bleeding new clutch hydraulics

[zimmy]

i spent all day trying to get my clutch to work...
it works a tiny bit but not enough pressure i guess
to do its thing....ive bleed from the master and the slave
end hoping to eliminate all air, i even pushed in on the slave to get the air to the top.....
the slave feels like it has some pressure but my pedal
has very little resistance.......i dont see any leaks...
any ideas?.......... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gifzimmy

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Sounds like you have an air bubble. Bleed them again. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Do you have a mity vac or a pressure bleeder?

Are you sure your pedal pumper if holding the pedal compltely down?

 

[zimmy]

no pressure bleeder....
and yes pedal is down..
tried a human, and my own little
invention...same results.....

 

[Trevor Jessie]

You can make a pressure bleeder out of an old bicycle inner tube. Do you want me to see if I can find the details?

 

[DrEntropy]

Put a hose on the bleed nipple of the slave (a tight fit one) long enough to go into a "spill bottle" 1/4 full of fluid under the car, open the screw slightly, fill the master. Get in the car and S L O W L Y depress/release the pedal about ten times ( a one second per push, one second release) then close the bleeder... refill the master cylinder, and dump the spill jar to 1/4 full again. NOW start having the other body push down and hold while you work the bleed screw. When there are no bubbles from the bleeder into the spill jar you're done.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

From the mgbbs

"Hi all,

I have had the same problems and tried most of the methods. I finally found the one that is easy, takes only one person, quick, and will work every time if the system is in order otherwise. I found the technique here and I have posted it several more times.

Step 1. Take a bicycle tire inner tube and cut through it about 10 inches from the valve. The size of the tube is not really very important.

Step 2. Remove the cap from the clutch reservoir.

Step 3. Take the end of the inner tube farthest from the valve and put it over the filler hole on the clutch reservoir. It should be on the threaded part where the cap screws on. Then use a hose clamp (I can't remember the size) to clamp the inner tube onto the top of the reservoir. This takes a little bit of trial and error to get the right tightness. Too loose and it will leak. Too tight and it will cut through the rubber of the inner tube. May take a couple tries. If you get it too tight and it cuts through the rubber, just cut a half inch off the end and try again.

Step 4. Pour brake/clutch fluid into the open end of the inner tube until it is just below the valve. Of course, you must hold the open end of the tube elevated while doing this.

Step 5. Fold the open end of the tube over a couple time to seal it. I then clamp it using a spring clamp (don't know what they are called) from my wood shop. The type where you squeeze one end to open the other. It has rubber on the jaws so it is kind to the rubber tube. I then hang the clamped end from the hood latch so that it remains elevated above the reservoir.

Step 6. Take a bicycle pump attached to the inner tube valve and give it about 5 or 10 pumps. Careful now as too much pressure may cause the end on the reservoir to pop off and then you will have a mess.

Step 7. Now you have a much larger reserve of fluid in a pressurized system. All you do now is slip under the car and open the bleed valve. Use whatever method (if any) you want to catch the fluid flowing out. You should have a nice steady stream of fluid with bubbles followed by just fluid. It works like a charm.

The best part is that it only costs about $2.00 for the inner tube and it can be reused.

By the way, I found another problem on my '75 is that it is impossible to get a wrench on that bleeder valve. I took and cut the end off a cheap wrench so that it would fit.

Good luck.

Matt"

 

[DrEntropy]

I forgot the bit about the wrench... you Spridget guys are "confined" in the footwell!

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Yep Doc, that is how I thought everyone bled the clutch without special apparatus. I made an ASSumption. The problem is caused by the angle of the MC that allows an air pocket at the top where the line attaches.

 

[zimmy]

i was trying that but its really hard to turn the bleeder AND keep ur hose on all with one hand down in that friggin hole! hmmmmm...whats ur plan Trevor?

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Actually, on the A-series cars, you can access the slave cylinder through the wheel well IIRC. (mine is a 5speed, so I don't remember the exact way I accessed the slave before the swap)

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Look a few posts up.

 

[zimmy]

i think i remember that now....doh!
still.........doesnt work either way! ; )

 

[DrEntropy]

I went to an EezeBleed years ago to eliminate the ASSumption factor. I like the innertube thingie, BTW. "Innovate, adapt, overcome!" It's an elegant solution to the "odd" positioning of the bleed screw, too.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

What about the bicycle tube trick? Or some variation of it?

 

[zimmy]

im broke this week...hows this innertube thingy work?

 

[zimmy]

this thred goes soo fast i missed part of it while i was typin! hahahaha

 

[zimmy]

think ur right about the bubble zone trevor...
ill be getting a tube tommorow....see the update then...
thx yall...........zzziimmmy

 

[rodesmg]

here another trick to bleeding the slave, if your brakes are working fine, hook up a hose from slave to one of the brake cylinders,pump fluid into slave, forcing the air out with the brake fluid

 

[sparkydave]

[ QUOTE ]
here another trick to bleeding the slave, if your brakes are working fine, hook up a hose from slave to one of the brake cylinders,pump fluid into slave, forcing the air out with the brake fluid

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course, then you would have to bleed both the brakes AND clutch again if you did this, unless you were planning to leave the clutch slave permanently connected to the brakes. I don't see how that would make bleeding the clutch any easier, unless Rodesmg would care to elaborate. What do do then when you reconnect the clutch and you have to bleed it again?

 

[Trevor Jessie]

He's talking about reverse bleeding the clutch system by using pressure from the brake system. If done correctly no air will enter the brake system.