helphos

Can you give me a few words on the Phoenix bleeding system? I just changed my slave cylinder and have a much better shift, but I would like to assure myself that all the air is gone.
Thanks!

GREGGPENN

It's not just the seals. The hydraulic line connecting the master to the slave gets old and breaks down (internally). Fine particles of the deteriorating hose impregnate the fluid in addition to failing seals.

Replacing fluid periodically certainly can help (by keeping particles low in the fluid). Those particles are like abrasive sand that end up causing the failure of the system. Cleaner fluid = longer life.

dsmaruska

The thread reads like there is one bleeder for both the slave and master. Correct?

helphos

The master can be 'bench bled' but once installed is really self bleeding- that is any air from the hydraulic line will come up and rise to the top of the reservoir.
If you're installling the slave, don't count on its bleeder to help much. while some colleagues have noted their bleeder is on the top, mine is on the bottom. So prior to replacing my leaky slave cylinder, I bench bled it and installed it carefully to keep as much fluid and as little air in it as possible. The small amount of air that inevitably got in the system as I fastened the line to the top of the slave just rose to the top and eventually came to the reservoir.

Some people have mentioned a pressure bleeder which you can hook up to the slave and force hydraulic fluid into the system and evacuate any air. I have no experience with such systems.
My current project is trying to remove the transmission fill plug without too much swearing!
Good luck.

dsmaruska

I will try the good old gravity method for a maintenance fluid change. Seems easy provided the master cylinder stays full. Otherwise it is a pressure bleed from the bottom (slave cylinder). And many thanks for the tip on the line between the two.