1998 saab 9000 clutch issues

Does the car want to pull when sitting still in gear with your foot on the clutch? If so, I would say that your clutch is not fully engaging and could be the cause of your grinding when changing gears. If not then I would think the clutch is operating fully and the synchros are worn and need replaced. But either way, with metalic fluid being in the slave cylinder dust boot, the slave cylinder needs changed.

Hi, There is a bleed nipple on the slave cylinder which is located on the underside of the bell housing. Cheers Ralph

bad pressure plate or stuck throw out bearing.

If the slave cylinder is leaking, replace the slave cylinder. You are loosing hydraulic pressure in the clutch and is the reason why it is not engaging correctly.

Either the timing belt/chain/gears has failed, which can really change the sound of cranking, but the engine visibly goes around.

If the engine does not turn (as it sounds is the case with your car), but the starter spins fast enough to be described as sounding like a hairdryer, then the starter drive is bad and the starter will need to be replaced or rebuilt.

The starter drive is turned by the starter motor, and the drive in turn turns the gear that engages the flywheel of the engine. The part that turns that gear will not let the starter motor be pushed by the engine — it has a one-way, overrunning clutch in it. If the engine got a chance to spin the starter, the starer would simply explode. It is maybe 10 or 15 to one between the engine. One good start using the gas pedal would spin the starter like 15 to 25 thousand RPM...

If that overrunning clutch fails the starter motor cannot spin the gear that turns the engine.

Was the fluid low? Does the pedal have any resistance? does it feel normal? Did it happen all of a sudden? Does it shift into gear with the engine off? You say it doesnt shift into gear, but does the shifter move into gear or not? Or it does and the truck wont move? Sounds like maybe the SLAVE CYL isnt operating? leaking? theres more questions to answer.

There are four main things that can go wrong in a hydraulic clutch system, causing this condition. In order of DIY-friendliness: 1. Just bleed the system could be enough provided there are no significant leaks. Check out this for a procedure suggestion: http://www.motorvate.ca/mvp.php/803 2. Check for leaking hoses, tubes and connection in this hydraulic circuit. Rust could be an issue, also cracking old hydraulic hoses. Not that hard to replace faulty components usually but it depends. 3. The main cylinder for the clutch system is leaking and needs to be replaced. Don't know how hard it is on your car but this is mostly a rather painless procedure. 4. The slave cylinder is leaking. On some cars it can be a real pain to replace as you have to take the transmission out, no fun at all on Saab 9000 for instance. On other cars the slave cylinder is more accessible and rather easy to replace. You should not drive this car at all until you at least made step 1 here, bleeding the system making sure it works. The car is basically inoperable without clutch. If the problem comes back, you have to proceed through the steps until you find and correct the problem. Good luck!

maybe it lost all the fluid as may be leacking from slave cylinder the carpit will be wet with fluid or the slave cylinder could be gone in that case the bellhouseing on the gear be will be wet with fluid or at least the thrust bearing could have gone thought the clutch cover

if the fluid hasn't gone down, then likely no leak. therefore suspect either a mechanical linkage problem, or a by-pass problem.

Start by checking the linkage to the master cylinder to make sure that the pedal is actually actuating it.

Other possible causes are:
air trapped in the system which will give a spongy feel to the pedal;

fluid by-passing the piston, I'd expect that if the by-pass was in the slave, the pedal would have some resistance.

you can bleed the clutch system but need something like a radiator pressurising pump to pressurise the system (pump once or twice only to avoid over-pressurising! and don't let reservoir get empty) Otherwise it's just like bleeding brakes.

Hope this helps, if it does please give me a "thumbs up"!

Thanks

Saabreur

You may have a bad slave cylinder, but if you do the system would leak. Sometimes the hose fails, and that also causes a leak. if there are no leaks, I would suspect the master cylinder.