I think I have read every thread on the Ranger Method and have watched countless You-tube videos on the subject but was still left with a question when tried it. I have an 11 GS and I note that there are two marks on the outside of the reservoir which I am presume are max and min lines. The owners manual says to fill to the min line. When I first opened the reservoir the fluid was black and was level with the min line, and the rubber insert in the fill cap was extended. In the Ranger video, Ranger cleans the rubber with a blue towel and then folds it back into the cap. It occurred to me that probably the reason the rubber insert was extended was so that it would contact the surface of the liquid and there would be no air in the reservoir. So my question for those who use this method.... when you fill the reservoir to the min line and replace the cap, should the cap insert be folded back into the cap or should it be left extended so it will contact the fluid surface????? Thanks! PS, the manual is no help. It says to check from the outside that the fluid it at the min line but to NOT remove the cap.

 

My what a complex question. I do the Ranger method half a dozen times a summer on my 2009. Nothing wrong with keeping clean fluid in the clutch's hydraulic system. Once I have flushed it and it remains clean, amber and not black I put enough fluid in the reservoir so that it shows filled/top line with the rubber thingy cleaned and folded back up into the lid.

Works for my car.

-G

 

Thanks Georges_vette. Maybe it's not as critical as I'm making it.

 

If you want to overthink it, ask this question: why would any company providing a cap w. a rubber insert make it a folding type inside a small space? I don't have the answer. I do know that mine is folded IN, unlike yours. And I doubt it was meant to be (extended to or ) at, or near the top of the fluid. And btw, I do believe "Ranger's Method also states to fill the fluid between the min and max.

 

The folding rubber piece is a vacuum expanding sealer; to keep the fluid from absorbing moisture from the air, and to allow the fluid to be pulled down as the master cylinder draws fluid without drawing out side air.

Pull the cap, pull the rubber piece, clean it off, drain the reserve tank, wipe it out to remove debris in the tank, fill the tank to the top fill line, then as you are putting the folded rubber piece back on with cap, the air on top of the reserve tank will be forced up and out around the rubber piece as the cap is being tightened.

Hence the less air that you have between the bottom of the rubber folded piece and the top of the fluid, the less moisture that will end absorbed in the fluid over time.


If you over fill past the top line, than as you are putting the cap with rubber piece back on, the fluid in the tank will over flow out of the tank as the rubber piece is pushed down with the cap.

As for the bottom line, it a visual line to tell that that the tank is too low with the top still on (read the top rubber piece should have unfolded to stay with the top of fluid line, even with the fluid low in the tank). The concept here, the less you pull the cap, the less new air is introduced to the fluid that moisture can be pulled from it to be absorbed into the fluid.

 

Agreed Dano:

I fill my reservoir so that when the cap is screwed down it shows full. When the cap is off it shows less then full but the cap fills in the air gap and raises the fluid level when screwed on.

If you do fill it up to the full line and return the cap it will most likely burp out some nasty fluid that eats paint under the clutch fluid cylinder where it will run.

-G

 

I've been doing mine for nine years and never touched the rubber. It's folded in. I fill it to between the two lines and that's where it stays until the next flush.

 

Thanks guys. Seems like the consensus is that the rubber insert should be folded into the cap when the cap is replaced and the level should be between the min and max lines.

 

I checked my clutch fluid resevoir awhile back and it was empty. yeah I know...where did it go.....the clutch worked fine and the rubber part on the lid was not extended into the resevoir. What is up with that?

I filled it up and started the Ranger fluid change and run the car a week and then change it and run the car a week and change the fluid again. Still trying to get the fluid clean enough to leave it awhile. Clutch has always worked well, even when the resevoir was empty.

 

I've done mine multiple times, I always fill to top line and continue the flush till clean

 

Wow.. You must have caught it just in time....

 

There is still fluid left in the line above the master cylinder when the reserve tank is empty (what is is called a reserve tank). Looks like you caught it before the reserve line when dry to start sucking in air to the master cylinder.

Now the bad side, the system is a close system, so now you have to figure out where the fluid went in the first place. Short of a line leak, you have a connecter between the master and the slave cylinders that may be leaking, or the seals/plungers/cylinder walls scorned, and where the fluid is leaking out of the master or slave cylinder instead.

The Semi bad news, and the reason that you want to keep the fluid clean of clutch dust in the first place, the master cylinder walls are plastic, and since clutch dust is abrasive in the fluid, its the first thing that normally wears out due to clutch dust contaminated fluid.

And I say semi bad, since you can change out the master cylinder through the back wall of the front wheel well, as well as check the connector too (connector comes with the master cylinder).

Its when the slave cylinder goes south that its all evil, since you have to remove the drive line to get to it instead.