Everton

Weekend to change the original brake master cylinder as well as clutch master and slave cylinder on 2000 A6 2.7T with 265K miles on the odometer. Yesterday changed the master brake and clutch now moving on to clutch slave. Have removed the drivers side drive shaft as well as the heat shield around inner CV joint. Now I am here, I am asking, "how the hell am I going to get the slave out"; can only see the hard hydraulic line. Is this a project "by feel" only? Any worthwhile advise would be appreciated.

georgeb944

This procedure from the bentley manual... (I've done it, it works.)

Johnbach

The slave cylinder is attached to the transmission with a single bolt. 10mm I believe. It is a PITA kind of job but possible.

Getting the old out is not hard, but getting the new one is can be hard. You have to depress a spring at you place the new one. Doing that along with securing the bolt is triggy. The slave cylinder should lock in place behind a small tap that hold it in place.

I have worked this from the top of the engine bay om my 2001 2.7. Move the coolant tank out of they way, and you can get a single hand on the slave from the top.

I found it helpful to use the house form the old slave (without the sping) to practice how it goes back in. It provides a good point of reference.

Everton

Will try inserting from top tomorrow. I was trying from bottom tonight, even with white lithium grease on boot as well as the opening in the bellhousing, just could not get thr slave cylinder back in. By far the most difficult/frustrating part of changing master brake, master clutch and clutch slave

Everton

Finally got the new slave cylinder in (from the top). Have done most of the maintenance on this car myself (timing belt, inner and outer CV boots, struts, upper/lower control arms, valve cover gaskets, brake caliper rebuild etc.) which after 20 years I still have a blast driving when given the opportunity; have actually passed car on to my son a H.S. Senior. Of all that I have done, this clutch slave cylinder definitely takes the award for "biggest PITA job". Will see if all is well after I Power Bleed in a day or two. The replacement clutch cylinder had a white boot, the original boot being black. Tried for a few days to get the new cylinder and boot in to no avail; finally put the old boot on new cylinder and it went in. Don't know if the black boot is just a few mils thinner than the white, but the ID of the opening and the OD of the boot on the actual cylinder body is very tight.