Clutch Bleeding
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Palm Bay Florida
Clutch Bleeding
I have been trying to bleed my clutch out on my 84 and have done this multiple times and still cant get a solid pedal. I have tried bleeding it with the slave on and off. I can get a firm pedal with it off and I then (with the cap to the MC off I push the piston in on the slave to install it and when I try to pump the pedal it is spongy again. Any ideas? Thanks. MC and Slave are brand new. Only thing that isnt are the lines.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 3,771
Likes: 0
From: MANDEVILLE, LA La
I have been trying to bleed my clutch out on my 84 and have done this multiple times and still cant get a solid pedal. I have tried bleeding it with the slave on and off. I can get a firm pedal with it off and I then (with the cap to the MC off I push the piston in on the slave to install it and when I try to pump the pedal it is spongy again. Any ideas? Thanks. MC and Slave are brand new. Only thing that isnt are the lines.
Let us know how you make out.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,226
Likes: 9
From: Irvine Ca
Been there...done that....The ONLY way to get all the air out is to take it off from the bell hsg,and hold it straight up so that the bleeder screw is at the very top allowing the air bubbles to travel straight up..Otherwise you'll never get it out.Trust me...it works.
Let us know how you make out.
Let us know how you make out.
This is it
Free version of the fix is contained within the thread.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 12,772
Likes: 17
From: Indianapolis IN
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,428
Likes: 7
From: Chewelah Wa
I would try the tilt method, while pushing the plunger slave all the way back several times, very slowly (you will be pushing all of the fluid into the master, be aware). You may have done this already. Then mount the slave back up, and SLOWLY and gently, push the clutch pedal in and see if the slave cylinder goes up against the clip that holds it in. If you push too hard, that clip could snap out of the cylinder. At this point, you should have a hard pedal. If not, air is being introduced somewhere.Then you can push the plunger back in (slowly) and install the clutch rod between the slave and fork. If there are no fluid leaks, your system should not be introducing air into the fluid. If this does not work, you must be leaking somewhere, even if it is hard to see. Keep an eye on fluid levels during this procedure, you can make a big mess with too much, or pump air in with too little. Just for grins, did you also replace the clutch and have the flywheel turned? This may cause other problems.
Last edited by powerpigz-51; Apr 1, 2010 at 04:22 PM.
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Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
I wish the bleeder screw wasn't located next to the floor plan. Can't get at it, had to remove slave.
Phoenix.
Best money I ever spent. 1 man job. Idiot-proof great bleed - never knew what the pedal was supposed to feel like until I bled it with the Phoenix injector.
Phoenix.
Best money I ever spent. 1 man job. Idiot-proof great bleed - never knew what the pedal was supposed to feel like until I bled it with the Phoenix injector.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Palm Bay Florida
Ok, so I have tried that before, and just did again. It is better but not great. However it is moving the fork maybe a 1/2" or greater, so...I next did the dumb fix and drilled the hole in the bell housing to see if I could unstick the pressure plate. Anyway, it allowed me to see up in there enough to see that the clutch and everything is rusted and seized so I bought a new clutch kit and will be dropping out the trans this weekend to replace everything in there. I will let you all know how that goes. Any words of wisdom for doing this? How high do I need to get it? 2 jacks only go up 16" and the other 2 go up 21" Will this be high enough to get the trans out? I will be dropping it with a floor jack as well. (if I ever get that far) :-(
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Palm Bay Florida
I would try the tilt method, while pushing the plunger slave all the way back several times, very slowly (you will be pushing all of the fluid into the master, be aware). You may have done this already. Then mount the slave back up, and SLOWLY and gently, push the clutch pedal in and see if the slave cylinder goes up against the clip that holds it in. If you push too hard, that clip could snap out of the cylinder. At this point, you should have a hard pedal. If not, air is being introduced somewhere.Then you can push the plunger back in (slowly) and install the clutch rod between the slave and fork. If there are no fluid leaks, your system should not be introducing air into the fluid. If this does not work, you must be leaking somewhere, even if it is hard to see. Keep an eye on fluid levels during this procedure, you can make a big mess with too much, or pump air in with too little. Just for grins, did you also replace the clutch and have the flywheel turned? This may cause other problems.
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,428
Likes: 7
From: Chewelah Wa
If you can get a hard pedal with the plunger against the clip, your problems are with your rusted clutch assembly. If your clutch fork is moving a 1/2 inch, and sounds like the slave and master are working fine, and your problems lie elsewhere. If it is indeed that rusty, a flywheel resurface is in your future. When I had my flywheel resurfaced and replaced my clutch assembly, I thought my slave and master were bad and replaced them because I could not get the clutch to fully disengage. When that didn't fix it, I thought that maybe I was not getting a good bleed. So I tried every bleed method known to man, short of bleeding the cylinders with the car parked upside down under water, to no avail. The fix ended up being that the stock clutch rod was too short, which I think was due to the flywheel resurfacing changing the "throw" or geometry of the whole thing. I fabbed a longer clutch rod out of a 8mm ball allen wrench, which ended up being about a 1/4 inch longer. Worked like a charm and have not had any problems for 3 years. So I guess I have been where you are at and I hope this helps.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Palm Bay Florida
If you can get a hard pedal with the plunger against the clip, your problems are with your rusted clutch assembly. If your clutch fork is moving a 1/2 inch, and sounds like the slave and master are working fine, and your problems lie elsewhere. If it is indeed that rusty, a flywheel resurface is in your future. When I had my flywheel resurfaced and replaced my clutch assembly, I thought my slave and master were bad and replaced them because I could not get the clutch to fully disengage. When that didn't fix it, I thought that maybe I was not getting a good bleed. So I tried every bleed method known to man, short of bleeding the cylinders with the car parked upside down under water, to no avail. The fix ended up being that the stock clutch rod was too short, which I think was due to the flywheel resurfacing changing the "throw" or geometry of the whole thing. I fabbed a longer clutch rod out of a 8mm ball allen wrench, which ended up being about a 1/4 inch longer. Worked like a charm and have not had any problems for 3 years. So I guess I have been where you are at and I hope this helps.
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,428
Likes: 7
From: Chewelah Wa
Hard to say.....do you have a stiff pedal without the rod in there? (against the clip?) How much longer than the rod did you go? Has the flywheel been turned? Is this a vehicle that has not moved in awhile that you are trying to get going? Did it work previously in it's current configuration? I guess you could find a way to max out the fork and figure the rod length from that, or just try a longer rod and press in the clutch slowly as to not damage anything.......
