clutch bleeding [Merged 10-8] bleed slave master fluid

[mxracer]

Well i just got done installing my new transmission and went to depress the clutch and it went completely to the floor and stuck(i can still pull it back up with my hand).

I'm guessing i just need to bleed the clutch fluid. I've bleed brakes before but know i'm not sure how to do it because the clutch won't "pump". I can't build any pressure.

What should i do???

can i try and build pressure by pushing the slave cyclinder rod. Or will this be too difficult?

Any input would be greatly appreciated

 

[Catbox_95]

Bleed, bleed .... wait a little while.. ... bleed again, then again, then again.... wait a little bit... then bleed again. And maybe one more time after that. You need to bleed the crap out of these things, they trap many little air bubbles.

 

[Defiant]

One of these helps with the bleeding issue:

http://www.roadraceengineering.com/instructions/2gclutchlineinstructions.htm

And eliminates this goofy crap:
http://home.fuse.net/lenser/clutch_accumulator.htm
http://ca.dsm.org/FAQ/2g-clutch-fcu.html

 

[L2RTSiAWD]

My buddy at the dealership has a power bleeder, that thing ruled , no clutch pedal pumping needed.

 

[eclipse-gst339]

i have been bleeding it its gone through 2 big bottels of brake fluid. it really does not lose all of its pressure it keeps enough to get the pedal about half an inch off the floor and if i pump it ounce its pressurized again but loses it right after a stop pumping. is this still just a bleeding thing? thanks for all your help so far

 

[boostingsx98]

Hey guys i have just bought a 95 gst. So today i went to go buy a slave for the gst because it did not come with one. I put it on and pored DOT3 fuild into the resevior( which was completely empty, the clutch pedal is also sticking to the floor.) I hooked up a hose to the bleeder nipple and the other side, to a jar filled with fresh fuild. I began bleeding the clutch but nothing has happened. The clutch pedel still sticks to the floor and there is no resistance to it... I saw bubbles coming out of the jar and the jar also started to fill up with with dirty fuild as i was bleeding. I have repeated this bleeding process over 20 times and went through 2 bottle DOT3 fluid!!! But the clutch pedal is still sticking to the floor and i have to pull it up by hand.. can any one help me out or tell me what the problem could be??

 

[1992awdlaser]

Let it gravity bleed first. Just open the nipple and wait till fluid starts coming out by itself. Then tighten the bleeder and start to bleed it like normal.

 

[DSM1G90]

Bleeding a clutch is like bleeding brakes: And screw the bottle trick -

Old timers would have a helper. Grab your mother, father, sister, bro, friend - anyone to help you on this

After you've fill the lines with fluid, close the spit valve on the slave cylinder and have the helper pump up the pressure in the lines (with the clutch, have the helper pump on the clutch pedal) until the pedal has pressured up, then have him keep the pressure on the pedal down and hold it tight with his foot. If he lets go, you gotta do this all over again.

You crawl under and open the spit valve (you can actually reach the spit valve from above if you got the clearance to do so..). And when you do ( and make sure you're out of the way of the spit valve, for fluid will shoot out like a shot since it's under pressure by the helper on the pedal-or, you can put a tube on the end of the spit valve to direct the fluid to a container), you tell the helper that, when the spit valve opens up, the pedal will suddenly collapse to the floor and he gotta keep that pedal mashed to the floor while you close the spit valve. If he accidently lifts up on the pedal while the valve is open, it sucks air in and you gotta do the above instuction all over again.

Then, the helper pumps up the pedal again til it pressures up and you repeat the above process til you see the rod on the slave cylinder being worked by the master cylinder when the helper pumps up the pedal again.

If the rod is doing its trick by pushing in on the fork lever when the pedal is pressed down, then the system if fully bled of air and you're good to go..

Not that hard at all .... - DSM

 

[Calan]

...If he accidently lifts up on the pedal, it sucks air in and you gotta do the above instuction all over again...

Which is why you do the "bottle trick"

Even with a helper and this method, keeping the bleed tube submerged in a bottle of fluid will keep air out...and it also keeps fluid from spraying all over you and your garage.

 

[No_Skillz]

On alot of slave cylinders the bleed valve gets very loose when you open it. E.g. Air might enter along the threads even if you have a hose attached submerged in fluid. The only solution I've found is to not tighten it too much while bleeding and cracking it open only slightly. It requires a deft touch.

 

[Calan]

On alot of slave cylinders the bleed valve gets very loose when you open it. E.g. Air might enter along the threads even if you have a hose attached submerged in fluid. The only solution I've found is to not tighten it too much while bleeding and cracking it open only slightly. It requires a deft touch.

Agreed. I replaced my slave last week and was once again reminded of how much I dislike that bleeder's design and placement.

 

[DSM1G90]

and it also keeps fluid from spraying all over you and your garage.

Oh, but that's the sheer fun of being an auto mechanic..getting messy for you know you're gonna get that way.

