Change NC master and slave clutch cylinders

Technical Area Engine, Transmission, Exhaust etc
1
  1. My model of MX-5 is: 2008 mk3
  2. I’m based near: Chelmsford
  3. I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: Changing the master and slave clutch cylinders

Hi, I just have a few questions regarding the changing of the master and slave clutch cylinders in a mk3. Most the guides are for NA/NBs so a few things are different.

  1. How do you drain the master cylinder? On the older cars with a seperate reservoir people just remove the fluid from there, and then take it off. But with the NC I am not sure what the proper way to drain that is.

  2. Does it matter if the new and old fluid mix? Because I don’t want to drain the brakes as well, I will be adding new fluid with the older fluid. Is this ok?

3)What’s the best way to access the slave on the NC? On the NAs and NBs it seems really obvious and easy to access, but with atleast my car you can’t see it through the wheel well. Access through the bottom also doesn’t look that easy.

2

Theres an american chap on youtube called Colored in Light who does a video of both which may be worth a look.

3

I had a look and it was quite helpful for the slave, but on the master one he doesn’t show any of the process. Just the new one installed.

4

Try this

5

Thanks! That seems to clear a lot up. The only question related to that is with this line “Then I disconnected the supply line going to the master cylinder and turned it up so I would not lose fluid out of the reservoir.”. Is that the fluid will pour out until it is upturned. How bad is DOT fluid to have in the engine bay? I guess I could just stuff the area around it with rags.

6

It tends to remove paint so some plastic sheet and absorbent rags woul be good

7

Just found this: CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER REMOVAL/INSTALLATION

It does just say remove the pipe, no mention of emptying the reservoir first. Seems sketchy but I guess it should work. Because a third of the tank is walled off for the clutch reservoir I could empty that section into a bottle without air getting into the brake system? That would then allow me to switch out the rubber pipe at the same time.