Bleeding the clutch
 

Hi,

Im trying to get my car finished so that I can fire her up and start driving However I have some issues regarding the clutch. I have searched but I cant find any info on my problem.

When I pulled the engine I had no problems with the clutch. When I put the engine in the push thingy did not go into the fork and therefor sprung out. I unbolted the slave cylinder, let the fluid out and reinserted it. After that I bled the clutch how you normally would, have someone in the car, open bleeder, press pedal, and close bleeder etc.

However I can get no solid feel in the pedal, after several attempts. The only time when there is solid feeling is in the last 1,5 /2 inches of travel. I can get the pedal to feel solid, but that requires pumping the pedal real fast and long and after letting go of the pedal the solidness disappeares.

I have checked for leaks, but cant find any. Im next to try the MC for leaks, but thought that maybe someone has an idea.

I have no speedbleeders or powerbleeder/vacuum bleeder.

Please help a brotha out :D

Regards
Rogier

There is an adjustment (located on the fire wall side of the clutch pedal) from the pedal to the slave cylinder, play with it and see what happens.

will do that when I have my racing seats in. Thanks. Is there a possibility that my MC is shot?

you still have air in your line.

connect a Mitey Vac to the bleeder AFTER removing the bleedscrew and coating the threads w wheel bearing grease.

draw vacuum and brake fluid thru the bleeder til no bubbles, close the line and you will have a rock hard clutch pedal.

howard coleman

Thanks,

SO lots of bleeding is the answer. I will do that tomorrow when my custom seatsliders come in.

Ill let you guys know the outcome.

greetings ...

i'm more concerned about this part. is this a typo? the person is supposed to press the pedal with the valve closed, not open ... if this is how you're doing it, then you DO have air in the line .. and lots of it. please clarify. :)

1

i can say from several years of experience in bleeding clutch and brake hydraulics on a regular basis that it doesn't matter whether the helper pushes the pedal before or after the bleeder is opened. the only part of the process that is critical is that the helper hold the pedal until the bleeder is completely closed.

one part about bleeding an old system that most people don't think to consider is the condition of the seals inside the cylinders.

all too often i see failed cylinders because the person bleeding the system fully extended the pedal which caused the piston in the cylinder to go much further than it typically would under normal operating conditions. what happens of the life of the cylinder is that rings develop at the end of the piston's travel durring years of normal operation. when someone goes to bleed the system by using the "pump and hold" method they extend the piston beyond those rings of corrosion and deposits. doing this even once can be enough to damage a piston seal in a cylinder to the point it no longer holds hydraulic pressure. because of this you will find that almost all shops rely on vacuum and pressure bleeding devices. the only time i use the "pump and hold" method is at the racetrack where time constraints dictate techniques and when a brand new cylinder is being bled for the very first time - typically in a bench bleeding process.

if the "pump and hold" method is the only way you have to bleed a hydraulic system such as your brakes or clutch then i reccomend placing one foot UNDER the pedal to prevent the pedal from completely extending the piston in the cylinder. this isn't a 100% effective technique but will increase your odds of not causing internal damage to your hydraulic parts.

Ray

skim41,

Pick up a Power Bleeder
http://www.motiveproducts.com/02bleeders.html

or a Mity Vac
http://www.toolsource.com/ost/mityvac/

Either one will make brake/clutch bleeding a very simple task.

Thanks for the replies, I will bleed it tomorrow again. I have the person holding the clutch push it to the half of the travelway.

Mahjik,
Im in the Netherlands, we dont have these products over here, or they are mighty money :(

Contact Motive, I'll bet they ship overseas. Trust me, it will be worth every penny if you plan on keeping your RX-7 for a while.

Mahjik,
thanks for the info. will do that. The 7 will be here for a while.

Got the clutch in working order now. I had someone in the car press the clutch, opened the bleeder screw and close it. After that it was fine :)

If you can't get a professional bleeder, make your own. Use a 1/2 gallon pump up type garden sprayer, 6 to 8 feet of 1/4 in ID hose, a 1/4 in brass fitting and a spare brake master cylinder cap (also fits the clutch master). About 10 minutes time to make, and costs under $25 US. Works as good as the high priced pro models.

Thanks