I have a 95 4runner with over 300,00 miles. Had a new clutch installed 4/2016 and new master and slave installed 8/2016. The pedal is very soft now and I'm getting high rpm's at 65mph in 5th gear, especially towing' in fact I noticed the rpm needle fluctuating between 3500 and 4000 the other morning after the rig had sat for a couple weeks. Running 3000+ rpm during normal driving. Is this most likely just a fluid level problem ? I've adjusted the screw at the pedal almost all the way out to no noticeable difference. My reservoir level is about 3/8" below the rim and I noticed wetness on the line at a connection and bracket about a foot above the slave cylinder .Should I bleed the system and keep the reservoir filled to the top for starters or are there other steps I should try first?Thanks for your time

 

Wetness on the line and soft pedal, sounds like you could have a leak between master and slave, so yeah I'd get that fixed. Filling up the reservoir is only going to keep you from running dry but won't help the soft pedal...you can try bleeding (assuming there is no leak), but if you've got a leak it won't just get better by bleeding. As for the rpms being high while towing, when you are running 65 in 5th gear, the clutch hydraulics are no longer doing anything (assuming your foot is not on the pedal), so if you suspect the clutch is slipping then you could have a worn disc or a worn out pressure plate.

 

Bleeding:
http://web.archive.org/web/201102052.../3bleeding.pdf

 

Thanks guys, I've studied bleeding videos on youtube and feel confident in that process so I'll probably try that to see if the master is struggling with air in the lines or low fluid level. With new master and slave installed by a reputable mechanic I assume the line is good,although I'm continuing to test the system for leaks.Clutch and flywheel were put in by an Aamco shop and the clutch was very tight and responsive for a while but has been soft for some time now and the high rpm's started just this past spring. With 300,000 mi. I dont really want to bring it to someone who will charge me a fortune to figure this out so I appreciate your imput here. Thank you

 

The high rpms can't be due to clutch bleeding. The clutch is held engaged by the pressure plate, and doesn't rely on any hydraulics for that. If you're getting high rpms (which I assume mean you think the clutch is slipping) it sounds like an installation problem. (or a problem that has developed after installation).

Mine is an automatic, and has a cover at the front of the transmission below the engine. If you have something similar, removing that cover will let you look at the bottom of the flywheel. If you remove that cover and a bunch of bolts fall out, that might be a clue.

 

I just went to a mechanic and he test drove it and said he could not feel any slipping going on and didn't seem to think that there was a problem I should be concerned about. I'll continue to monitor but perhaps it's all in my head...hitting 4000 rpm in 4th gear while towing close to 1000lbs seemed a bit high to me and the normal driving conditions in 5th gear doing 60mph with 3100 rpm seemed a lot but I'll just see what happens....Thanks for your time.

 

Do you have stock tire size? 4k rpm in 4th should be 80mph. stock clutch is only 900lbs and 500Kg tow ......... something is not right.

 

tires are 235 75 15 at 40 psi

 

Tach times 2 = mph; the tires make a slight difference. But you are slipping under load and as it gets hot it slips more. need a bigger clutch with more spring pressure.