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'87 Fiero shifting problem


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Mayhem66
New User

Oct 31, 2008, 12:52 PM

Post #1 of 5 (4136 views)
'87 Fiero shifting problem Sign In

Hello.

I have an '87 Fiero GT with the 5 spd Getrag. Lately, I have been having issues shifting gears. The clutch pedal has about twice as much play at the top than it should and I have to push it further down to shift. Even then it shifts hard. If I drive it for a while, eventually it will often firm up and normalize, allowing smooth shifts. I replaced the Master Cylinder, which was my main thought, as well as the entire hydraulic line, since it looked rusty and bad at that point. I replaced the Slave as well, but the new one was a dud and blew out immediately, so I put the old one back in. When previous Slaves went bad, it constantly got new air in the system, making it eventually impossible to shift at all. Since the symptoms were not the same, I didn't think that it was the Slave, and I don't see any leakage around it.

I bled it periodically for the next week in order to get any leftover air out after the fresh bleed for the new system. It held for a few weeks, then began to have problems again. I thought I saw some fluid around the new Master's cover and rod, so I had another put in. I am still having the same issues, however.

It's like the pedal gets a certain amount of extra play at the top, then stops at that point, not getting any worse. Having replaced the Master twice now, I'm not sure what else the problem could be. I should note that the hydraulic system on this car has had issues for a while now and I have replaced both cylinders more than once in the 10 years I've owned it. I do not hear or feel anything from the transmisison itself. No chatter or slippage. It does grind going to reverse when it's shifting hard, but after driving and the pedal firms up and it shifts fine in all gears. There's about 35K on the current clutch.

If anyone could give me some advice or input about this, I would appreciate it.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Oct 31, 2008, 2:28 PM

Post #2 of 5 (4133 views)
Re: '87 Fiero shifting problem Sign In

New stuff or not there's still problems with the hydraulic linkage. Don't forget a flex line involved and the brake line type connections must be good or perhaps they could both leak and suck some air back in,

T



Mayhem66
New User

Oct 31, 2008, 3:42 PM

Post #3 of 5 (4129 views)
Re: '87 Fiero shifting problem Sign In

Thanks for the reply.

The entire line from master to slave, including the flex hose and solid hose to the master is new. It came as one pre-assembled unit, so any connections were already there and linked up. The shop didn't have to do any of that themselves. The only thing in the entire system that is old is the slave, and although I can't rule it out, it doesn't act like any bad slaves I've had in the past. All those times, it's gotten worse and worse, not stabilized at a certain point. Sadly, I suppose, I have a lot of experience with this quirky vehicle and the hydraulic clutch, and this has me stumped.

I'll see if I can find any evidence of stripped threads at the cylinders.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Oct 31, 2008, 8:00 PM

Post #4 of 5 (4127 views)
Re: '87 Fiero shifting problem Sign In

The slave cylinder can do this so it has to go. Any of the hydraulic stuff can behave for a while and then throw a tantrom and this is no exception.

Know this and I think you do....... if you don't have a good way to disengage the engine as with this linkage to clutch you are messing with and/risking trans problems so it's important,

T



Mayhem66
New User

Nov 1, 2008, 5:00 PM

Post #5 of 5 (4110 views)
Re: '87 Fiero shifting problem Sign In

Oh yes, I know that. It's not horribly bad, but can be chore to get into first and sometimes second until it firms up. still, I'm obviously not going to wait to fix it. I guess I had been trying not to think it was the slave afterall, considering that I had replaced the master twice already. And, again, I have never had a bad slave act specifically like that, only the master has when it has been going.

Thanks again for the input.






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