I guess the title says it all, or at least most of it.
Perhaps three years ago the clutch started to feel weird, and then didn't want to return from the floor after being pushed in. This was during a very cold part of the winter, same time of year as now. I bled the slave cylinder, and was a bit surprised to see how much mushy partly crystallized ice/water slurry was in the fluid initially.
The clutch started to feel soft last fall, and I bled it again. No evidence of ice as it was a lot milder in October or November.
Now it's feeling soft again.
My first suspicion is that the slave cylinder is admitting air, and that the correct fix would be to change it out. I wonder if the freezing a few years ago damaged an internal seal. The bleed nipple didn't feel quite right either; it seemed like just a fraction of a turn allowed it to go from sealed to fully open. Perhaps some grease or sealant of some sort around the nipple threads would help.
But assuming that the problem is the slave cylinder, here are the options from Rock Auto:
What do you all recommend (or not recommend)? I'm willing to pay the highest price if the unit is good and provides good service for the next few years.
I'll phone the dealer too, but am prepared for the part to be pretty expensive.
I wonder, too, if the part is fairly universal - I think it would be identical to that used on the Mazda 3 and the Ford Focus equipped with a Duratech 4 and an MT.
Thanks in advance!
Perhaps three years ago the clutch started to feel weird, and then didn't want to return from the floor after being pushed in. This was during a very cold part of the winter, same time of year as now. I bled the slave cylinder, and was a bit surprised to see how much mushy partly crystallized ice/water slurry was in the fluid initially.
The clutch started to feel soft last fall, and I bled it again. No evidence of ice as it was a lot milder in October or November.
Now it's feeling soft again.
My first suspicion is that the slave cylinder is admitting air, and that the correct fix would be to change it out. I wonder if the freezing a few years ago damaged an internal seal. The bleed nipple didn't feel quite right either; it seemed like just a fraction of a turn allowed it to go from sealed to fully open. Perhaps some grease or sealant of some sort around the nipple threads would help.
But assuming that the problem is the slave cylinder, here are the options from Rock Auto:
What do you all recommend (or not recommend)? I'm willing to pay the highest price if the unit is good and provides good service for the next few years.
I'll phone the dealer too, but am prepared for the part to be pretty expensive.
I wonder, too, if the part is fairly universal - I think it would be identical to that used on the Mazda 3 and the Ford Focus equipped with a Duratech 4 and an MT.
Thanks in advance!