1G Can't get clutch to fully bleed!

[gusu]

I am getting extremely annoyed. I have tried several methods.

I have recently changed out my slave and master just as a FYI (slave first because I thought it was that).

Here is a list.

1. Had my GF pump the clutch 25 times (someone suggested it and I was out of ideas), then hold it, then I opened the bleeder with a vac line attached to it with a bottle of brake fluid on it. NOTHING comes out and YES the slave DOES move.

2. Opened the bleeder SLIGHTLY to the point where if I farted on it it would have been closed again, and had her pump the clutch. This got VERY little clutch pressure, enough to be stiff for about 1/2 an inch. I could never get more than this and it would stick on its way back out the slave would also move slowly on its way back.

3. I tried gravity bleeding which was total BS since I can't get pressure to squirt fluid out it of course didn't work.

4. Tried method 2 as my bleeding method, when the minor bit of pressure built up I removed the cap on the master and watched for bubbles as I pushed the slave in with the bleeder closed to try to push air out through the master. After about 50 pumps I figured that no air was left anywhere near the master at all.

5. Opened it just a bit but much more than method 2, then I tried pumping it to gain pressure. It didn't work however it did work before after I changed the slave?

All of these attempts had a bottle with fluid and a hose attached to the bleeder and again the only method building pressure is method 2. All of these methods mentioned cause air bubbles to come out and eventually it does stop bubbling but I don't gain pressure (except for method 2).

 

[pbwu1f]

Double check the lines. Maybe the lines aren't all the way in.

 

[Infamous33]

Have you tried bleeding the master at the line??? I am talking right at the master cylinder.
If you have air trapped in the clutch master, you won't make any pressure and it could take a few weeks and a football team worth of legs to pump all the air out.
Pump the clutch 4-5 times and crack the line at the master loose. Do that until you no longer hear air squeezing out of the line, then go down and re-bleed at the slave.
GL, and follow up

 

[kchaazz]

First, don't pump the clutch pedal, as this will only mix more air into the fluid. (Brake master cylinders have a valve in them to prevent this somewhat, but not the clutch master).

To get started, hook your vacuum line to the bleeder as you have done, and insert the end of the line into your container with the fluid in it. Now, grab the end of the clutch fork where the slave rod is hooked up and push the fork over so that it is pushing the rod into the slave. When you cant push the rod any further, crack the bleeder and see if you get some air out.

If air comes out, close the bleeder and release the fork, allowing the slave rod to return to its resting position. If you cannot move the fork easily by hand, then your adjustment rod on the pedal assembly is out too far and it is blocking the relief valve in the master cylinder and you must correct this before you do anything else.

The method I am describing works really well to get fluid into the slave initially. Once you get fluid into the slave, you can resume bleeding by having your friend push and hold the clutch pedal to the floor whilst you operate the bleeder on the slave.

 

[Ppayer38]

I had the same issue this week and could not get mine to work so I changed methods ans it worked perfect! Clutch is bled and I've got great full pedal!!

Watch the jacks transmission video to adjust the master rod.... After you adjust master rod then bleed again!!

Step I used...
1. Remove cap and keep it off during bleeding
2. Fill with fluid
3. Attach vaccum hose to bleeder(do not out it into a bucket of fluid)
4. Have a buddy push pedal to the floor and hold it
5. You crack the bleeder and let air/fluid out then close it
6. Have buddy pull pedal up and and repeat until you get good pedal
7. Refill master after about 3-4 times then do the whole process 3 times
8. Put cap back on and pump pedal... No more than 3/4"-1" of play at top of pedal
9. Make sure you can push slave rod in so it keeps the self adjusting feature(if it does not adjust master rod, clockwise to get less play at top of pedal, counter clock wise if there is no play and/or slave is not self adjuating/pushable)

 

[gusu]

I had the same issue this week and could not get mine to work so I changed methods ans it worked perfect! Clutch is bled and I've got great full pedal!!

Watch the jacks transmission video to adjust the master rod.... After you adjust master rod then bleed again!!

I'll give this a shot next. I actually was just out trying to get better clutch pedal feel. It has pressure but it's a joke it's only hard to push for 1 inch then it has no pressure at all. And yes I did adjust it the way jack states in his video.

I'm also curious as to why to not have it in a bucket of fluid? Seems a bit odd.

Anyway, when I was out there I noticed the slave makes a bubbling sound as it goes in and until it makes the sound it does not want to start to move. Whats odd is I thought I might not have tightened the banjo bolt (the big 14mm one) by the bleeder all the way. So I went to tighten it and loosened it by mistake (I was tired and frustrated as hell). When I did that I noticed the slave moved in REALLY fast like it used to and didn't seem to hang up. Though fluid was leaking passed the washers...

