190 Clutch Pedal. OOH! Scary.

[jack-n-gill]

Hi All
My 190 2.0 manual, 1989 vintage has developed a nasty habit. This morning I was reversing out of the drive when the clutch pedal dropped to the floor without my foot on it!!. Needless to say I couldn't disengage the clutch and, with the auto choke keeping the revs up at 1500, this was seriously scary. I had to punch the gear lever into neutral and hit the brakes. I lifted the clutch pedal with my toe and all was well again. Leaving work it did the same again.
Has anybody got any suggestions as to what is happening and is there a simple remedy?

 

[jaques2k]

The MB clutch is a hydraulic one, and after some years the hydraulic cylinder gets worn (or at least the rubber seals in it), and it starts to leak inside the cylinder. The best thing you can do is to get a repair kit for that one (not very expensive), and if you are handy fix it by yourself. Otherwise, leave it to the repairman (I did so)... Good luck!

 

[jack-n-gill]

All done and working fine.

Hi guys
Thanks to Jaques2k and Motardman for their help.
I bought a manual (Haynes, not gearbox) and a second hand master cylinder for the clutch and set to work. The old cylinder was leaking from the piston seal and there was a pool of brake fluid under the carpet. This had disolved the sound deadening material on the floor pan. What a mess??? Anyway, in the end I found it easier to remove the pedal assembly than to try to remove the master cylider with the pedals in place. Put the new cylinder on, bled the system and it's ok now.
Anybody know why they put the clutch slave cylinder in a place where you can't turn the bleed screw more then half a spanner flat at a time?? :?