So during the last few weeks I've seen some fluid on the inside of the plastic covers under the front hood. The pentosin tank looks like it's been leaking fluid and I've been wiping that thing off, but the cap is tight.

Handing the car in to a shop for an exhaust he said there was a puddle under the front/center of the car two days later. I suppose this is the famous pentosin leak caused by a bad slave valve or unthreaded accumulator? The car has 24000 miles. Nice OEM engineering on that one...

I told him to wipe off and be really careful with that fluid. Should I have him drain out a bunch of Pentosin overall so it won't leak at the rear as well, since the car is going on dyno tomorrow or Thu?

Can I drain it all and clutch will still disengage - just be heavy?

Thankful for quick solid answers since I don't want a leak at the rear on full power runs but I also want to make sure the clutch works!

 

Seached all postes.

The core question is:

Does the clutch still work if I drain the pentosin out?

 

Yes, but remember this fluid is migrating from the steering pump. So you have to top up the steering pump reservoir.... And keep an eye to prevent the overfilling of the clutch reservoir because this fluid fall onto a wire bundle just under the reservoir ....(That's what I did for over a month before I received my new slave) You will need a new slave asap part# 996 116 237 52 and at the same time you should replace the accumulator part#996 314 166 00....

 

I'm not 100% sure of the answer to this specific question, but I did have this problem (it was the accumulator) and as it gets worse, the clutch starts to grab higher and higher. It becomes quite difficult to drive the car. So my guess is that draining all of the pentosin out will make it not work at all. It doesn't become a mechanical clutch.

 

Ok, I was not sure if it was based on regular hydraulic oil and then the pentosin was a helper medium for the assist function, but then I know now how it runs.

Thx for part numbers, I have my parts lined up for the full GT2 slave conversion, already in a box in the shop, incl bracket, hose, slave, master, just got to get those two plugs for the pump hoses (any hints where to get those and exact dimensions?).

Just to summarize from all pentosin threads:

Accumulator unthreads = leak in engine bay?

Accumulator "breaks" (please fill in someone) =

Rear reservoir leak/overflow = does this happen and how?

Overflow/Greasy Pentosin reservoir at left front = faulty slave valve?

Leak coming out from plastic "pan" under front of car? (front pentosin reservoir?)

 

You are a lot braver{is that the right word} than I. I would not run the car until this leak was completely fixed, after reading about Pentosin fires.

 

This is from my personal experience and also I completely dismantle the slave to found out the way it work and also dismantle an accumulator....My conclusions are:

Just to summarize from all pentosin threads:

Accumulator unthreads = leak in engine bay? : no, leaks under the center of the car in the transmission area were the accu is located

Accumulator "breaks" (please fill in someone) = Won't get clutch assist at idle.... Or harder to depress...

Rear reservoir leak/overflow = does this happen and how? damaged to power steering pump (whistling noise from the pump) Tsb#4897

Overflow/Greasy Pentosin reservoir at left front = faulty slave valve? yes, slave

Leak coming out from plastic "pan" under front of car? (front pentosin reservoir?)[/QUOTE] same as before???

The slave is only there to take the pressure from the clutch master cylinder (form the clutch pedal) and the pressure from the steering pump to make the clutch pedal less hard to depress....

 

We are talking about two different problem here. The leak is not into the engine compoartment due to a faulty steering pump check valve TSB# 4897. But I agree driving with a leak on a car should be prevented....

 

jpflip awesome info!

Ok, I have grease on my front reservoir which has been there for a little while, so I understand my slave valve is shot causing this to overflow.

2nd, I also had a "puddle" under the middle of the car starting the other day after dropping the car off to the shop making the exhaust. It COULD be coming from the accumulator cuz the shop said it's from the "pan" under the car and it seems too much to me to be only coming dripping down from the front reservoir. This could be another effect from the faulty valve, that it blew the accumulator.

So in my understanding I don't have an issue with pentosin leaking over the engine area at least.

BUT, I would not drive it like this for possible residue greasing the whole bottom of the car and ending up on my turbos, unless I knew it was dry again.

So plastic "pans" off, and hose down properly.

The car is planned to roll 4 blocks to a dyno at 20mph, on Thursday.
Then be hung up in the wheel hubs on a dyno for a few power runs (not tune yet).

On Friday, as these dyno runs are done, my car is going on a lift for 2WD conversion and GT2 clutch slave conversion. It just has to see the dyno as a 4WD car before it goes 2WD.

Is there a way I can do the dyno and still use the clutch, but w/o the accumulator getting re-filled/leaking down under the car? Or does this now happen as soon as I start the engine?

 

Not planning to drive it until I know it's not leaking, it's on a lift now and it will maximum run 3-4 blocks lowspeed IF I can dry it out and clean up and run with heavy clutch and NO more leaks.

Could also do clutch slave conversion where it is right now but it's not in my shop and I don't know how long it'd take to do it following the diy...

 

Is there a way I can do the dyno and still use the clutch, but w/o the accumulator getting re-filled/leaking down under the car? Or does this now happen as soon as I start the engine?[/QUOTE]

Again this is my personal opinion...
Difficult question. After looking under the car, if there is only a little leak, I don't see why not. But remember to often check the clutch reservoir (front reservoir) for overfilling. Your clutch should be fine for the dyno day!

 

I would suggest two courses of action first...

And forgive me if I missed this, but, please first follow the procedures in the owners manual for checking the fluid level on the power steering reservoir. You do NOT, repeat NOT want to overfill it. If you do, it will flow forward, thru the checkvalve in the slave cylinder, and then puke out the cap at the clutch mastercylider, like happened here. Thats what you need to do first... Second, I'd bleed the system once you confirm you've got the proper leve of fluid in the powersteering pump.

Then you'll be fine to just drive it to and do the dyno. You don't sound like you had a leak. Sounds like it was overfilled.

Oh, and flush that pentosin from under that cover real well... It's nasty stuff and will eat all rubber it comes into contact with.

Mike

 

Thanks Mikelly for input! As always makes sense.

I don't know why it started to overflow in the front reservoir, I haven't changed anything since I bought the car soon 1 year ago, not filled or anything but yet I've seen a little of this fluid traces up here during the last couple of months. Air maybe in the system?

About "the leak" / puddle - it turned out that my accumulator was dry as a ... match. Nothing there whatsoever looking wet.

However.. and haha it was a good b-day gift once I got to the shop and got the plastic underbody pans off - it turned out that when I put the coilovers on a few days ago, I didn't snap the front halfshafts back all the way in (both sides) so it was a bit front diff oil leaking out from when taking turns, oil ending up in the underpan and making a nice wet puddle. I recognized the ugly smell right away. Snapped the shafts back in fully and just cleaned up all the pans, all nice and dry! Not enough loss imo to need a refill either for a few power runs on the dyno. Diff goes out (forever) on Saturday, can't wait to do this.

However, still have some Pentosin residue around the front reservoir.

So consider this thread closed until someone else has trouble and searches for the above list of pentosin issues.

MANY THANKS to all you chiming in with experience and info.

Next focus, I got a shot and data from my exhaust build in progress but that will be in this thread:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ible-gain.html