with the friction point in my 'rolla.

However, I noticed that the friction point has returned to its old position again(high up on the pedal, opposite of your problem).

Now according to your last post, did you just turn/adjust the push-rod again? Or did you make a different change?

I took out the clevis pin. Contrary to what I initially thought, the rod that goes into the master cylinder is not threaded so turning it does not do anything. Instead, I turned the 'knob' that connects the pedal to the threaded end of the push rod to make the travel distance longer. I had also to adjust the electrical contact screw where the pedal rests against when it is all the way up (the contact is to disengage the cruise control when you step on the clutch. The screw serves also to ajust free play)

So Torpy, in your case, you need to get down there and shorten the travel distance of your push rod again.

That is strange that clutch friction point is moving with time. I wonder if that is due to the clutch material wearing out? maybe someone can confirm this for us.

While down there, I noticed also that there is a lock nut that was not tight at all, maybe that is the cause of my problem. The lock nut is supposed to secure the pushrod travel length. Maybe should should tighten it after you are done with adjustment.

[torpy]

Can you be a bit more specific regarding the "knob" that you adjusted?

Here is the picture that I took last time, can you circle/specify exactly how/what to adjust?



Also, where is this locknut that you had to tighten? Is it on the picture?

[trife96]

That black rubber piece up in the top of the pic is the seal at the end of the clutch master cylinder. Now down that rod is the jam nut.

[hungt1999]

Torpy, from your above pic

From right to left, you can see in this order:

- the black rubber thing is the cylinder seal as said by trife96
- the pushrod
- the locknut
- the metallic knob thingy that I was referring to (don't know the proper name)
- the clevis pin
- the pedal bracket
- finally the bolt to act as the stopper for the pedal travel. Use this if necessary to adjust pedal height and free play

I unlocked the jam nut, removed the clevis pin, free up that metallic thingy from the pedal bracket and turned it to make the travel distance longer.

Alternately, I suppose you could avoid removing the clevis pin and get away by only loosen the jam nut and turn the rod itself to achieve the same thing because I think the end of the rod where it goes into the black rubber seal, is not threaded and is free to turn. However, unless you have strong grip, turning that rod is not easy by hand because of the confined space.

Tighten the lock nut after you are done.

[fast68]

hold open screw push down pedal keep it down

tighten screws
repeat a few times

always works for me


it may have had some air in it all this time and you just removed it

or there is a slow leak somewhere you dont know about

only time will tell.

good luck