I havea 96 S-10 4x4 with a 5 speed manual transmission.
when depressing the clutch i feel almost no resistance until almost half way to the floor.
i can still shift gears but its difficult at times.
i checked the fluid level in the reservoir, the fluid level is at the right amount but the fluid is very black and there is a black dirty film all over the inside of the reservoir.

why would the fluid be so dirty?

should i have the entire clutch system flushed as a first fix or is this a hydraulic cylinder replacement job?
i'm thinking it is not working properly because all the black crud in the fluid has probably plugged something.
will flushing the whole system unplug whatever is pluged or is it a waste of time and go for the cylinder replacement?

thank you!,

 

It might just need bled. If you are going to do that, you might as well flush it. It is easy to do and very benneficial. I would try that before you spend the money.

 

If you're still having problems after you bleed the system, I would suspect the pressure plate being worn out. Just a thought.

 

ok...thank you for the responses.
I'd like to try the flush first then.
its only got a lil over 44,000 miles on it, i usually only drive it in our Michigan winters, love that 4WD!
it sits most of the summer so its probably collected moisture.
how do i go about flushing it?
i dont see where the bleed port is.