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2.3l Duratec, Slave cylinder+clutch kit time?

11K views 35 replies 3 participants last post by  djzx3 
#1 ·
Well I would like to start out by telling what happened, My GF was driving our 03 focus 2.3l Duratec, and the clutch pedal stopped working, she pulled over and shut the car off, and then was not able to push the clutch down enough to hit the safety switch, so I thought the clutch master cylinder was going bad, so I changed it,(And yes it was a pain in the ash) But after pumping the fluid through the new one it tightened up a little and seems to be doing the same thing, so I think I'm looking at having to replace the slave cylinder inside the bell housing of the trans? And since the car is at 117k, I'll probly have to replace the pressure plate and clutch plate, and hope that I can just re-surface the flywheel if needed.

So this thread might turn into a how-to. But I would like some thought on if you think it could be something else?

I see no fluid leaks anywhere, and no kinked lines. I believe there is a hole on the top of the trans to be able to check the plates.... But I am not sure right now?
 
#2 ·
Checked the master cyl push rod and pedal / shaft bushing ? At that mileage , clutch doesn't owe you anything and would be worth changing , fitting new kit .Dont know about hole on top of trans to check clutch plates .Used to be on some cars there was a plug you removed to see flywheel timing marks which would let you partially see clutch cover / pressure plate .Have to tell your girl friend to stop doing those racing starts !!!!!
 
#11 ·
Well she is coming along, this is taking longer then I thought, but it's getting there.


Right now I got most of the wiring out the way, I'm having trouble with the plug for the sensor near the passenger side axle, but other then that, I got to undo the shifting cable's, pull the starter, and I think she will be very close to being pulled out.

O and I still got to remove the drive axles, I got everything undone, I just need to push the CV axle out the knuckle with that tool I used on my wagon.


I'll update when I get more done.
 
#12 ·
Update: Got both knuckles and lower control arms off, along with sway bar links, and drive shafts. All the wiring is off, the only thing left to do is un-do the trans mount and torque mount, and get the shifting assembly off, after that I'll be able to un-bolt the trans from the motor, and drop her.

Will update with pic's soon.
 
#14 ·
How I hold up a motor.



Instead of spending $140 on a engine pull from autozone, I spent $40 in chain, and hooks and stuff to rig this up. Yea it bends the beam a little, but I could suspend myself from either side of the chain points, and it not fall. So I think it's good, but I have a brick with pieces of wood under where the trans meats the motor, also a jackstand on the trans, in case it falls it has something there to catch it.
 
#15 ·
Is all that needed ? I prefer a jack with a block under engine anytime I've had to do that type of job outwith the workshop as it lets you lower and raise as needed to remove gearbox , giving more clearance /movement etc. Then supporting with axle stands .Either that or a block and tackle which gives you more control of raising or lowering power unit making it easier to remove .
 
#16 ·
Well the whole thought of this was; The motor needs to be tilted a good amount towards the driver side to be able to clear the sub-frame. So this set-up will allow me to do that easily, I didn't think I could use just 1 or 2 jacks, and a couple stands to get the angle I need. If I dropped the sub-frame with the trans.... Then hell yea I could of, but I saw that as a bigger job then this^?
 
#17 ·
Knowing you had to tilt the engine , couldn't see where you were going to get any movement apart from centre rod attached to hook / wooden beam which may be adjustable but didn't fill me with confidence .I'm afraid I'm one of those guys that likes to get into the job and get it done with the equipment , tools available rather than spend / lose time making up different rigs .But everyone to their own methods , hope you get it done soon and back on road .
 
#19 ·
Thought I'd share this with you all. Finally got the half shaft out with the help of another one of pops shop made tools.

It's been taking long, but that is because we have had a lot going on, one of my family members died and I had to go to Maine. So that took some time, but now I'm back, and I thought I'd also share pics of the clip on the end, because I did searches all over, and never found a real pic of the half shaft clip.


I also put pics up because this part was not too easy to remove, at first the tool there was half that length, and had a smaller weight, but as you can see we had to lengthen it, and get a bigger weight. At first I was afraid I was going to do damage to the casing, but it held strong, even when I really slamming on it.

Now it is time to pull the trans. lol.
 
#20 ·
Well guys I have finally took my MTX75 out of the 03 2.3l zx3. And wow was she ready for it. I know this took much longer then I wanted it to, but it seems a lot of stuff came up right when I got half way into this project. UGH, but here are some pics.



Clutch plate is just gone.


Flywheel seems to be okay though, take a pad to it to clean it up a little, but it's good.

EDIT: Thought I'd share this bit of info too, about the special flywheel that I have in my 2.3l PZEV.
http://www.brakeandfrontend.com/Article/38790/dual_mass_flywheelclutch_replacement_options.aspx
 
#21 ·
Looking at the state of the centre plate and what's left of lining , surprised you didn't have clutch slip prior to it shattering . Some length of slide hammer !! Not think it would be worthwhile changing flywheel also ?

P.s
The clip on end of splines is usually just a 3/4 spring steel clip which a lot of gaiter kits sometimes supply .
 
#22 ·
Yea I am looking at getting a flywheel right now, but this car has a DMF(DualMassFlywheel) which is about $800-$1100 to get a new one, but I have found this kit that says it converts this DMF into a single piece flywheel, and it only cost $527 with flywheel,clutch plate, pressure plate, and slave cylinder, with the clutch plate being made of organic material instead of ceramic.

To explain what a DMF is, I found this article very interesting.

Brake & Front End
 
#23 ·
I knew your car had a DMF(Dual Mass Flywheel) and the trouble you can get with them that is why I suggested changing it after the state the clutch was in .Quite a few over here replace them with the solid flywheels , in fact Vauxhall / GM were replacing them under warranty due to failure , rattle and judder faults .
 
#25 ·
Sorry cant help you djzx3 with conversion kit suppliers as the ones we use over here are different from in the States . Meant to add , make sure you clean your starter motor pinion shaft / gear as it looks covered in clutch dust / s*** (in photo ) and will tend to stick when throwing forward prior to meshing with flywheel ring gear if you dont sort it out .Clutch is a pricey repair , but unavoidable . All the best mate .
 
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