Process of using a Speed Bleeder to Bleed the Master and Slave...do I have it right?

[4gfun]

I have established that the slave cylinder has a speed bleeder on it.

This is what I am doing. I turn the master cylinder rod in as far as it will go. I crack the slave cylinder bleeder 1/2 turn, attach a piece of vacuum line to it and the other end to a drip bowl and then press the pedal in. Each time I press the pedal, I have to pull it up by hand. I repeat this cycle a few times. I take a look at the master fluid reservoir level and keep adding fluid. When I *guess* that I have gotten all of the air out, I tighten the bleeder valve up and call it a day.

A few questions as follows:

1) Does this sound right?

2) I notice that during the first 3 pumps the master cylinder reservoir drops very quickly but with each set of pumps that diminishes until I can hardly see any change in level at all. Is that correct?

3) How on earth do I possibly know that I am done when I can't see what is going on using this method?

4) Should I be bleeding it using the clutch fork instead of the clutch pedal and what is the advantage/disadvantage of using either? I would imagine that using the slave cylinder rod would allow me to watch for bubbles if I had a clear piece of tubing handy but I am not sure if using the slave rod alone would be as good as using the pedal.

5) Should the speed bleeder have teflon tape on it? I am worried that air could be drawn into the system during the process if it doesn't.

Thank you for any thoughts!

 

[habitatguy187]

What are your symptoms? Just can't disengage?

I ask because I spent countless hours and dollars due to a belief that I had air in my system when in fact it was other problems. Just sayin.

But to answer your questions,

1) Does this sound right?

Yep.

2) I notice that during the first 3 pumps the master cylinder reservoir drops very quickly but with each set of pumps that diminishes until I can hardly see any change in level at all. Is that correct?

That's because the reservoir gets wider in the middle. First few pumps it goes down a lot because it's a smaller diameter up top .

3) How on earth do I possibly know that I am done when I can't see what is going on using this method?

It really shouldn't take long at all. In a properly working system I've found all it takes is about a bottle ran through, if that.

4) Should I be bleeding it using the clutch fork instead of the clutch pedal and what is the advantage/disadvantage of using either? I would imagine that using the slave cylinder rod would allow me to watch for bubbles if I had a clear piece of tubing handy but I am not sure if using the slave rod alone would be as good as using the pedal.

I've heard people say to bleed straight from the slave, and I've heard others say not to push the slave in by hand. I always push the slave in by hand two times and then do the rest from the clutch pedal.

5) Should the speed bleeder have teflon tape on it? I am worried that air could be drawn into the system during the process if it doesn't.

I was worried about my speedbleeder I bought as well because the thread seal they put on it came off very quickly. Truth is though gravity is against air coming back in through the threads. Not saying it can't happen but I wouldn't be very concerned about it.

Good luck man. I now despise the smell of brake fluid due to my last dsm .

 

[DSM nOOb]

Your master rod adjustment is not correct you do not want to put it in as far as it can go. You want the most pedal travel possible. please watch this video and adjust the rod as it says.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vYJxQyjIhUw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[4gfun]

Thanks, very good answers. Sounds like I am doing it right...just being careful. I can disengage but I am at the last thread on the clutch master. I have another thread going on about this. It shouldn't be too far away from this one, please check it out if you have time. I also have a notchy 3rd gear now that I never had before swapping the clutch out.

What are your symptoms? Just can't disengage?

I ask because I spent countless hours and dollars due to a belief that I had air in my system when in fact it was other problems. Just sayin.

But to answer your questions,



Yep.



That's because the reservoir gets wider in the middle. First few pumps it goes down a lot because it's a smaller diameter up top .



It really shouldn't take long at all. In a properly working system I've found all it takes is about a bottle ran through, if that.



I've heard people say to bleed straight from the slave, and I've heard others say not to push the slave in by hand. I always push the slave in by hand two times and then do the rest from the clutch pedal.



I was worried about my speedbleeder I bought as well because the thread seal they put on it came off very quickly. Truth is though gravity is against air coming back in through the threads. Not saying it can't happen but I wouldn't be very concerned about it.

Good luck man. I now despise the smell of brake fluid due to my last dsm .

Thanks for trying. I am familiar with this video and have used it during the adjustment process. I am only referring to the location of the master cylinder rod during the bleeding process which is best left all the way in during bleeding as one senior poster put it. I have tried to adjust it according to that video already and I am having problems, please see my next to most recent thread. This is why I am ruling out correct bleeding procedure first.

Your master rod adjustment is not correct you do not want to put it in as far as it can go. You want the most pedal travel possible. please watch this video and adjust the rod as it says.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vYJxQyjIhUw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[habitatguy187]

Did you shim your pivot ball when you had the clutch out? My problem with my old car actually turned out to be a flywheel that was too worn down, but it was fine until I put an aftermarket clutch in it.

 

[4gfun]

No, perhaps unfortunately I didn't. I checked RRE's website and the fork end location was ok according to it. I replaced the flywheel, pp, and clutch all at the same time so everything is new except for the ball and fork which looked pretty new to begin with. I am beginning to think that I should have shimmed it though.

Did you shim your pivot ball when you had the clutch out? My problem with my old car actually turned out to be a flywheel that was too worn down, but it was fine until I put an aftermarket clutch in it.