Scottward

My MT-82 has seemed to be one of the better ones and at 9000 miles, is still very smooth. But I thought I had a couple scratchy shifts over the last week and the clutch pedal did not feel as solid as I remembered early on. So I did a clutch fluid renewel as I used to do with the Vette and as with the Vette, it feels like a brand new car again. The old fluid was only slightly brown, but as I did repeated drain and fills of the expansion tank with the fluid becoming clearer, I noticed additional brown floaties. After about 5 drain and fills, the fluid was practically clear again and after driving the car for the past few days, it behaves like a new car again. Butter smooth shifts and solid clutch pedal feel.

Total cost for this maintenance was about $10 from Wally World. I used a turkey baster syringe and 2 bottles of Prestone Dot 4 brake fluid. Linked below is the "Ranger" method for doing this on Vettes and is almost exactly the same on this car, other than the expansion tank is a combined brake and clutch fluid reservoir. I continue to believe many folks having MT82 issues are clutch related and probably involve the clutch not fully releasing. I would highly recommend anyone having minor issues to give this a shot.

http://www.rangeracceleration.com/Clutch_Care.html

2011GT/CS

So, in the mustangs we would do this in the Master cylinder.. There's not a clutch fluid reservoir right?

Scottward

The Mustang reservoir is the combined brake fluid and clutch reservoir. This method will not completely exchange your fluid, but it will get a good percentage of new stuff in so the hydraulic properties improve.

SD CALSPCL

I hate asking dumb questions...but, since the brake fluid and clutch fluid reservoir are combined, does this fluid change technique create any problems with the brakes. Do the brakes need to be bled?

This was a great tip! Thanks for posting.

2011GT/CS

I guess as long as you squeeze most of it out but not too much no air will get in the line

Scottward

No air should be introduced as long as you do not go below the reservoir tank fill line. There is actually a plastic piece about halfway down the tank, which will prevent you from accidentally removing too much using a syringe by minimizing how far you can put the syringe in.

Boomer

So if I get some DOT3 Ford Spec Prestone...this will be ok?
Or is it a no-no to mix the 2? (its on an 05 GT)


....awww crap... its Synthetic.
I take it, I shouldn't mix the 2...

Scottward

You want to use the DOT 4 stuff as it is more durable and is completely compatible with DOT 3. I personally like Prestone DOT 4, but I'm sure fresh Ford DOT 4 is also good.

2011GT/CS

I was skeptical at first, but I tried it ad wow. The color that came out was like sweet tea!

Here are some before/after photos.

Scottward

Congrats, I would do it once more in about a week since the first time you are only exchanging about 25%. Then as the fluid is maintained in better condition, I would switch to a once every 6 month procedure, depending on how hard you drive the car. Easy maintenance if you ask me for a much improved clutch action.

way2qk4u2c

Yeah i flushed the entire brake system with AMSoil dot 4 fluid and was surprised how red/orange the fluid was within a short time of having the vehicle.

I need to do the clutch fluid now but really aggravated that it doesnt have a bleeder valve anywhere. it would have been so much easier if this was the case.

Has anyone tried to take the clutch hose off by the trans and drained most of it out and then replenish the line with new fluid?

MRGTX

Cool...I'll do this too. Looks like a worthwhile bit of maintainence.

Plus....youre left with a handy tool for cooking when you're done!

2011GT/CS

Yeah, I think I'll check it again in a week or so. I would flush, then drive it. Pump brakes and clutch 20 times. And flush. I think I did it 4 times.

Just remember everyone, DON'T USE DOT5!!! it won't mix haha

Fat Boss

Will my Mighty Vac and a small draw tube work on this? I'm just going to draw the fluid out of the reservoir right? My plan is to draw out the reservoir, pour in some Super Blue DOT 4 from RaceShopper.com http://www.raceshopper.com/ate_brake_fluid.shtml and also force more Super Blue through my new bleeder from Motive http://store.motiveproducts.com/blac...-0118-p82.aspx I hope this is the right one. They sell Super Blue too.

Once you flush it all through you see blue. Next flush you use the same formula with an amber color. Easy to tell when it's all flushed.

Question. Is there an easy way to flush the line to the clutch slave cyl? I'm guessing no, but would be nice to get that fluid too.

After that I'm going to hit my brake duct kit.

Fat Boss

This thread needs a

97GT12

Yes, a mity vac should work. I can't see why it wouldn't. just use it the same as would be done on the brakes. I haven't bought a service manual yet or spent a lot of time under the '12 yet.

I've cleaned out master cylinders on cars that haven't gotten brake fluid flushes with a turkey baster or a mity vac on different occasions. It's just quicker to change it over in the reservoir and then bleed it through some times.

Shaun@AED

I used a mighty fax and, sucked out the entire reservoir, refilled and pumped the clutch 25-30 time, then repeated. Clutch material was in the fluid.
I then bleed the brakes. Passenger rear was fully contaminated for some reason.

I'm thinking about installing a seperate clutch reservoir to ensure the systems don't affect each other.

A smokey burnout at the track makes for poor clutch and brake feel. I have to pump the clutch before staging.

Fat Boss

Thanks guys! I'm hitting an open track day at Laguna Seca on the 25th and want to flush it all out by then.

InsidiousGT

Excellent suggestion. This procedure is definitely keeping my shifts crisp after several visits to the track.

Fat Boss

The mighty vac worked great. I used the Motive bleeder to flush the brakes and a Motive catch bottle which caught all of the fluid that was left over. It's all blue now.

Laguna Seca:

Faster Lap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ald7hSDMDwU

Slower Lap with a little spin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZC4UuyxHXM





And the blue comes out.