Clutch pedal feels very strange and inconsistent?

[AZZKICKER]

Hey guys I have noticed on my 94 S4 Esprit that after the clutch fluid warms up that the pedal will engage very near the floor. After I let it cool it will seem to engage much higher, and with more athority.

Do you guys think there is an issue with the hydraulics, fluids being too hot, or a slave cylinder problem?

Like I said it gets worse after hard stop and go driving. It didnt even want to disengauge the clutch disk last night until I let it sit for awhile and cool off, and then everything was great.

Anyways thanks for the help!

Andy

[madmike]

Andy,

I'll be talking to you later tonight, but I'll post a reply here. I believe I remember you saying that your car doesn't have a SS clutch line installed yet. If that's the case, you would want to look into that. Read the esprit fact file section on it.

I am currently having an issue with my tranny...grinding second gear. When I first got it, the car would shift easily from first to second at 5K RPM. Now it will grind at about 4K, or even less if the day is hot enough. I'll talk to you more about all this later.

[lotusman]

As you have found out by now, you have "Red Hose Syndrome". I live in Louisiana and had it as well. Wally, at Star Motors in Houston, suggested that the Lotus engine is basically an, "Engine in a Box" and cutting out the right half of the under pan would improve the air flow up the engine. I did so and covered the new holes with riveted in galvanized shop cloth. No more RHS and I have not changed to the braided hose and my engine never overheats.
This is basically the same cooling method that Peter Stevens put in the McLaren F1.