Episode 37 2003 Nissan Frontier 2.4 CLUTCH master cylinder replacement

how to replace a Clutch Master cylinder when you car won't go into gear, you depress the clutch and it never fully disengages and you can't get into gear, and reverse grinds. this is on a 2003 Nissan frontier 2.4 KA24DE with a FS5w71C 5 speed transmission.

[@metallord7660]

A year ago my clutch was going acting weird I didn't know what it was so I took it to the shop and they're like yeah your Dot 3 fluid in your hydraulic clutch needs new fluid. They drained the slave cylinder and bam it worked great. I put 35000 miles on this in a year I just looked at the Dot 3 fluid this morning and is black as hell, l need to get it drained and refilled again. Thanks for the video I keep trying to look up videos for different things on these 2003 Frontiers and it's always some other year that's somebody's recorded. Great trucks by the way I've had like 3 (98,99&03).

[@everymanadventures9285]

Thank you for this. My 2001 xterra clutch is doing the same thing. I also put a new slave cylinder in to no avail. This video assured me I’ll be able to replace the master no problem.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

well it could be a bum pressure plate, that was mine, see the future video of the clutch replacement, and you will be like awe man....

[@avocado_trashhhh]

6 years later, i find a video that’s finally the exact thing i needed as a how to tutorial. thank you for explaining it so well, my first manual truck i get to work on but now its a whole new beast to work on. ETA: i do have one question in regards to the slave cylinder, how do i know if and when to change it and how does that get changed?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

slave cyl is easy. i show it in other series of this truck, alot of times what seems as the clutch master, and slave turns out to be a bad pressure plate spring. so make sure you are actually in need of these. i ended up putting my phone on recording a video and depressed the clutch a few times to make sure the slave is moving. so dont doubt the pressure plate.

[@avocado_trashhhh]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration i had a few people check it to tell me it’s in need of a change. the person who owned the truck before me put the clutch master cylinder in before me somehow put it in incorrectly so the clutch wasn’t working properly. but this is extremely helpful because this is like i said a whole new beast. your video was extremely helpful and easy to understand, i genuinely appreciate the video.

[@lorenloomis9029]

Great video, I bought the same replacement cylinder and yes the cap does suck!

[@frooskie5902]

Very helpful video. I have an 04 fronty with the same parts. Thanks for sharing.

[@richjordan86]

Haha that cap is a pain in the ass. Glad im not the only one

[@DaveAaron]

How does the cap come off? I don't want to break it, I was thinking of using a flathead screwdriver. I have a 2000 Nissan Xterra and my clutch is all the way to the floor and need the cap off to put more fluid in.

[@gtmotorsports937]

Dave Aaron that’s how you have to get them off. Once it’s off,look under it. You’ll see two tangs that snap over the reservoir. It is a pain.

[@nickotasla3091]

🤣👍I subscribed with the whole cap thing you can do all sorts of MECHANIC work, but removing a cap, I had TO SUBSCRIBE🤣🤣🤣👍👍.. Bro. Moving on to a serious Note, Thank you for this informational channel. If you know a mechanic close to central florida please let us know. We re here trying to fix this clutch . Thank you.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

thats over 1100 miles from me, i dont know any florida mechanics. sorry!

[@nickotasla3091]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration 😁👍lol...Hey Chris what's up! ..Hey, yesterday spent all day with this clutch bs....I'm at it again.. installed new master cilinder..so the pedal is all the way inside..it wont come back out...could you tell me what's going on here bro? Thanks

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Hows the pressure plate?

[@albuendormir5264]

Many Thanks.

[@leonardallen1787]

I have the 02 version of this truck. Yesterday I thought the brakes were feeling mushy but not bad. Then on the highway I started to brake and the Brake light as well as the ABS lights came on. I pulled over, checked the fluid and it was withing range. I can't find any leaks but the fluid looks awful. I got the truck from my father in law - the original owner - and he said he'd never really had much done except replace pads. I'm pretty sure this is the same fluid put in at the factory when it was made. Could the old fluid be the cause? When I replace it should I replace the fluid in the slave as well? If so, can you point me in the right direction to do that without causing myself more issues? Thanks.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Check for collapsed Hoses and calipers or Drum issues. I would use a old turkey baster and suck out alot of the black fluid and replace it several Times w clean. Even crack a bleeder and gravity bleed while fiiling the resevoir to keep it full

[@kennetharchuleta6256]

I'm having a hard time bleeding the master. I pump the pedal to get pressure and it still slams to the floor, I have the pain in the a$$ cap on the master. Should I try with the cap off? Does it make a difference? The level of fluid does not move. I continue to pump trying to get pressure in the pedal so I can complete the bleeding process but I can't cause I still have no pressure in the master. Any help is appreciated. Tha ks

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Did you bench gleed it first??? If no take the cap off run a tube from the slave to the clutch master cyl. I used air tubing from walmarts fish isle! Fit over the bleeder perf ectly On the clutch master side put a few rubber bands to hold the tube submerged and pump slowly. It will take a while

[@lynperk]

cool

[@marcusalexander8076]

We have the same truck and was wondering if you knew where the clutch slave is

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

yes it is on the passenger side of the transmission, connected with 2 13 mm bolts and a 17mm pressure hose , it pushes on the fork to disengage the clutch allowing you to shift. it should have a bleeder screw on it too

[@dnacannotchange]

Went to the dealer and got the Nissan clutch master cylinder and it barely even seals to the hard line😢😢😢😢When you look inside the threads it's not even the same shape as it was for the original truck supposed to be 😢😢😢😢45 ° flare

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Are you sure they sold you one for a frontier and not an Xterra?

