Clutch Slave Cylinder take it out

[Helio_s]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and I'm french so, sorry for my English.
I start to rebuild my old lotus elan +2.

I've a problem to take out the slave cylinder (clutch).
He's stuck and I don't think so there we have a piston pin.
Don't understand what blocked out the slave.

Any tips to take it out ?

Best regards,
Elio

[Bombay Racing Green]

Hi Elio,

There is a snap ring (circlip). The opening might be out of sight when you are under the car.

Also the previous owner/mechanic may have used loctite on the cylinder. VERY careful use of heat and a large hammer may work. The cylinder will probably be junk at the end.

I removed mine recently. No loctite but the clip was a real pain. I hope it helps.

Regards,

[JonB]

I recently took mine out. The clip is not a normal circlip with pin holes for a pair of circlip pliers. I had to use a screwdriver with a small hammer to rotate it to a suitable position, then it was straightforward to get off. Once removed, corrosion was holding the cylinder in place, so I drifted it out with a piece of wood and the hammer. It survived, but I may need a new clip.

http://www.lotuselan.net/wiki/QA_-_Clutch_%2B2

Item 26 on the diagram is the clip you need to remove.

[types26/36]

More posts with in this post regarding the circlip and the cylinder.
viewtopic.php?f=37&t=20000

[Helio_s]

Thanks for all your help.
I was under the car, and I'm not really sure to see a ring, that why I don't understand why is not goint out.
Is an obligation to have this ring ?

May be I need to look better

[69S4]

If the cylinder isn't held in by rust you must have the circlip. Otherwise there is nothing to hold the cylinder in place.

[jono]

It's possible the cylinder, being aluminium, may have been 'frozen' in by electrolytic corrosion.

[wotsisname]

in replacing my ring clip, i used a pair of standard circlips (required 2 to stop the slave moving). is there any reason this is a bad idea ?

[jono]

If I recall correctly, the cylinder needs a small amount of 'float' such that it's able to move slightly in the bellhousing hole before reacting against the clutch lever

[ericbushby]

I used ordinary circlips as well, and they were in stock at my local engineers supplies shop; some years ago now.
Eric in Burnley
1967 S3SE DHC

[69S4]

If I recall correctly, the cylinder needs a small amount of 'float' such that it's able to move slightly in the bellhousing hole before reacting against the clutch lever

Mine does have a small amount of float but I've always assumed it was 'good enough' with off the shelf parts - ie a bespoke set up wouldn't have the end float. Now you've got me thinking about whether the end float is there for a reason, and if it is, what is the reason?

[Donels]

I have removed a couple of these. On both once the ring was out it was impossible to remove the slave cylinder due to corrosion. On the first after many attempts, in frustration I just whacked the slave cylinder with a cold chisel around the outside of the ring groove. It fell apart and came out in bits. The second i did the same, 2 minutes max to remove and they're not expensive to replace.

Dave

[billwill]

The clip ring has a gap in it and it is made of spring steel.

Item 27 in the diagram below. It is fairly tight against the back edge of the tubular hole in the bell housing. It surrounds the slave cylinder sitting in a groove.

The ends of the gap are squared off and so to remove it you ideally need a circlip pliers fitted with flattenned pins. Rotate the ring around the slave with a pipe grip or tap it with a chisel drift rod, until you get easy access to the gap in the ring.

Get the ends on the circliip pliers into the gap and squeeze gently to expand the ring. You should then be able to wiggle it out of its groove and onto the larger diameter portion of the slave cylinder. Do not expand it more than necessary or you will snap it or weaken it.

Tap it along with a drift until it pushes the rubber cap off the end of the slave and you should then be able to get it and the pushrod and adjusting screw off.

Removing the hydraulic pipes and tapping the open end of the slave cylinder with a piece of wood in between it and a small hammer should then get the slave out of the bell housing.


Getting it back on is the reverse of this procedure

[RichardHawkins]

Elio,

I bought the type of pliers that Bill describes from Snap On. A Google search found a few alternatives, but they were all American, I did not find a European manufacturer. As the gearbox and slave cylinder were Ford parts that might explain the use of this type of circlip/snap ring.

Good luck getting it apart.

Richard Hawkins

[billwill]

Mine are like these, they have little clamps on the ends so that you can fabricate weird points for the pliers from old nails etc.


https://www.lasaero.com/products/article/A011YSSUT