Hydraulic line popped loose from external clutch slave cylinder
 

Hello everyone.

I need some advice. My pops passed away last December and this is first time I have had to do anything on his old truck, that is also my daily driver to school and work, besides change the oil.

Its a 1988 Ford F-150 4 Speed Manual V8 5.0 302.
About 80,000 original miles

I was driving home from school today and, the clutch suddenly got super soft and plunge to the floor and wouldnt come back up like normal.

The truck was in neutral and i put emergency brake on. The truck had rolled back a few feet between where i came to a stop and where the clutch gave out. So I could see a small "puddle" of fluid on the street. Looked under truck and saw brake fluid leaking from, what I believe is, clutch slave cylnder. When looking closer, to see where the leak would be coming from, I went to feel the line connected to the top of external slave cylinder and the line came loose pretty easily.

My dads ol buddy from down the street came and pulled me home, lucky i was only about 5 houses away from home. We looked at it a bit more, neither of us is a experienced car guy, that was my dad :)

But we did see that when pressing the clutch, brake fluid squirted out of line.

I am hoping i can fix this without having to use my moms credit card as we have just paid them down from all the new (well, new to us) expenses over the past few months.

Could it be as simple as a seal on the bottom of the cable where it connects to the slave cylinder?

Or should I just replace the entire slave cylinder?

Or am I way off and it is somethint else entirely?

Thanks everyone. Any help would be appreciated.

Use a sharp blade (like a razor or box cutter) to re-cut the end of the tube square & smooth. Cut off as little as possible to remove all the length that has been inside the slave clip (about 1/4"). Then just press it straight back into the slave clip until it bottoms. Click this & read the caption:

https://www.supermotors.net/getfile/...-concslave.jpg
(phone app link)

If the end of the tube is NOT simply a cut on the tube, post pics of it, as the link in this caption explains:

https://www.supermotors.net/getfile/...oorsticker.jpg
(phone app link)

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...689941f542.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...20b029ed21.jpg
Slave cylinder from top/hood angle

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...c450177dd6.jpg
pic of hydraulic line loose from cylinder. Thats is it to right with metal "nipple" that goes in the cylinder.

Like i said, i barely touched the line and it came loose.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...9b7a27ddc6.jpg
Master cylinder is dry. No leaks. No fluid...now. it has leaked all out.

A photo of the VC label is useless. Decode it, and put all the details into your signature so we can see it with each of your posts.

That's an external slave cylinder, which is rare after '86. There's supposed to be a roll pin holding the metal end in the slave, just like at the top in the master. It looks like someone drilled that slave out, or did some damage to the roll pin's hole. Study these:

https://www.supermotors.net/getfile/...hmastercyl.jpg
(phone app link)

https://www.supermotors.net/getfile/...nail/34mct.jpg
(phone app link)

So you MIGHT need a new slave cylinder. They're available pre-connected to the master, or separate; and in plastic or metal.

https://www.supermotors.net/getfile/...35clutchmc.jpg
(phone app link)

https://www.supermotors.net/getfile/...ail/slave2.jpg
(phone app link)

Thanks!

Ok. I am going to attempt a replacing of slave cylinder.

I am under here and i dont see how i remove this...

I apologize if this too elementary. But how do I remove it?

Ok. Haha. Ive gotten old slave unmounted. It was a plastc clip only thing holding it in, with push rod.

I noticed there was a small black o ring inside the port for the hydraulic line. I tried placing the o ring on the metal end of hydraulic line. It went back in perfectly. Any chance that was problem?

That somehow it had come loose?

Clutch is still soft. I am figurin out how to bleed now.

The line will keep blowing off until the roll pin is installed through the slave, such that it engages the necked-down area of the metal end on the line.

To bleed it: assemble the hydraulic system including the roll pin, but don't mount the slave to the bellhousing; remove the master cap & rubber diaphragm; fill the reservoir; open the slave bleed screw until most of the bubbles are out (DO NOT ALLOW THE RESERVOIR TO RUN DRY); close the bleed screw; rest the master cap on the reservoir (not tight, and no diaphragm), and position rags & a catch-pan under the master; stroke the slave pushrod slowly to drive any air back to the reservoir (you should feel & hear it pop as the air returns to the reservoir); when releasing the pushrod, do not allow the reservoir to run dry; repeat until there is no air; install the slave; set the fluid at the line molded into the reservoir; install the diaphragm & cap.