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[cover]

I have a 1980 Datsun pickup that's been a jewel of a pickup UNTIL MY
KID started driving it... :-)

The clutch is suddenly slipping pretty badly even though it appears to
have good pedal action/play (you wouldn't guess there would be an
issue based on the clutch pedal play).

I attribute this issue to either oil having gotten onto the clutch
disk OR some issue with the hydraulic clutch mechanism.

It's had a small oil leak for sometime now. The kid at Walmart who
looked at it from the pit underneath thought it was a rear main seal
leaking which might explain oil on the clutch disk causing the
slippage.

I've changed a lot of clutches myself years ago in my hotrods but have
never done anything like this on a Datsun so am wondering if these
little pickups are difficult to work on, whether 'special' tools are
involved and in general, if it's something I should find an
experienced 'datsun' mechanic to work on (having no idea what the
level of difficulty might be on a little foreign job. TIA for any
replies...

[pater]

If you've done a clutch or 2 in your time, dont be scared. If it's 2wd
it'll be a snap, 4x4 just more time. Had the same headache once & the
problem turned out to be the driver (my 16 yr. old son trying to do
burnouts without knowing how) If it's oil, so be it, if it's burnt up,
make sure he knows how to properly work the thing or, as I did, make
him pay for the parts. Ain't had a problem since. My daughter learned
to drive with a stick & the car still had the same clutch in it when I
sold it 3 years later.