[@dnacannotchange]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration its a d21 hardbody.... The master cylinder looks identical to the original except for inside the threads where the flares goes.... I have been to have some conical brass washers and I use them to for stubborn seals I'm getting used to it....

[@wasatchm]

I have on 01 frontier. so if the clutch pedal goes to the floor (when I push it) and won't come back out then the problem is probably the master slave cylinder? I can't shift gears anymore when it is running and the pedal is pressed to the floor. I can still drive it if I put it in FIRST gear and then push on the clutch pedal before I turn the ignition on. then it will start up and start going in first gear. I notice that even though the clutch pedal is pretty much sticking against the floor, I still have to push on it with my foot while turning the key on to get the vehicle to crank. I did check my brake fluid in the master cylinder and it is close to full. the CAP ON THE NEW ONE IS WHITE just like on yours.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

either one of three things, easy to bad, #1 a collapsed slave cyl hose. they collapse on the inside, pop the cap, press clutch in and out, see if fluid moves, if so OK, #2 slave cyl stuck, again put your phone under truck on record video, press clutch see if moves, #3 broken springs on pressure plate , holding clutch to flywheel.

[@wasatchm]

thanks. I did install a clutch kit (which I believe came with a pressure plate) just 3,000 miles ago (had a car junkie friend help me). so luckily, I don't think the pressure plate could go bad that quick unless we installed something wrong when we installed the clutch kit. I have 330K miles on the truck and haven't had to replace the clutch master or clutch slave cylinder yet. I did notice the slave cylinder is a bit wet around the rubber boot and I can't move it in or out at all.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Then its locked up. Its cheap so you can swap it. Bleeding it is a pita

[@wasatchm]

can't loosen the clutch line nut from the slave cylinder. do u know the best chemical to use to loosen a bolt like that. wd-40 and vinegar sure didn't work? I heard aerokroil works great but I haven't been able to find that locally. maybe heating the nut would be smarter but I don't want to overheat the rubber clutch line and ruin it. thanks

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

@@wasatchm did it come off the other end, heck cut that sucker and replace it or get one with the replacement cylinder. use line wrenches so you dont round it off

[@ronaldnelson]

how did you bleed this thing I am having trouble bleeding my xterra when i touch the clutch it slames to the floor do you think my clutch master is bad

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

i used the handle from my jack or an equivalent 3 foot piece of something to pump my pedal up, then i wedged the handle and scooted my seat up to hold it, then bled, the repeated, took a few times to build up enough pressure.

[@thecarguy8141]

My clutch pedal has absolutely no pressure behind it after I replaced the master and slave cylinder. Can you tell me what I did wrong?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

Did you bleed it? Slave cylinder have a bubble? Does it move at all? Could be air or worse Off you Blew the pressure plate. But it sounds like air

[@thecarguy8141]

It was air. I pulled the line off of the slave cylinder and pumped the clutch pedal and then bled the system once it started building some pressure.

[@poetryofeverymoment1080]

Whats up man. I have a 04 frontier and i replaced master and slave cylinder because my clutch pedal would stay on floor. After replacing ,when i step on the clutch it retracts half way back , i can shift gears but pedal wont go all the way back again. What im i doing wrong. Thanks

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

did you bleed the system properly? sounds like either Air in the system, or the diaphragm spring in the pressure plate is weak from age or old pressure plate

[@poetryofeverymoment1080]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration yes it was air I opened the bleed screw and did it couple times more now is back to normal .. thanks a ton man!!

[@brandonbowers887]

How did you get it to bleed after you first installed it? Because I just installed it on my Nissan frontier the master cylinder and my pedal is still dead all the way to the floor. Not sure what I need to do

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

I gravity bled it

[@brandonbowers887]

@@ChrisEdwardsRestoration ok. Thank you so much. I actually just went back to it after leaving it sit for about three hours and it was popping up fine and held pressure good now so I think that’s what it needed was just a gravity bleed. Thank you so much buddy

[@brandonbowers887]

*pumping

[@stevemadak6255]

That is a line wrench, not a flair tool

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

yeah, sometimes by brain and mouth don't match up. lol

[@JacobLambeCarGuy]

One important question is do you know JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR?

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

of course

[@dnacannotchange]

yes- And I don't take bribes..... That's why my car is 30 years old and I can barely shift the gears after a couple of days and have to bleed again...... If only I could imagine what it would be like if I had it said yes to those free cars I guess I'd be feeling worse It's hard to figure all this out