Clutch Master Cylinder Replacement

[gonzo]

Just had the clutch M/C freshly sleeved (brass)with new seals fitted and plan to install it this weekend.

A piece of platic film will be placed over the brake/clutch fluid reservoir opening and sealed with the cap again before any of the lines are removed from the existing M/C.
This is to stem off any potentional leakage that may occure.

The new M/C will be primed and expect the rest of the installation to be straightforward. The M/C mounting bolts will reamin loose to facilitate attaching the two feed lines and to prevent stripping out the M/C threads. After the line are attached, the bolts will be completely tighten.

My guess is that the trans cover will need to be removed in order to easily access the clutch slave cylinder (new) and bleed the system. However, I'm interested to learn if there's an easier way to bleed the clutch system.

Any suggestions? Thanks, GONZO

 

[bob hughes]

Gonzo, when my slave cylider rubbers failed, I found it best to remove the trans cover, it made access and bleeding so much easier. To further ease bleeding, I use a 2.5 metre long system of clear tubing,fish tank air tubing (thin bore)with a slightly larger tube glued at the end that fits tight over the bleed nipple and is suspended out of the car door on a light stand to be above the level of the reevoir, the end dangles into a glass jar. Make sure the resevoir is full and slowly pump, you can see any air bubbles in the clear tube and you can either pump to waste or allow the air bubbles to rise and let the pure fluid go back into the system. Sounds complicated but it sure works, I do the brakes in the same way, just remember to check the resevoir.
Bob
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[gonzo]

Thank you for responding Bob. Successfully installed the clutch M/C - learned to access bottom bolt from under the car! Reservior-to-M/C Feed Line threads needed to be "restored" before it could be easily screwed into the M/C.

And yes the trans cover was removed to bleed system. Bleed the traditional way, but will try what you suggested or build an inexpensive mini pressurization system following instructions from a related thread on this forum. No more begging and instructing newbies on the finer points of the traditional method.

Final results: an immediate improvement on shifting. The tired M/C that was removed will be sleeved and used to replace the Brake M/C at some later date - perhaps I'll report on the mini-pressurization system too. GONZO

 

[bob hughes]

Could you point me in the direction of the thread for the mini pressurisation system, it could be a good read for future work.
Bob

 

[screenprinter]

Bob,

Here's the link to building a low cost bleeder.

https://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm

enjoy!

Bob Marsh

 

[bob hughes]

Thanks Screenprinter, looks like a neat unit, I think that I might give it a try, beats getting in and out, and from under the car to check fluid levels.

Bob
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[screenprinter]

You're welcome - This seems like an elegant solution to the bleeding nuisance (spelling?) - Of course the old " Gather together a clean jelly jar and a length of rubber tubing "has done well for me in the past - I had to rebuild my Sprite slave cylinder in a parking lot one day and with nobody around to pump the pedal this primitive method did the trick - I was lucky that I learned early on to carry a plastic bottle, a can of brake fluid and a length of pvc tubing in the trunk.

At any rate, Happy fabricating!

Bob M.