Where is the clutch cylinder?

I've got a '97 SL1 with manual transmission and it recently started
becoming very hard to shift. You have to have the clutch pedal all the
way to the floor and it's still not easy.

After doing a search here, it seems I'm not the only one with that
problem. It sounds like I either have to add (Dot-3) fluid to my clutch
cylinder or replace the cylinder (or possibly the pump?) My question is,
where is the cylinder?
Is it accessible from the engine bay or do you have to go under the car?
I just did a quick check of the engine bay and couldn't find it. Thanks,
-Tim

 

it is just under your brake booster. if you have ABS, it is more of a
pain. We swapped the hydrolics on our ITA car twice in one day (can you
believe 2 bad (used) sets?) It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes or so to
do. 2 bolts off the tranny, unclip at the top of the pedal, and twist on
the firewall from the engine side. replacement is the oposite.

 

Thank you. I found it yesterday evening. There it was
right out in the open. Duhhhh! (My car doesn't have ABS
so I can't even blame that).

Thanks also for the instructions. I picked up a Haynes manual
and it looked like it should be pretty easy. I'm glad to hear
from your description that it's pretty easy too. It's in my
garage with the battery tray and the air intake out already (
(thank goodness I have another car) waiting for the swap.

For the rest of the group's info, Autozone has the full sealed
hydrolic setup (both cylinders connected by hoses and pre-bled)
for $129.95. My store didn't have one in stock, but they ordered
it and it will be in about 5 days.

 

...once I found the master cylinder, I checked the fluid level
and it was dry. I added fluid and drove it for a while, but
that didn't help at all. Still hard as heck to shift into
any gear. I sure hope the new hydrolics does the trick.

 

Did you check how much is it from Saturn? Could be pretty close...

 

Did you check how much is it from Saturn? Could be pretty close...

No, but given what other people here have posted ($150-175), the high cost
of living here in NM and the fact that the nearest Saturn dealer is 2-hours
away from me made the Autozone part that much more attractive. I do agree
though that the dealer part would probably be higher quality.

 

probably air in the line and needs to be bled.
big question is what happened to the fluid? Not sure about the new DOT brake
fluids but the older ones (dot 3?) were glycerin/alcohol based and were
water soluble. they absorb moisture and should be bled out every few years
and new fluid added. failing to do this, the absorbed water rusts the
master, slave and brake cylinders.

 

probably air in the line and needs to be bled.

The fluids definitly absorb moisture, that is there intention. However, the
Saturn clutch system is not designed to be bled. It is a sealed system and
that's it.

 

Live and learn...
Every other car I worked on with a master/slave clutch cylinder had some
means of bleeding, even if it was removing a tube fitting on the slave
cylinder to drain out the old fluid.

 

Just to follow up for the archives, the Autozone part did the trick. Now
it shifts like butter. Easy install too.
Honestly, the hardest part was taking out the battery tray
and air-intake assembly (and that's a piece of cake).

If you're having problems with the shifter binding where it feels like you
have to push the clutch through the floor board to get it to shift in and
out of gear (and even then it's a fight), don't take it to a shop.

First, try adding fluid to your existing master cylinder (in the
engine-bay, on the driver-side fire wall). If that doesn't help, you've
got air in your lines. Unfortunately the OEM part can't be bled, you have
to buy a new unit. Go to Autozone (or if you prefer, your local Saturn
dealer) and ask for a complete hydrolic clutch release for whatever
year/model you have (I have a feeling it's the same part number for all
years). It will cost you ~$138 with tax. Installation is a breeze:
0) Remove the battery, battery tray and air-intake assembly.
1) Unclip the linkage to the clutch pedal (inside the car, under the
dash).
2) Remove the two nuts holding the slave cylinder bracket onto the
transmission (easily accessible from the engine bay...no need to ever go
under the vehicle).
3) While pushing the slave cylinder toward the transmission, turn it
counter-clockwise (you may need pliers to get a better grip) about 1/6 a
turn and it should
just pop out.
4) At the master cylinder end, turn the cylinder clock-wise about 1/8 of a
turn and pull it out of the fire wall.
5) Then just finnagle it out of the engine bay (the brakelines were in the
way for my '97, so it took a bit of coaxing").
6) Installation is the reverse of the removal.

As I understand it, if you have ABS (my car doesn't), it's a bit more
difficult becaust the ABS stuff is in the way, but...