Ford Volvo Mazda Clutch Pedal Stuck Down or Dragging Fluid Leak Explained and cheap repair

If your Transit / Fiesta /C30 / s40 clutch pedal does not return or it is impossible to select a gear or the car starts to creep forward than this little blighter is very likely to be your problem. Investigation and repair.

[@tommyhanlon8012]

Good to see you again Mr.Magic. Hope you had a good Christmas, & best of luck for the new year.

[@razenby]

Hi Tommy. Many thanks. Have a great 2023. I will be back posting soon. I have been distracted by a design contract

[@noanyobiseniss7462]

Built in obsolescence, its what materials engineers are getting paid to do these days. Goal is for everything to have to be replaced on a schedule. Its easy to see this will lead to when manufacturing delays stack up all civilization will fall. Building our own destruction one profit motive at a time.

[@razenby]

I could not have stated it better myself. Thanks for watching.

[@brianfearn4246]

Great video, i had a similar problem with a Austin ambassador about 30 years ago it had a shared dual clutch & break servo in which the clutch connection was always leaking so i managed to get a slightly oversized pipe & Union made and bypassed the servo which stopped the problem.

[@razenby]

Thanks for watching.... This design is a real triumph of stupid cost cutting over common sense...

[@hugokrawczyk8927]

Thanks, new CMC was leaking, just realized that this seal was stuck in the old one..

[@razenby]

Interesting. Thanks for watching.

[@tomsumner7746]

Been having trouble with the clutch only returning half way occasionally in my 08 Mazda 5. Will have a look into this 👍🏻

[@razenby]

If the Mazda uses the same naff union then it could be. I just came across this problem it on an AUDI A5. They use the same crap LUK design. The master cylinder only displaces a teaspoon of fluid so leaks can be hard to spot. They seem to leak more when parked - I guess because the seal isn't under pressure so it relaxes and weeps. Good luck with it.

[@calholli]

Banjo bolts only cost a few dollars. I I don't know why companies try to reinvent these connections, when we know how to make them work indefinitely; and if your banjo bolt leaks, you simply change the little copper washer and it's back to 100%. smh. It's so annoying to see them turn everything to trash, just to shave off a dollar per part.

[@razenby]

I agree, I have been lamenting the loss of a simple flared fitting with threaded not or the old Banjo. I have been working with other designers for many years and frankly most of them make thoughtless decisions. The design tolerances might work when the injection tooling is new but not with glass-reinforced plastic injection worn tooling. There is no accountability- we are expected to buy a $2 shitty pipe for $60 to try and fix the problem.

[@carolinewells4355]

This video helped my son and I

[@razenby]

Hi Caroline. Good to know. It is a very annoying problem. Such a shame that they cost-reduced the assembly to the point where is is a common failure point.... Thanks for watching. Susbscribe if you can.

[@kitecattestecke2303]

Please do not rest clutch/brake fluid pieces on paint, it will eat the paint and create rust :-/ The pipe looks standard but this is truly a good info, leaking clutch could be dangerous for the brake booster system! So thank you

[@razenby]

Thanks. Good reminder. I remember the old cellulose car paint used to be affected by the old mineral brake fluid. The modern lacquer seems to be impervious.

[@richardrichard5409]

No longer the case, hadn't been for ages. Silicon based fluid on lacquer😎

[@qwerrrz202]

This is great! Guess what, my V50 just started it again today. Ill check this tomorrow, because we've just bled the clutch about a month ago.

[@razenby]

Yeh the old problem. The old ford focus hose is a 25% of the price fits with a bit of bending and has the metal connectors and O rings that just don't leak. I since did a friends car who was complaining that it had happened several times over the 5 years that he has owned the car. Once it was misdiagnosed as a master cylinder failure. In total over £500 this stupid problem. If you want to confirm the leak then wash off any brake fluid from the union at the slave cylinder with brake cleaner. let it dry and then wrap the connection in a paper towel,. Operate the clutch a few times and then retrieve the towel and you will probably see a few drops of fluid. It is a shitty design. I put up with it for a couple of years until I fixed it for good and now it is just fine. They don't sell the rubber seal on the end of the pipe as a separate item. Criminal. Good luck.

