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Okay, so this truck is a 73 with the 1.? and its a 4 sp. Problem is, the guy said it worked but never felt like it was engauging all the way. So the truck sat for a while, not sure how long like a month or so, and the next time he tried to move it, when he pushed in the cltch, it spit fluid all over his foot. So he replaced the master cylinder for the cltch on it, and he said he bled it. but it just feels soft, and doesnt want to come all the way back up, when you let off the clutch. So my questions are 1- What should I be lookin for, and does it sound like maybe other trouble? 2- Isnt it just a spring that makes the peddle come back up? 3- What kind of adjustments can I do to it? THANKS in advance for any and all comments!!!!! I know nothing about clutches so please reply to me like I dont have a damn clue to what you are talking about THANKS GUYS!!!!

I had the same problem when I had the 4 cyl.It turned out being the rubber hose that comes off of the firewall that connects to the slave cylinder.The inside of the hose on mine frayed, and was clogging the line when the fluid would go back up to the clucth master cylinder.It would let fluid go out but not back in to the clutch master cylinder.

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1975 V8 Luv
1980 Bagged Luv

Thanks Dan, that helps!! I hope I can figure this out, cuz I dont wanna have to tow it home

if you need the hose i have a new old stock clutch hose but take a pic if you can so i can make sure its marked right but it is still in the factory packaging

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My old but now gone Luv...

I will let you know. THANKS ctmandu, and I am sorry I couldnt hook you up on this truck, but I cant pass it up

I've never had a good experience with bleeding the clutch, it never goes as smooth as it should, and it sounds a lot like that is what your problem is. Either that or a combo of that and incorrectly adjusted pushrod. Could also be that the clutch was installed wrong too, but I'd that would be a worst case scenario. Here is my method for bleeding the clutch:

Start with hose finger tight in the slave cylinder.

Unbolt it from the the trans/motor (hanging by the hose basically)

Fill the master cylinder to the brim, leave the lid off. Have a buddy stand by with fluid to top it off if it gets close to the bottom.

spin the slave off the hose, let the hose run for a bit to allow old fluid and air in the line to escape.

Once clean clear fluid runs out, hold the slave under the stream to fill it.

When it runs over, thread it back onto the hose.

Reattach it to the motor/trans, tighten up the hose connection. Push the piston back and put in the push rod before topping off the master cylinder the final time, as it will back up a little fluid.

The end result is no room for air to get into the system. Only time I've ever gotten my clutch to bleed the right way I had to teflon tape the bleeder screw. I think it lets air back around the thread too badly. I also use a simlar procedure when rebuilding calipers, let the fluid drain into the bore and then put the piston into a full bore of fluid. Just don't let the master cylinder run dry.

I think there should be a return spring on the clutch fork down at the trans. If the pedal won't return right that may be missing.

Thanks alot 800, you da man

Thats for sure, 800 is tha MAN!

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1980 Chevrolet LUV stock 1.8L longbed
1980 Chevrolet LUV parts truck shortbed
1983 Suzuki Gs550 Sportsman
1989 Nissan King cab P/u <totalled> 4/1/06
1986 Full size Chevy P/U
1993 Volvo 850 GTL

I just did the slave on my 77 for the 4th time a couple months ago, and I did the one on the 76 I used to drive a couple times as well. After a few times, especially doing it by alone, you figure out a few tricks. One more tip, if you can swing it, replace both the slave and the master cylinders together. The gunk in one seems to like to make its way into the other and screw it up.

Thanks for the pat on the back guys. I'm glad to be a help, and its nice to get some positive feedback.

I'm having clutch problems lately too. Bled mine the conventional way the other day, seemed like that lasted a day. The problem I have is that, for example, I'll back out of my garage, engaging the clutch to go in reverse, the truck moves backwards, and then push in the clutch pedal and the thing doesn't want to disengage. Really gotta yank on the shifter to get it out of reverse. But, when I'm driving around it works fine--no other symptoms of your typical mis-adjusted or dragging clutch. It will also act bad in stop and go traffic: I'm at a stop, engage the clutch in 1st to creep forward, then push in the pedal to disengage and stop and the truck still creeps forward.

I'm going to try and bleed the clutch using the 'disconnect the line' method I see here. My question to everyone is, do you think a torn gasket on the master cylinder reservoir can be the source of any air entering. I'm thinking no but am wondering whether I should bother to fix that gasket (can't find one anyway, would have to make one I guess). Is there a function of that gasket beyond keeping the fluid in?

Sounds like a bad master or slave cylinder. It works for shifting because it's only down for a second or so, but while holding it in at a stop, or while moving slowly (when clutch might only be 1/2 way or so out) the fluid is leaking passed the piston.

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer?

Sheeet

Well thanks Ron that would make sense. I'll have someone push the clutch while I look at the fork and see if and how it moves when the pedal does.

OK,

Well had my buddy help me by pushing in the clutch while I watched the clutch fork travel, and also had him drag the clutch with the e-brake on then push in the pedal. We duplicated the problem I am having but it's not the hydraulics...the travel on them never changed or bled down. The ram on the slave always pushed out far enough. So that tells me it's an internal clutch problem--either clutch disc is binding on input shaft, clutch disc is bent, clutch cover is worn out. Like I said though I don't have the symptoms of a dragging clutch while driving around town, just when creeping forward or backward. So I guess I'll just have to open it up some time and take a look.