I tightened it back up and it does not leak but even after a full turn and checking every 1/4 turn I never got that feeling of the slave coming back that fast. I was thinking maybe the holes in the banjo bolts weren't lined up but apparently that was not the case.

I am still open to more suggestions. I'll try any method that has worked for someone else.

 

[kchaazz]

The slave is making the bubbling sound and operating slowly because theres air in the cylinder and its having to compress the air into the fluid before the fluid is pressurized sufficiently to move the rod. Try manually actuating the slave as I suggested in my previous post, and see if it fixes it.

 

[gusu]

I bought a hand pump. I put the end of the pump on the slave and pushed the fluid back through the master. Zero bubbles came out through the master.

I pushed the slave all the way in by hand and removed the bleeder totally, then reattached it and let it back out. The slave worked better but did not get the air all the way out. Although no bubbles will come out after bleeding.

My current plan is when i get home from work to detach the slave totally from the car and use the push rod and someone working the bleeder to force the air from the slave then close it and attempt to continue to bleed the clutch.

I took the slave off to bleed it fully by the push rod and found out the thing sticks and if I put my finger over where the fluid line goes the piston moves very slowly so I am waiting for autozone to get my new one in.

 

[gusu]

I replaced my slave today and bled the lines. I achieved a BIT more pressure than normal.

I also found out something that annoys me a little. The guy at Autozone (prefer NAPA but it's 20 mins away vs 2 mins) told me I didn't need to buy the one with out speed control even though my car does not have speed control and it's basically the same thing. Apparently there is a difference though it's minor.

I do believe this difference is keeping the clutch from becoming totally stiff. Replacing the slave got rid of the sticky pedal effect and apparently the old one was getting stuck because it would only move out about half way through the chamber before stopping where as this new slave moves all the way to the end.

*update* So I got the new correct master from autozone and now the clutch still feels about the same it is a BIT stiffer but not really a huge difference.

It used to be if I would start the car in gear it would jump forward then be a bi*** to get out of gear. Now after it jumps it is very easy to get out of gear. Progress maybe?

I don't know, I'm getting really pissed off though.

 

[DSM1G90]

Autozone .. *GAG* .... You'd be better off with NAPA in a long shot ... I buy plugs and oil there .. and that's it!

Funny that its so difficult to bleed a system ... I do this:

1-open up the spit valve on the slave and catch a bit of the fluid in a pan-have the master filled with the cap off, to get the fluid ready for bleeding.

2-Close the spit valve, then ask the wife to come out (or, have a buddy) to pump up the pressure on the clutch pedal .. then HOLD IT! DON't let up on the pedal. I tell her that the pedal is gonna collapse when I open up the spit valve and to keep the foot mashed on the pedal as it goes down.
3-I open up the spit.."Spoosh!" a shot of fluid comes out! I close the spit valve.
4-I have her pump up the pedal again and HOLD IT .. not to let go, for I'm gonna do the same thing again.
5-I open up the spit valve..."Spoosh"! another shot of fluid comes out! I close the spit valve.

I have her pump on the pedal and I see the slave ram do it's thing. I fill up the master to the fill line. (I've done the same task with brakes for TOO many years...)

DONE! 5 minutes to bleed a clutch system. (how hard is that...???)

(If you own an older MAZDA that had a common reservoir for both clutch and brakes ... Heaven help you, for you have to bleed both at the same time to have a balance of fluid....)

-DSM

 

[gusu]

Whats odd is I'm not getting much of a spray of fluid coming out with the method you stated.

When I pump before opening the blessed then open it, it does not shoot fluid out until I pump it with it open. After it gets a bit stiff it stops flowing fluid all together.

I am starting to think I have a collapsed line. I believe the back pressure may have caused the slave as well as the master to fail early.

How do I test for this and what can save me from pulling them off and testing one by one.

 

[97'SpyderGuy]

Not sure if anyone shared this bit - but I was having a major issue "bleeding my clutch" and getting the clutch to properly disengage. After a week of research and attempts to get the "air" out - it turned out I had a loose transmission bolt. Was causing my trans to flex away from the engine instead of disengaging the clutch (stage 3, so it's stiff) after re-tourqing that bolt the pedal was nice and stiff and the car shifts smooth.

For more info - I had a similar issue. Shifts smooth as butter with engine off but couldn't get it to disengage. Swapped.slave, then master. All lines were good but still had issue disengaging. Was starting to think the new clutch was installed wrong. Thankfully it wasn't.