Replace Clutch Fluid - Modified Ranger Method
07-11-2011, 08:40 PM
#22
Safety Car
Member Since: Jul 2007
Location: Arkansas
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St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17,'22-'23
Have you tried to see how far the small line could be fed down into the clutch line? I would think the farther the better.
07-11-2011, 10:19 PM
#23
Pro
Thread Starter
No, but I agree.
If you order the stuff I posted, you get 10' of it.
It took awhile to find something that would fit properly down the hole and was rigid yet flexible enough to follow the feed line down to the master cylinder.
I may have to adjust mine now that I know it works.
If you order the stuff I posted, you get 10' of it.
It took awhile to find something that would fit properly down the hole and was rigid yet flexible enough to follow the feed line down to the master cylinder.
I may have to adjust mine now that I know it works.
07-13-2011, 04:52 PM
#24
Safety Car
Here is my latest design that seems to work best for me. I replaced the needles with some tubing as it allows for better flow.
These are 60CC Syringes.
The one on the left is used to remove (suck out) bad material from the clutch reservoir. I stuck a small piece of small engine gas line into it to extend the end.
The one on the right is used to inject new fluid. I found access to some tubing that has connections that screw directly into the syringe. The short piece I use to extract good fluid from the Dot 4 Brake fluid container. Once I fill the syringe with new fluid, I change tubes to the black tube. I invert the syringe and pump material to remove air. I insert the long black tube down into the reservoir feed tube at the bottom of the clutch reservoir (small hole at the bottom). Once I insert it all the way in, I inject the good material in, it then pushes the bad fluid up into the reservoir, thus cleaning out the fluid line. I then remove the material from the reservoir, and refill with good fluid. If you can't find the tubing that screws into the syringe (medical supply), then you can try the small engine gas line.
Again, the intent is to remove as much as possible all of the clutch fluid. This basically eliminates the pumping one needs to do with Rangers original method, and for me, does a better job of changing out the fluid. The only way to better change the fluid is to have the system bled.
Steps:
1) Use syringe to suck out fluid from reservoir (just like the ranger method)
2) Fill second syringe with new fluid.
3) Install long black tube on syringe that is filled with new fluid.
4) Invert syringe and squeeze some fluid out to purge out air from the black tubing (just like the nurse before she/he jabs ya).
5) Insert long black tube down the hole located in the bottom of the reservoir
6) Inject new fluid into clutch fluid feedline. Old fluid gets pumped up into reservior.
7) Pull out the syringe and black tube.
8) Use the removal syringe to suck the bad fluid from reservoir that used to be down in the feedline.
9) Fill reservoir with fresh fluid to fill mark.
10) Clean-up
07-14-2011, 09:05 AM
#25
Pro
Thread Starter
Is there a chance? Remotely I guess.
But that is why you invert the syringe after filling and putting on the black line. You pump fluid out to purge them of air before inserting. Also, since the black line does not get directly inserted into the master cylinder, there is not much of a chance to get air injected into the system between the master and slave cylinders.
All this method does is replaces the fluid above the clutch pumping system. Also, any small bubbles that "might" get into the feedline are pumped up and out anyways.
Heres the deal: To clear the feedline, you either change the fluid like rangers original method multiple times (pumping between each fill) and hope to exchange fluid out of the feedline; or do this to purge the feedline completely; or drop the exhaust and truely bleed the system.
There is more fluid in the feedline, than in the reservoir.
From what I have observed when I did this method, the fill/pump/fill/pump..... method leaves allot of junk down in the feedline because the reservoir system is static. I like removing as much junky fluid as possible, as easy as possible.
You can way your own risks.
If anyone has any more questions on the materials or process, please PM me. I'm done justifying this.
But that is why you invert the syringe after filling and putting on the black line. You pump fluid out to purge them of air before inserting. Also, since the black line does not get directly inserted into the master cylinder, there is not much of a chance to get air injected into the system between the master and slave cylinders.
All this method does is replaces the fluid above the clutch pumping system. Also, any small bubbles that "might" get into the feedline are pumped up and out anyways.
Heres the deal: To clear the feedline, you either change the fluid like rangers original method multiple times (pumping between each fill) and hope to exchange fluid out of the feedline; or do this to purge the feedline completely; or drop the exhaust and truely bleed the system.
There is more fluid in the feedline, than in the reservoir.
From what I have observed when I did this method, the fill/pump/fill/pump..... method leaves allot of junk down in the feedline because the reservoir system is static. I like removing as much junky fluid as possible, as easy as possible.
You can way your own risks.
If anyone has any more questions on the materials or process, please PM me. I'm done justifying this.
07-16-2011, 03:16 AM
#26
Great Idea .. Rangers lead the way ! 
