BJ7 Clutch

[Deleted member 26655]

BJ7 1963
The clutch works perfectly except when I'm coming off of the highway and off of overdrive the clutch pedal has little resistance and I cannot
get it into 3rd or second, it'll grind.
After double clutching a few times it works itself out but a bit annoying.

Any ideas appreciated.

Dave Walsh

 

[red57]

Pumping it a few times and it gets better suggests low on fluid or air in the hydraulic system somewhere. However, if it's air in the system or low on fluid, it should have the same problem all the time, not just coming off the highway.
Confirm if you start it up in the driveway and depress the clutch pedal just once, does it slip into gears easily? When starting out from a stop does the clutch start to engage at the normal pedal height?
If the pedal pressure was normal and hard to shift, it could be an oily clutch disc sticking to the flywheel or pressure plate. But since you say it's a soft pedal, and only soft when coming off the highway, it's a tough one - anything mechanical I can think of like something broken in the pressure plate, would be a problem all the time.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

...
After double clutching a few times it works itself out but a bit annoying.

...

Had a similar problem with my BJ8's brakes once. Found the problem was a damaged 'foot valve' in the master cylinder; this is a small, spring-loaded seal that allows the reservoir to fill the master cyl., then gets closed when the pedal is depressed. But, like other possibilities mentioned this would happen on every application. I think only 'coming off of the highway' may be incidental. Bleed the clutch hydraulics then report back.

 

[Deleted member 26655]

Pumping it a few times and it gets better suggests low on fluid or air in the hydraulic system somewhere. However, if it's air in the system or low on fluid, it should have the same problem all the time, not just coming off the highway.
Confirm if you start it up in the driveway and depress the clutch pedal just once, does it slip into gears easily? When starting out from a stop does the clutch start to engage at the normal pedal height?
If the pedal pressure was normal and hard to shift, it could be an oily clutch disc sticking to the flywheel or pressure plate. But since you say it's a soft pedal, and only soft when coming off the highway, it's a tough one - anything mechanical I can think of like something broken in the pressure plate, would be a problem all the time.

thanks

 

[Deleted member 26655]

Had a similar problem with my BJ8's brakes once. Found the problem was a damaged 'foot valve' in the master cylinder; this is a small, spring-loaded seal that allows the reservoir to fill the master cyl., then gets closed when the pedal is depressed. But, like other possibilities mentioned this would happen on every application. I think only 'coming off of the highway' may be incidental. Bleed the clutch hydraulics then report back.

OK I'll try that, thanks Bob.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Have someone work the pedal while you watch the fluid in the reservoir, if it rises and falls with pedal application it's likely the foot valve

 

[Deleted member 26655]

Have someone work the pedal while you watch the fluid in the reservoir, if it rises and falls with pedal application it's likely the foot valve

thanks