Brake and Clutch Pipe removal and Fitting: All Vehicles

Step 1 - Locate the Brake Booster The brake booster is located adjacent to the master cylinder. There will be 4 mounting screws protruding through the booster. The booster is also attached to the brake pedal in the interior of the car. This is where you will start work in replacing the brake booster.
Step 2 - Remove the Brake Booster Start by locating the booster rod that goes through the firewall and is attached to the brake pedal on the interior of the car. Typically, there is a cotter pin that secures the rod to the pedal, but there may also be nuts. When removing any fasteners in the course of this job, make sure to retain the nuts, cotter pins, and various other fasteners as the new brake booster will not come with replacement fasteners.
Remove the fasteners, whether it is a cotter pin or nuts. Slide the rod off the brake pedal. Disconnect the vacuum brake line that connects to the booster. In the engine compartment, there are four bolts securing the booster to the master cylinder and firewall. Loosen and remove these nuts. Remove the nuts (there are usually 2 in addition to the 4 that have already been removed) that secure the brake booster to the master cylinder. Wiggle the brake booster away from the master cylinder. There is a seal between the two. You will need to keep this as the new part does not generally come with another one. Remove the brake booster.
Step 3 - Install the New Brake Booster Set the new brake booster on the four mounting screws. Tighten the nuts on the bolts to the master cylinder. Insert the push rod through the firewall. Start these by hand so that the threads are not ruined. Reattach the vacuum hose, then the nuts to the 4 mounting screws. Reattach the push rod to the brake pedal by whatever means it was originally secured with, whether by cotter pin or by bolts.
Step 4 - Bleed the Brakes You will need to bleed the brakes after replacing the brake booster

Hi Jon,
Have a look under the bonnet and find out if its the master or slave cylinder which is leaking? Which ever it is take a 10mm tight fitting spanner to the pipe and carefully loosen it. The flats on the connector damage easily, so don't let it slip! After removing the pipe connector let the brake fluid drain into a container. If its the master cylinder don't bend the pipe away, but loosen the securing nuts with a 12mm spanner and remove the cylinder, taking out the pipe at the same time. When fitting the replacement, mount the unit in place and attach the nuts loosely only to keep the unit in place but not secured. fit the pipe into the cylinder and using your fingers to tighten, not a spanner, screw it in. The connector can be easily cross threaded and if that happens it will leak and not be able to pressurize. Once the pipe has been fitted by hand, tighten the cylinder into place and then finish tightening the pipe with a spanner. Once completed open the bleeding nipple on the slave cylinder and fill the clutch reservoir with brake fluid. Let it drip out through nipple into a container. Once fluid has begun dripping tighten the bleed nipple. For the last part you'll need someone to assist you. Ask that person to sit inside the vehicle and press the clutch pedal to the floor and hold it there....Open and close the bleed nipple while the pedal is down and repeat until pressure has returned to normal. Job finished
Regards Johngee10

Hello there, The slave cylinder for the hydraulic clutch is mounted to the very front of the transmission and is only held in place with two bolts and the hydraulic line, see item #42 (x2) and item #26 in the attached photo.You might as well let the old hydraulic fluid drain completely and fill with fresh fluid when you get done. I would take the hyraulic line off the slave cylinder and put it in a jar. Then open the master cylinder cover and let it gravity drain completely. This will allow you to replace all the parts with a minimal amount of fluid getting all over. Remember, brake fluid damages car paint!The clutch master cylinder is a little bit more tricky in that you have to get under the dash to remove the bolts holding it in. Other than that, you might have to take your old reservoir and attach it to the new master cylinder unless your new one comes with a reservoir. I doubt it will and you don't need it to anyway. Item #37 and #43 are the studs and nuts you will have to release to get the master cylinder off the firewall. Of course pulling the tube to the reservoir and the hydraulic line should be done before removing the mounting nuts. There may be a clip holding the clutch pedal linkage to the clutch master cylinder push rod.Once everything is reassembled and everything is tight, fill the master cylinder reservoir and then loosen the bleeder screw on the slave cylinder. You can depress the clutch pedal to force brake fluid from the master to the slave but if it goes like mine did, once I got the fluid running, it forced out all the air! I put a rubber hose over the bleeder screw and put it in a jar partially filled with brake fluid and kept adding fluid until no more air bubbles came out of the tube. You will know when everything is ok because the clutch pedal doesn't seem to want to come back up unless there is sufficient pressure in the clutch to force it back up. Buy about a quart of brake fluid to flush the lines and leave it topped off. Good luck...

In this car, there is no bleed port provided. The hydraulic clutch system is closed and is sold only as a complete set of master, reservoir, slave, and line. The set is priced at $130 at autozone.com. I have pasted the replacement instructions from autozone.com below. Please let me know if you have more questions.

See Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4
The master cylinder, pipes and slave cylinder are a complete assembly and must be replaced as a single unit.

1. Block the clutch pedal to prevent it from being depressed while the slave cylinder is removed from the transaxle.
2. Remove the air cleaner/intake duct assembly.
3. Disconnect the negative battery cable first, then the positive cable.
4. Remove the battery hold-down retainer.
5. Remove the battery from the vehicle. Store the battery in a safe location, but do not place it on a concrete surface for any long period of time or it will discharge.
6. Remove the battery tray. Note that one battery tray mounting fastener is only accessible through the fender well.
7. Rotate the slave cylinder about 1 / 4 turn counterclockwise while pushing toward the bell housing, in order to disengage the connector and remove the cylinder from the clutch housing. Remove the slave cylinder bracket retaining nuts and pull the assembly from the studs.
8. If equipped with ABS, remove the brake master cylinder-to-power booster mounting nuts. Move the master cylinder off of the mounting studs and slightly toward the engine, being careful not to bend or kink the brake lines.
9. Remove the master cylinder pushrod retaining clip from the clutch pedal pin and disconnect the pushrod from the pedal.
10. Rotate the clutch cylinder about 1 / 8 turn clockwise and remove it from the instrument panel. Remove the hydraulic assembly from the vehicle.

To install:

1. Install the clutch master cylinder into the dashboard with the reservoir leaning toward the driver' fender. Rotate the cylinder about 1 / 8 turn counterclockwise to lock it in position.

When installing a new assembly, the plastic retainer straps should remain in place on the slave cylinder, to ensure that the actuator rod seats on the release fork pocket upon installation. If reinstalling an assembly, be sure to position a new plastic retainer strap onto the end of the pushrod and attach the straps to the cylinder.

1. If equipped with ABS, place the brake master cylinder into position on the power booster mounting studs. Install and tighten the master cylinder-to-power booster mounting nuts to 20 ft. lbs. (27 Nm).
2. Slide the slave cylinder onto the clutch housing studs, then install the nuts and tighten to 18 ft. lbs. (25 Nm).
3. Insert the slave cylinder into the clutch housing with the hydraulic line facing down and rotate about 1 / 4 turn clockwise while pushing it into the housing.
4. Lubricate the clutch pedal pin with silicone grease, then connect the pushrod to the clutch pedal and install the retaining clip.
5. Install the battery tray. Tighten the battery tray mounting fasteners to 89 inch lbs. (10 Nm).
6. Place the battery into the battery tray. Be careful that the battery terminals do not short against any metal during the installation.
7. Install the battery hold-down retainer.
8. Connect the positive battery cable first, then the negative cable.
9. Install the air cleaner/intake duct assembly.
10. Remove the block from behind the clutch pedal and, if equipped, properly enable the SIR system.
11. Start the engine and check the pedal for proper operation.

Fig. Fig. 1: Block the clutch pedal to prevent slave cylinder damage, should the pedal be depressed while the cylinder is removed from the transaxle


Fig. Fig. 2: To remove, rotate the slave cylinder about 1/4 turn counterclockwise while pushing toward the bell housing


Fig. Fig. 3: This plastic retaining strap must remain on the slave cylinder to ensure proper seating of the actuator rod against the release fork

Fig. Fig. 4: Rotate the clutch master cylinder about 1/8 turn clockwise and remove it from the instrument panel

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM BLEEDING The clutch hydraulic assembly has been filled with fluid and bled of air at the factory. Do not attempt to bleed the hydraulic system. While the unit does not require periodic checking, it must be serviced, when necessary, as a complete assembly. The system is full when the reservoir is half full.
Only DOT 3 brake fluid should be added to the system. If the fluid level drops, inspect the system, including the slave cylinder, for leakage. A slight wetting of the slave cylinder surface is normal. Fill the clutch master cylinder reservoir with brake fluid. Be careful not to spill brake fluid on the painted surface of the vehicle.

disconnect the neg batt cable,loosen clamp and disconnect air cleaner outlet tube and resonator from the air cleaner. 2.disconnect maf sensor connector. 3.lift air cleaner assy from tray and position aside. 4. remove screws from power steering resevoir, and position aside. 5.disconnect brake fluid level sensor, and if equiped brake pressure switch. 6.remove the two mounting nuts holding master cylinder, position master cylinder aside (DO NOT LOOSEN LINES ON MASTER CYL). 7.remove mounting bolts for degas bottle and postion aside. 8.if equiped diconnect wiring at the pedal position sensor. 9.relaease clamp and disconnect hose. 10.remove the pin, washer, bushing and switch, disconnect pushrod. 11.remove the nuts and brake booster, to access nuts fold back sound insulation. reverse procedure to install.