clutch manual adjustment

[gatorjaws]

just got my manual trans. back from the rebuild. Put everything back with no pieces left over. My clutch was OK on inspection but everything is bled & the clutch does not engage until just before it hits the floor. I adjusted the rod out of the slave to its maximum and there is still play(about 3/16 to 1/4 inch) in it that seems excessive. No leaks on the hydraulics. It still shifts but the clutch just doesn't feel right. Do you guys think the slave is sticking? Its not very old. Neither is the master. Any ideas? Can these parts go bad with out leaking out the boot? I did a search but I'm not very good at navigating the site and so nothing turned up. Yes, it was acting like this before the transmission rebuild(unrelated problem) and thats why I thought maybe I needed a new clutch but the shop said mine was OK

[Garry]

Try these past comments from both Joe and Benz Dr

http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=13151.0
http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=9764.0
http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=4018.0

You don't indicate on your signature what model year the car is?  This may help as there are some differences in parts.

Garry

[gatorjaws]

Sorry, my car is a 1966 230sl euro. I looked at all 3 topics you posted but they don't seem to address my problem. Thank you for your effort

[rogerh113]

Hello,

I had the same sort of problem on my 66.  Multiple bleedings, nothing worked.  I tried the trick where you detach the clutch slave spring, and jiggle the clutch slave lever back and forth (firmly) between the 'stops' several times.  After I reattached the spring all was well.  From a post here (someplace) they said that there was a spot in the slave where a bubble could accumulate, and this moved the bubble out into the system.  Easy and very fast to try.

Good luck -- Roger

[Benz Dr.]

If you really do run out of adjustment room on the slave cylinder a couple of things could of happened. You might have air trapped in the system or you could need a new clutch disc. I had one car where the flywheel was cut down too much. The maximum stock removal is 1 mm - after that the geomerty starts to affect clutch fuction.

You can make up a longer push pin if you only need a bit more lenght to make the clutch release properly. If you have the clutch fork all the way out to the hole in the bell housing and it still won't release, you will probably need a new flywheel if the clutch and pressure plate are new.

Someone probably had the flywheel on a lathe and removed too much from the clutch surface if it's below spec. Flywheels should be ground which will burn through hard spots that a cutting tool on a lathe will only bounce over. 

[gatorjaws]

Thanks to all! I will bleed the system and go from there.

[gatorjaws]

bled the system. nothing changed. made a longer rod for the slave and that did the trick. i wish that i had measured the flywheel when i had it off. then we would know for sure but i believe that the dr. is correct when he said that the tolerances were probably out on the flywheel. thanks for all the input!