Technical Clutch part - what is this?

[RoverDog]

Hi all,
Trying to find out what this part is on my tjet 2008. It is mounted on the firewall between the clutch master and slave. Got a huge big crack in second photo. Leaking so no clutch.
Some info ot a part no will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[the green vanper]

Hello,

I don't know if you're familiar with ePER. It's a FIAT spare parts catalogue.

You can find the link on the bottom of the forum banner. The search window is top left of the screen. You can browse by models and categories, but also search with the VIN numer. It shall then display only the corresponding part numbers.

One of the categories is clutch, here's a diagram of a 2008 Bravo:

18101/00 - CLUTCH RELEASE CONTROL

FIAT NUOVA BRAVO (2007-2009)

eper.fiatforum.com

I can't really find the part which looks like the one on your photos, but perhaps you'll be able to get a more specific diagram with the VIN of your car.

 

[RoverDog]

Hello,

I don't know if you're familiar with ePER. It's a FIAT spare parts catalogue.

You can find the link on the bottom of the forum banner. The search window is top left of the screen. You can browse by models and categories, but also search with the VIN numer. It shall then display only the corresponding part numbers.

One of the categories is clutch, here's a diagram of a 2008 Bravo:

18101/00 - CLUTCH RELEASE CONTROL

FIAT NUOVA BRAVO (2007-2009)

eper.fiatforum.com

I can't really find the part which looks like the one on your photos, but perhaps you'll be able to get a more specific diagram with the VIN of your car.

Hello,

Thanks for that. This is most helpful. Mine is a right hand drive so the piping is different. The part in question is in the picture but not listed on the right. I made a bypass part with 2 female connectors and a short piece of pipe crimped. Will test it soon and see if I can spot the difference in function.

 

[the green vanper]

Searching with the VIN number should give you only the correct diagrams and parts. Others should be hidden by default.

Then, usually you can swap the driver's position on the diagrams, but this one has only one of them:

GD or GDX vs. GS or GSX (guida destra = right / guida sinistra = left). It applies to the driver's position in the car, not the side of the road one drives. So, the GDX should be good for right hand drive cars driving on the left side of the road

Just checked again with the VIN of my van and it says GSX, which is correct.

The part not being listed on the right hand side list suggests it was not sold separetely.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Hi all,
Trying to find out what this part is on my tjet 2008. It is mounted on the firewall between the clutch master and slave. Got a huge big crack in second photo. Leaking so no clutch.
Some info ot a part no will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
View attachment 457730View attachment 457731

Looks very much like a hydraulic damper to me. If it is then it probably contains a diaphragm which has air/nitrogen/a gas of some sort on one side of it and the brake fluid on the other. It's purpose is to smooth out the action of the clutch pedal and make it more progressive - can also stop/reduce vibrations from the clutch, when the pedal is depressed, being felt at the pedal.

Over the years I've thrown away a number of these, but not this particular design, and substituted a length of plain pipe just to get the clutch working and really never noticed much difference. I did away with the cheap plastic one on my boy's 1.4 8 valve Punto and it worked absolutely fine without it.

 

[RoverDog]

Thanks for all the replies. I replaced the unknown part with a short length of brake hose with 2 female fittings and bled the clutch line. The clutch feels fine and no more leaks. Will road test and report back as soon as my other brake parts arrive.

 

[RoverDog]

I can report back that the bypass in the picture below works just fine. Clutch feels normal and engage and disengage really well. I have no idea what the unknown parts purpose is.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I can report back that the bypass in the picture below works just fine. Clutch feels normal and engage and disengage really well. I have no idea what the unknown parts purpose is.

View attachment 458495

It's almost certainly a damper, as I described above. Being a bit of a pessimist, I often cause myself endless "angst" worrying about the outcome of doing a modification like this. As I mentioned, I've replaced a number of these, on various different makes of car, over the years and never had a problem with how the clutch then worked. I do remember wondering that if this device works as I think it does - So it's a chamber with a diaphragm bisecting it. brake fluid on one side and either a spring or gas of some sort on the other. The line from the clutch master cylinder goes into the "wet" side and exits to the slave from the same side, In other words the fluid "passes through". When the clutch pedal is depressed the increased pressure acts against the diaphragm which deflects against the spring/gas and so absorbs/damps the applied force on the slave cylinder - Thinking about this it's logical to assume that this reduces the stroke of the slave cylinder compared to the master as some of the fluid entering the damper will stay in the damper to compensate for the deflection of the diaphragm. The first time I replaced one of these with a piece of metal brake pipe I worried that, because no fluid would remain in the damper, it might cause the slave to extend further than it is designed to and so cause the release arm to over extend thus possibly pushing the release bearing too deeply into the clutch diaphragm fingers and thus causing damage. I'm very glad to say that none of the ones I've done suffered damage and the clutches worked normally, arguably with a more positive clutch action than before when the damper was in place.

What I've never been able to understand is why such a device is needed in the first place? Valeo have a very interesting website all about it if you want to read more about it and there are others too. They all say it's to damp out vibrations felt in the clutch pedal caused by the engine/transmission.

 

[RoverDog]

What I've never been able to understand is why such a device is needed in the first place? Valeo have a very interesting website all about it if you want to read more about it and there are others too. They all say it's to damp out vibrations felt in the clutch pedal caused by the engine/transmission.

I think it may also have something to do with slowing down then engagement of the clutch during an aggressive clutch dump. May be a bit less stress on the gearbox. But it certainly feel very positive and make it easier to modulate the clutch during hill starts and slow maneuvering.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I think it may also have something to do with slowing down then engagement of the clutch during an aggressive clutch dump.

To "nanny" incompetent drivers?