[@tennisfitapp]

Hi did you manage to fix it! My V50 also every now and then just stays stuck half way through… 😮🤦‍♂️ we changed fluid liquid but seema same problem.. thanka for any good tip!

[@roylewis5772]

Do you know the part number for the old focus part that you can manipulate to fit please bud? If not, thanks for the info 👍

[@kitecattestecke2303]

Is it possible to clean the entrance and JB Weld the old metal pipe to the plastic? Why is there a coupling in the first place when you go to rigid pipe and then to flexible tube? Makes no sensor to have no steel pipe with threading and a flange like classic brake line ;)

[@razenby]

Good question. I was unable to ascertain if the leak was between the plastic collect and the pipe wall or around the outer perimeter of the seal and the orifice in the slave cylinder. You can tell this is a big issue by the sheer volume of listings and sales of this part on eBay. I considered JB welding the pipe to the collet to eradicate the the possibility of that leak rout but in the end decided to make a modified pipe fitting out of brass and Tin/Silver solder it to the pipe. There is something very iffy about the design of this fitting.

[@zx8401ztv]

Ooow i expected a screw in metal fitting like a hydraulic disk brake uses. I hate plastic, a pile of poo lol. I hope you had a decent xmas with no illness. Keep tinkering :-D

[@razenby]

I agree, a nice, nut flange flare Banjo or Olive to connect the slime tube wouldn't be too much to ask . A stupid design worthy of a $2 water pistol...

[@jasonking1948]

Think i have this problem on my ford grand cmax. Car is fine on short runs, then last week on a long drive to cornwall, put foot on clutch and at services and it buried itself to the floor and stalled the car......several breakdowns later we finally made it there. Then bled clutch again,and all fine on short trips around cornwall, then drove home, same again about 1/2mile from home. Cant see any leaks but want this fixing asap, as i cant keep breaking down on every longer trip. How muxh would it cost to get plastic part replaced with a metal part?

[@razenby]

It sounds very l likely. To confirm diagnosis just wash off the union on the slave cylinder with brake cleaner to remove any oil or fluid and then wrap it is a dry piece of kitchen towel. Drive around for a while and check the tissue for oil. It only needs to leak a few milliliters to cause an issue. What year is your CMAX? I am not sure what year Ford transitioned to the cheap plastic part. Have a look and see if you have a metal end or a plastic one. If you send me a photo of the part to replace it I can advise. [e-mail]

[@rosstucker3554]

Hi mate is there anychance you could make one of these pipes

[@razenby]

Have you got the old one out of the vehicle?

[@paddydobbs2318]

have you got a link to buy any of the metal unions?

[@razenby]

Yes you can buy an old Fiesta clutch pipe for about 15 quid and it is complete with two metal unions. Cut off, drill then solder. Take the O ring off before you solder it. Flush with brake cleaner and you are done. I have done several of them for frustrated Ford owners.

[@paulmuff9883]

Nice mod 😊👍👍

[@razenby]

Cheers, I'm, just finishing up a design contract. i will make more content for the channel soon.

[@GameCornerYT]

Can it leak at the middle which connects the two hoses?

[@razenby]

I guess it can leak anywhere but I have never seen a leak at the junction

[@paddydobbs2318]

and if the clutch is stuck down, will this be why my xc60 wont go into gear also?

[@razenby]

Yes, the clutch is engaged so the input shaft to the gearbox is turning so you cant get past the synchromesh. If you push hard it will grind.

[@bfitribegear]

Wow , I’m from Leicester and I can have any chance to help me with this?

[@razenby]

No, sorry I am an electronics engineer by trade. If you take the car to a local mechanic then bring his attention to this video. If he isn't aware of the problem he could waste a lot of time and your money. Better modify the union than to try and get the crappy design to seal properly . It is a real recurring problem on this model.

[@fairburn1008df5]

I would pay you good money the part if you wanted to make one

[@razenby]

Ill take look at that. Might see if I can get some made,