Need Help with Clutch Bleeding!!!
 

Hi guys,

I just replaced the master and slave cylinders for the clutch on an FD. I did the normal bleeding procedure with the help from a friend of mine:

pump clutch pedal several times -> hold clutch pedal to the floor -> crack open bleeder valve on the slave cylinder -> close bleeder valve on the slave cylinder before the fluid stops -> let go of the clutch pedal -> repeat

Now I got to a point where there is NO MORE AIR BUBBLE, ONLY PLAIN FLUID coming out from the bleeder valve of the clutch slave cylinder, but the clutch pedal still feels soft especially for the FIRST HALF OF THE TRAVEL. I kept on repeating the procedures, but always ended up with the same result after 2 hours of attempt. One thing to note is that my friend always had to LIFT UP the clutch pedal manually after I opened and closed the bleeder valve of the clutch slave cylinder.

Did we do anything wrong or were we missing on something? Please help!

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression you needed to bench-bleed the master before you go through the remaining steps to bleed the clutch.

No need to bench bleed the master. For brakes, it's needed. Not so much for a clutch. You can try tapping on the master with a wrench to free up some air bubbles, but if you're sure you got all the air out then make sure the clutch pedal is properly adjusted. This can be done by lengthening or shortening the push rod and setting the pedal height with the clutch switch. If the pedal has a ton of play before it even begins to move fluid, it'll feel real squishy. I just bled mine after I replaced the master and slave. I used a motive power bleeder and after I applied pressure, I began bleeding it and had a friend push the clutch pedal. It spit a huge air bubble at me and then I shut the bleeder. After that, the pedal was rock solid.

Matt

Thanks for the reply guys. I tried bleeding again today, and still got 1/3 of the travel for free play before feeling the pressure from the clutch, which was a lot compared to the original free play length (about 1") before my clutch went out.

My question is: Do I need to readjust the free play every time I install a NEW clutch master cylinder?

Probably not. But it doesn't hurt to check.

Matt

I changed my brake master and slave recently. The best method which worked well for me was using a brake bleeder and drawing the fluid from the slave. First i would have the bleeder closed, then build vacuum in the brake bleeder. Once vacuum was built up, I opened the bleeder. I repeated this process while making sure the reservoir up top was filled. Most if not all the old fluid and air was gone with this method.

If I remember correctly the problem is jacking the front of the car up higher than the back traps air in the cylinders.
Barry

I lowered the front of the car (it is still on jack stands), tried the bleeding method, and still got the same result... this time I decided to adjust the clutch pedal instead to reduce the play, and so far so good. I haven't started and test drove and car yet, but hopefully this is the solution.