But you could lay down cardboard to soak up any fluids, oils, et.al., that gets loose where you are working at, plus having shop rags available (which you could wrap the spit valve with so one doesn't get sprayed when working around it.)

True, working with spit valves and knowing when they are closed so not to bleed air in is a trick in itself.

....been there and done that too many times ...

-DSM

 

[boostingsx98]

Well i did what DSM1G90 told me and there is still no resistance on the clutch!(Still sticks to the floor!) and when i released the bleed screw after pumping it over 30 times, it did not spit out anything just dripped a little fluid......

 

[No_Skillz]

Ok... please describe step by step how are you bleeding.

 

[1992awdlaser]

Do what I said.

 

[boostingsx98]

i already did every type of bleeding there is out there! Here is the sytem i used the most!

I put in some DOT3 fuild to top of the reseviour
My buddy pushes in the clutch peddle adn then i loosin the bleeder screw.
I wait till all of the fluid to come out of the hose that is attached to the bleeder nipple going straight down to a jar filled with fresh DOT3 fluid. After everything has came out the bleeder screw. My buddy pulls up the clutch and then i tighten the bleeder screw.

 

[1992awdlaser]

This is all you need to know:

1. Gravity bleed as said before
2. Once fluid comes out by itself tighten the bleeder screw.
3. Have somebody push down on the clutch pedal once and hold it down.
4. Loosen the bleeder screw.
5. When fluid stops coming out, tighten the bleeder screw.
6. Have the guy in the car to let off the pedal.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 two more times.
8. Now have the guy pump the pedal multiple times and hold it down.
9. Repeat steps 4-6.
10. Repeat steps 8-9 two more times.
11. Check the clutch pedal.


If that doesn't work, take the bleeder screw out and make sure nothing (dirt) is blocking the hole.

Do this WITHOUT a line on the bleeder screw. Clean up afterwards. Then mark the thread as resolved.

 

[boostingsx98]

im pretty sure i have done that before... but ill try again and tell you what happens

 

[1992awdlaser]

Leave the cap off the clutch master cylinder while doing this also. And check the fluid frequently.

 

[DSM1G90]

and when i released the bleed screw after pumping it over 30 times, it did not spit out anything just dripped a little fluid......

...sounds like the lines didn't get filled with fluid before he closed th bleed screw - why of the no pressure in his pumping.

Okey, I'll back up on my descript here and start with what AWDLaser mentions: You open the bleed screw and take the cap off the master cylinder reservoir and pour brake fluid in the reservoir until fluid runs out of the bleed screw. Then you shut down the bleed screw, fill the reservoir bottle full and do the trick that I do....even though the other method works also.

Then when you get done, fill the reservoir up to maximum line and cap it off. - just that I've done it the old fashioned way successfully many times in my previous post.

Sorry if I mislead on this one ... DSM

 

[Ill-EagleTSi]

i already did every type of bleeding there is out there! Here is the sytem i used the most!

I put in some DOT3 fuild to top of the reseviour
My buddy pushes in the clutch peddle adn then i loosin the bleeder screw.
I wait till all of the fluid to come out of the hose that is attached to the bleeder nipple going straight down to a jar filled with fresh DOT3 fluid. After everything has came out the bleeder screw. My buddy pulls up the clutch and then i tighten the bleeder screw.

If he is pulling the clutch pedal up and THEN you close the nipple that is all wrong.

If the nipple is OPEN while he is pulling the pedal UP then it is sucking air back IN. Go buy a ONEWAY (checkvalve) for your bleeder screw. Them sell them at most parts stores.
Apply Teflon tape onto the threads of the valve and screw it in. The open it 1/4 turn and begin to pump the clutch. The vavle lets Fluid/Air OUT but NOTHING comes back in. It has worked great for me!

 

[No_Skillz]

My buddy pulls up the clutch and then i tighten the bleeder screw.

There's your problem. You're supposed to close the bleeder screw FIRST and then your buddy pulls up the clutch. He then is suppose to pump it ~5 times, hold it down, and you crack it open again, and repeat.

 

[Ill-EagleTSi]

The only problem with pumping it is you make Micro bubbles. I Just push the clutch in ONCE...then open it ...then CLOSE it..... then release clutch pedal...repeat this process until all air is purged.

 

[boostingsx98]

i have done exactly what you have told me and there is still no pressure.... could it be the master cylinder?

 

[DSM1G90]

could it be the master cylinder?

Oh, okey - this explains it. You got the car without a slave cylinder, thus you don't know how the master is and what condition it was in, esp where you say the pedal was sticking to the floor, which is interesting that the clutch return spring couldn't bring the pedal back up to its stop.

And where the system was already drained of fluid, I bet the "O" rings in the master have all but dried out and cracked, thus will not hold pressure when you do fill the system and try to bleed.

On a usual note, when one replaces the slave, it's a good idea to replace the master as well.

 

[boostingsx98]

alright im going to buy a new master and give it a shot!