Ill be doing this later this week once i return from the field. What clutch fluid have you found the be the best ..?? Thanks
-Big Sarge
Ill be doing this later this week once i return from the field. What clutch fluid have you found the be the best ..?? Thanks
-Big Sarge
07-16-2011, 10:54 AM
#27
Instructor
07-27-2011, 07:19 PM
#28
Drifting
Member Since: Jun 2010
Location: Litchfield Minnesota
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Just finished changing out the clutch fluid using this new method. Like most, I bought the 10' of the small tubing on Amazon. I bought the syringes and Prestone Dot 4 in the automotive supply section at Wal-mart and bought some intermediate size tubing at the local Fleet Farm supply store to sleeve the small vinyl tubing into the end of the syringe for a tight seal (I wasn't able to source the syringes with the screw on tips). The actual change out of the fluid took less than five minutes. I drained the upper reservoir twice and of course refilled an equal number of times. The fluid is now as clear as it comes out of the bottle. And, "WINNING", the clutch still worked at completion of the process. Thanks again for the innovative approach and the great step by step directions.
06-07-2012, 08:18 AM
#30
Instructor
Maybe a stupid question..
but why is no one replace his oil completly ?
- Go under the car
- old oil out.
- new oil in ??
This way you replaced 100% of the oil..
but why is no one replace his oil completly ?
- Go under the car
- old oil out.
- new oil in ??
This way you replaced 100% of the oil..
06-07-2012, 08:19 AM
#31
Melting Slicks
Wait, when you put the hose down there its full of air. Then when you push the fluid in through the top, are you not trapping that air in the clutch system?
06-07-2012, 08:21 AM
#32
Melting Slicks
Just finished changing out the clutch fluid using this new method. Like most, I bought the 10' of the small tubing on Amazon. I bought the syringes and Prestone Dot 4 in the automotive supply section at Wal-mart and bought some intermediate size tubing at the local Fleet Farm supply store to sleeve the small vinyl tubing into the end of the syringe for a tight seal (I wasn't able to source the syringes with the screw on tips). The actual change out of the fluid took less than five minutes. I drained the upper reservoir twice and of course refilled an equal number of times. The fluid is now as clear as it comes out of the bottle. And, "WINNING", the clutch still worked at completion of the process. Thanks again for the innovative approach and the great step by step directions.
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glbeauchamp (07-16-2023)
06-07-2012, 09:15 AM
#33
Will work for HPDE time.
I am dense. Just not getting this.
The tubing goes in small hole @ bottom of reservoir, correct? Purge through there?
Where does old fluid come out? Only one hole, right?
I have to be missing something.
The tubing goes in small hole @ bottom of reservoir, correct? Purge through there?
Where does old fluid come out? Only one hole, right?
I have to be missing something.
06-07-2012, 10:41 AM
#34
Drifting
Member Since: Jun 2010
Location: Litchfield Minnesota
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Could be that it makes no difference just how clean the fluid is after the change out. But, I found that to achieve an equivalent level of clarity, in the fluid, I had to do the standard Ranger method at least 10 times. And, that took me more like 20 minutes being careful not to spill any fluid in the engine bay or on the painted body panels. Not a big deal but I don't waste nearly as much Dot 4 as I used to with the standard Ranger method. The extra 15 minutes doesn't really matter but I would rather be driving than changing out clutch fluid.
As to the question on where does the old fluid go, it is purged up through the line that you have inserted the rigid plastic line into and back up to the reservoir.
Using the modified method, one large bottle is enough to do the change out at least 5 times.
The syringe with the new fluid is inverted and depressed just enough to remove any air (much like a medical injection) so as not to introduce any air between the reservoir and the slave cylinder and avoid the necessity of bleeding the system.
The reason that many of us use either of these methods is that it is difficult to access the bleeder fitting on the slave cylinder (I think it requires lowering the exhaust on that side) and you still need a second person or a hydraulic mule to pressurize the system for bleeding out the air after draining and refilling.
The bottom line seems to be to use whichever method one is most comfortable using. In any case it makes intuitive sense, at least to me, that contaminated fluids are not good for any mechanical device.
06-07-2012, 11:02 AM
#36
Safety Car
No! The hose that is inserted into the the hole at the bottom of the reservoir is smaller in diameter than the clutch fluid line. When you push the clean fluid down near the clutch master cylinder, there is only one place for the dirty fluid to go. Up the fluid line on the outside of the injector line and into the reservoir. Get it!
06-07-2012, 12:56 PM
#37
Drifting
Tjr5709, this looks like a brilliant solution & a great enhancement to the Ranger method, thank you for your detailed post! I'll definitely make this system.
After draining the resevoir, then inserting the long tube (filled w/ fluid) down toward/close to the slave cylinder, I may then try pumping the clutch 30 times, & only then expelling the new fluid into the system, so it pushes the newest contaminants up to the resevoir bottle to then be removed. Thoughts about that from anyone who's tried this syringe method?
Obviously bleeding it properly down at the master cyl is preferred, but I'll not be getting under there anytime soon.
After draining the resevoir, then inserting the long tube (filled w/ fluid) down toward/close to the slave cylinder, I may then try pumping the clutch 30 times, & only then expelling the new fluid into the system, so it pushes the newest contaminants up to the resevoir bottle to then be removed. Thoughts about that from anyone who's tried this syringe method?
Obviously bleeding it properly down at the master cyl is preferred, but I'll not be getting under there anytime soon.
Last edited by Bedouin; 06-07-2012 at 02:37 PM.
06-07-2012, 01:54 PM
#40
Racer
