usmcdi4life

Hey All. I have a1982 RX7 with a hydrolic clutch problem. The clutch becomes soft after I drive the car and it sits over night. I have replaced the slave and master clutch cylinder and it still does it. I have on order the rubber clutch hose. I know it is getting air in to the system somewhere but don't know where? I read my Haynes manual and it says to "prime" the Master Cylinder before installing so I guess I will try that. I didnt figure I needed to that considering I had to bleed the entire system anyway.
I would appreciate any help.
Thanks
Todd

perfect_circle

there is a very obscure chance that you have a bad replacement. but it sounds like it couls also be a broken clutch fork, but it would only be that if it were consistant. chances are you just need a good bleed...

as far as priming it, or bench bleeding, i dont know how to do that, ive never had too big of a problem with it.

bliffle

Hydraulic clutch bleeding is often more difficult than people imagine. It's more difficult than brakes. You may need a "Speed Bleeder", which is just a new bleed tit with a check valve, or you may need a pressure device to force hydraulic fluid thru the system while you catch the old sudsy fluid in a jar. Guys on this forum have made pressure devices from old bicycle inner tubes, weed sprayers, and other such gadgets. You can even buy a pressure bleeder for about $80 at the autostore.

It helps if you "bench bleed" the cylinders by filling them with fluid before installation, but it's such a PITA to install the cylinders that you're better off leaving them in and devising a pressure gadget: use your imagination, and report back on how you did it.

Speed bleeders are pretty easy: you just replace the old bleed tit, fill the reservoir with fluid, attach a plastic tube to the speed bleeder and run it down to a catch jar, then pump the clutch peddle until you think it's OK. The built-in check valve allows air/fluid out but no air in. One warning, I once installed a speed bleeder that somehow had threads that didn't seal and the darn thing leaked air, defeating the whole purpose.