clutch leaking

[chelsea's dad]

i have a 1979 240d that i am trying to sort out. i used a kitchen baster to take the brake fluid out of the master cylinder and put new fluid in. now the clutch is leaking at the joint just above the pedal and like a sieve out of what i am assuming is the slave as it drips out from between the engine and bell housing. i was too busy looking for the leak to take a look at the slave. how hard a job is it?

thanks in advance.

[Mike D]

It's a piece of cake to change. Just one bolt/nut/Allen head screw depending on configuration. Check the old rubber line before you decide it is the slave cylinder. The slave cylinder has a bleeder nipple on it which is where you should be draining the fluid.

The master cylinder will either have a line running to the brake master cylinder or a separate reservoir for its fluid supply. You may have a loose connection to its reserve causing the upper leak.

[rs899]

Suggest you do a search on clutch bleeding on 240Ds. It's not as straightforward as you might think... Replacing the parts is easy enough , though

[chelsea's dad]

mike d the upper leak is at a threaded connection between a hard black plastic piece that has steel flared nut tubing threaded into it. flared fittings shouldn't leak. my master cylinder resevoir has a plastic tube coming out of the side going through the fire wall to the clutch pedal.
is it ok to use dot 3 or 4 in these older cars?
thanks for the replys.

[Mike D]

DOT 3 or 4 is fine. No synthetic.

Check where the clear plastic slip fits into the black plastic line. I believe there is a rubber boot mating the two.

[chelsea's dad]

so i was crawling around under the car looking for the slave cylinder or the line going to it. found a line i thought went to it but it didn't, just kept going back up to top of tranny. i really am blind. where is the slave cylinder????

[Mike D]

It mounts on the top part of the bell housing. It's an internal cylinder so you cant really see the unit.

[chelsea's dad]

so if it is in the bell housing do you have to drop the tranny to change it?

[rs899]

Actually, on a 240D it is on the right hand side of the bellhousing. You might just be able to see it from above if you look down at the ground past the battery. You should be able to follow the hydraulic line across the back of the bellhousing down towards it. It is held on to the bellhousing by 2 13mm bolts- you don't have to drop the tranny to change it.

Rick

[Mike D]

Ahhh, TWO bolts not one. It's been a while since I changed one. Thanks, Rick.

[chelsea's dad]

and yes it was a pain to get out. couldn't get a wrench on the supply line at the slave, so took the line apart on other side of tranny and slid it over. took it apart on the bench. the slave looked fairly new but when i would push the rod in and out fluid would squirt out. read two ways to bleed slave after reinstall in a haynes manual, will go to threads to pick up any other tips.
thanks

[rs899]

You probably did it the right way. When you reinstall, be very careful not to crossthread the line on the slave cyl or put it back the way you got it off.

Contrary to the Haynes manual, there are more than two ways to bleed a 240D clutch, and we have tried all but one (the one you are about to invent).

I would suggest posting on the diesel forum if you run into a snag (no offense to the fine gearheads over here) as there are a lot of us'ns with 240D sticks over there (more traffic).

Rick