So I had an acute clutch failure earlier this week, which at the time seemed like a straight-forward issue. The pedal suddenly went spongy on me, and I couldn't completely disengage the clutch. That, combined with the fact that I heard a noise in the foot-well at the time of the failure lead me to believe the master had failed - and so I replaced it this evening. However, that hasn't solved the problem...

Briefly, here are the symptoms: Post-bleed, the clutch felt pretty normal - hard to say for sure, since it's been almost a week since it was actually "normal" - but certainly better than it was. Under the car, I appear to have good actuation of the slave - I don't know what "full" actuation would look like, but the lever is moving a couple inches at least. However in the car, I still cannot get into any gear while the engine is running. Starting the car in gear with the clutch in will cause a momentary lurch, but I can eventually get it to idle while holding the brakes. However, as soon as I let the clutch out a bit, it will stall. Also, there is a distinct vibration in the 1st 1/4 of the pedal's stroke that I didn't notice before the master change.

Based on the above symptoms, I'm still leaning towards a hydraulic problem since I have at least partial control of the clutch and there's no ominous mechanical noises that would suggest a physical problem with the clutch itself. It seems to me like another good bleed could potentially solve the problem, but am I missing something? I drove down to the dealer and paid a $40 premium over realOEM (because I can't stand driving the family's "backup" Legacy), which at this point seems like a complete waste of time and money.

 

Just a guess, but broken fingers on pressure plate?

 

How might one diagnose that, short of a total breakdown?

 

Well, seeing as how you have already replaced the master cylinder, you might as well replace the slave cylinder too. Once those 2 parts have been replaced and the system is properly bled, there really isn't much else that can be wrong with the hydraulic system which would rule it out for you. The next step would be to investigate further by removing the transmission.

 

Unfortunately, I would have to say the same thing barring something freakish of course, like a second bad master.

 

try this...put a wrench on the lever and ensure the Pressure Plate is fully releasing, lube the shaft where it enters the bell housing

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...or-effect.html