Remote clutch bleeder install
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Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
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From: Alameda CA
Remote clutch bleeder install
My Z06 is a 2007 and a few years back I started having problems with the clutch. When it got tot the point where the pedal started sticking to the floor I did some research and found the classic Ranger post:That bought the clutch back to normal.
However, over the last few months my clutch started feeling funny and the Ranger Method wasn't helping so I decided to investigate installing a remote bleeder.
Based on forum posts and pictures I got a Katech KAT-A4824. I wasn't sure I'd be able to install it but I figured having it in the car would be useful if it ever ended up at the dealer with the clutch out.
Getting to the point where I had to do something I did some research. I immediately found that the factory service manuals says to remove the cats and that involves raising the engine slightly. But I also saw forum posts that hinted it was possible without removing the cats. Last weekend I convinced myself to give it a try.
I put the car up in the air with my jackstands set to 15.5". Removing the intermediate pipes wasn't too bad and the tunnel plate is easy. At this point I could get both hands and a fair numbers of fingers up around the bleeder. There is a lot of thick aluminized insulation near the bleeder that I crushed to get access. I got the bleeder out and started seeing a little bit of black fluid leak out (possibly picking up dust from inside the bell housing) but not too quickly. I suspect plugging the hole in the reservoir or sealing the reservoir might prevent this. Maybe next time.
To prevent dropping the adapter down the housing I left it attached to the hose. After a few tries I got the adapter in the hole and started threading it in. I made the most progress with the open end of a 3/8 ignition wrench (craftsman 42328) but eventually there wasn't a lot of the adapter sticking out of the housing so I removed the hose and used the boxed end. If I were doing this again I think I'd buy either a spare ignition wrench or a regular 12 point and heat it up and flatten the boxed end and then grind it flat so that the teeth would immediately the adapter.
Anyway, I got the fitting snugged up and then slid on a 30" piece of 1/2" Thermo-Tec Cool It (18051-50). I ty-wrap'ed this to the clutch hard line right where the silver heat shield is.
Bleeding was interesting. I did it one man using a Irwin 32" clamp/spreader (with some padding) to hold the clutch pedal down from the steering wheel. I think all of the air came out the first time I cracked the bleeder. I kept at it to try and flush any junk out but I think all of the bad stuff leaked out while I was working on getting the fitting installed. Anyway I would pump it several times to build up some pressure and then use the spreader to hold the pedal down down. One thing I wasn't expecting but makes sense is that after opening the bleeder, the pedal would always stay on the floor. But a few pumps would get it to return by itself.
End result: my clutch is back to normal!
Here's a picture:
(full size)
However, over the last few months my clutch started feeling funny and the Ranger Method wasn't helping so I decided to investigate installing a remote bleeder.
Based on forum posts and pictures I got a Katech KAT-A4824. I wasn't sure I'd be able to install it but I figured having it in the car would be useful if it ever ended up at the dealer with the clutch out.
Getting to the point where I had to do something I did some research. I immediately found that the factory service manuals says to remove the cats and that involves raising the engine slightly. But I also saw forum posts that hinted it was possible without removing the cats. Last weekend I convinced myself to give it a try.
I put the car up in the air with my jackstands set to 15.5". Removing the intermediate pipes wasn't too bad and the tunnel plate is easy. At this point I could get both hands and a fair numbers of fingers up around the bleeder. There is a lot of thick aluminized insulation near the bleeder that I crushed to get access. I got the bleeder out and started seeing a little bit of black fluid leak out (possibly picking up dust from inside the bell housing) but not too quickly. I suspect plugging the hole in the reservoir or sealing the reservoir might prevent this. Maybe next time.
To prevent dropping the adapter down the housing I left it attached to the hose. After a few tries I got the adapter in the hole and started threading it in. I made the most progress with the open end of a 3/8 ignition wrench (craftsman 42328) but eventually there wasn't a lot of the adapter sticking out of the housing so I removed the hose and used the boxed end. If I were doing this again I think I'd buy either a spare ignition wrench or a regular 12 point and heat it up and flatten the boxed end and then grind it flat so that the teeth would immediately the adapter.
Anyway, I got the fitting snugged up and then slid on a 30" piece of 1/2" Thermo-Tec Cool It (18051-50). I ty-wrap'ed this to the clutch hard line right where the silver heat shield is.
Bleeding was interesting. I did it one man using a Irwin 32" clamp/spreader (with some padding) to hold the clutch pedal down from the steering wheel. I think all of the air came out the first time I cracked the bleeder. I kept at it to try and flush any junk out but I think all of the bad stuff leaked out while I was working on getting the fitting installed. Anyway I would pump it several times to build up some pressure and then use the spreader to hold the pedal down down. One thing I wasn't expecting but makes sense is that after opening the bleeder, the pedal would always stay on the floor. But a few pumps would get it to return by itself.
End result: my clutch is back to normal!
Here's a picture:
(full size)
Last edited by leres; Mar 25, 2014 at 02:24 AM. Reason: thumbnail/fullsize url wasn't working
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,924
Likes: 854
From: Daytona Beach FL
Hey leres, nice report - thanks!!
I have a remote bleeder and have been having some clutch "issues" like you explained. So - I'll have to get out to the garage and get to work bleeding.
Now lemme ask - WHERE YOU BEEN!?!?
I haven't seen you posting in a long time. I do go to your great gear ratio site every so often, but only the first page seems to come up - the links to the other models and years with different ratios don't work for me, although I can still manually put in the different ratios and have it recalculate, and that works.
Again, thanks for the report on the remote clutch bleeder install.
Bob
I have a remote bleeder and have been having some clutch "issues" like you explained. So - I'll have to get out to the garage and get to work bleeding.
Now lemme ask - WHERE YOU BEEN!?!?
I haven't seen you posting in a long time. I do go to your great gear ratio site every so often, but only the first page seems to come up - the links to the other models and years with different ratios don't work for me, although I can still manually put in the different ratios and have it recalculate, and that works.
Again, thanks for the report on the remote clutch bleeder install.
Bob
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 538
Likes: 41
From: Alameda CA
I've been around...
Oops, it looks like I deleted the www.xse.com CNAME but didn't clean up references to it... fixed now:Thanks!
I haven't seen you posting in a long time. I do go to your great gear ratio site every so often, but only the first page seems to come up - the links to the other models and years with different ratios don't work for me, although I can still manually put in the different ratios and have it recalculate, and that works.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 12,387
Likes: 2,909
From: Fort Worth, Texas
That's impressive, first I've heard of someone getting one installed without dropping the torque tube. With the design of the slave in the bellhousing, they should have included a remote bleeder from the factory IMHO. It amazes that Gen 2 CTSV don't even have a bleeder fitting on the slave!
