Clutch HELP!!

[acleary555]

Ok heres the long and short- Ive got a 92 f350 and I just replaced the clutch and DMF flywheel with a solid flywheel conversion and clutch kit. All went well with the replacement, Except I let the slave cylinder push rod push all the way out so apparently ive gotten air into my clutch system. I spent four hours trying to bleed it and still have jack for pedal and cant get into reverse so Im SURE there is air in the system. The truck is level, on a lift, and Ive heard of air getting trapped in the master? If anyone knows how I can get it bled please help. Thank you.

 

[riotwarrior]

I'd suggest strongly using the search function and search all the threads on bleeding clutch setups there are lots

Do an advanced search of clutch bleeding...that's what you want

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/sh...bleeding-procedure!&highlight=bleeding+clutch

This is one I wrote and others responded too!

 

[acleary555]

The ford service manual says the same thing as ALLDATA and I tried that for 2 hours. Cant figure out what Im doing wrong. Plan on trying a couple of the other suggestions on there but have also already tried some of those things. Tranny came out, clutch and flywheel replaced and tranny back in in 4 hours flat and 4 more unsuccessful hours repeatedly trying to bleed . Tomorrow is a new day.

 

[TWeatherford]

Have you pulled it out to do it on the bench instead of in the truck? How did air get in? When I did mine I just left the slave hanging, reinstalled and kept going.

 

[acleary555]

I tried taking it off the truck. Not sure how air got in. The dumb plastic clip that holds the pushrod in so you can remove it came undone while it ws hanging as i did the clutch and flywheel. So Im thinking it mustve just pushed itself too far out and when I pushed it back in I mustve pushed air in. I really wondered that myself.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Pull it off and bench bleed it.

Good luck, lots of patience required as it can be frustrating, I've wrestled with bleeding air out of front wheel disk on dirt bikes before and elevation did help.

 

[acleary555]

Ive had a long weekend. Got new clutch in, but still cant shift into reverse with the engine running. Spent a day and a half trying to bleed the system but I feel like I still have air, although I cant see how. I bled the dam thing 6 ways from sunday, but still have over an inch of pedal travel, and that seems like too much to me. If I start in in reverse it will sit still with the clutch in so i know im close. Wondering if master cylinder is bad...

 

[Exekiel69]

Are You doing this alone or You have someone help You? Is the slave the kind with a small Allen screw? In My experience all it takes is a few pump and then let a small amount of fluid out, notice there should be more air than fluid coming out, all this while the push rod is properly installed against the clutch fork. Having the second person pumping is a great advantage but not absolutely necessary.

 

[riotwarrior]

Hey, just out of curiosity, have you inspected the clutch MC pushrod and the actuating arm?

There is a pin with plastic bushing that sits in the EYE of the MC and if it wears it can give an inch or more of play.

Look under the dash, near throttle pedal with a light, the MC is just up from that you can wiggle the pedal by hand while looking and get an idea where I mean, then follow that pushrod from MC back and look at the pin/eye/bushing. If those are worn out bad, no matter how new a clutch you get you won't have a clutch function correctly!

Hope that this is NOT the case but gives you something more to confirm!

JM2CW

Al

 

[acleary555]

Ive bled it a thousand times. I replaced the plastic bushing on the pedal. Ive still got an inch & a half or more of slack in pedal/master cyl. Im thinking seriously now that master may be bad. I can get it stubbornly into the forward gears but not in reverse at all, unless the engine is off. Iff i cut the engine off, put it in reverse, then start it , I can back up. Feels like I need like another half inch of pedal and itd be good. Very aggravating

 

[IDIBRONCO]

From my experience, bleeding didn't help much. With something like you're going through, I just pump the S#$T out of the pedal with both legs and my right arm. When they all feel like they're going to fall off, that's when I know I only have about another 10 or 15 minutes of pumping left. Hydraulic clutches are great when they work. Otherwise they are awful! Sorry to hear that. Something else you might try, install everything like you're ready, make sure the fluid is full and you can still go through the forward gears. Then just go out and drive the thing. Sometimes that works. My dad used to have a 1963 International pickup with a SLOWLY leaking hydraulic clutch. I would either have to let it sit idling for about an hour or take it out for a drive to get the clutch to work again after losing too much fluid. It sounds crazy, but I think the engine vibrations must help to move the air up and out of the system.

 

[riotwarrior]

Ive bled it a thousand times. I replaced the plastic bushing on the pedal. Ive still got an inch & a half or more of slack in pedal/master cyl. Im thinking seriously now that master may be bad. I can get it stubbornly into the forward gears but not in reverse at all, unless the engine is off. Iff i cut the engine off, put it in reverse, then start it , I can back up. Feels like I need like another half inch of pedal and itd be good. Very aggravating

There still could be a clutch cross shaft issue,

Grab that pedal and the little arm and see if you can move that around checking bushings for the cross shaft that could be worn out as well. IT won't let you work the pedal like you should be able to.

If no play, sounds like a bad MC or Slave, so replace both!

JM2CW

 

[84TD]

From my experience, bleeding didn't help much. With something like you're going through, I just pump the S#$T out of the pedal with both legs and my right arm. When they all feel like they're going to fall off, that's when I know I only have about another 10 or 15 minutes of pumping left. Hydraulic clutches are great when they work. Otherwise they are awful! Sorry to hear that. Something else you might try, install everything like you're ready, make sure the fluid is full and you can still go through the forward gears. Then just go out and drive the thing. Sometimes that works. My dad used to have a 1963 International pickup with a SLOWLY leaking hydraulic clutch. I would either have to let it sit idling for about an hour or take it out for a drive to get the clutch to work again after losing too much fluid. It sounds crazy, but I think the engine vibrations must help to move the air up and out of the system.

I second this. After I replaced the slave on my 84 it acted very similar to what you are describing. First I found a big hill and drove the truck nose up and bled and then nose down, it was drivable so I drove it and after a week or so it came back to normal.

 

[FoMoCo]

I have been there, done that, and got the T-shirt. I thought I was the only one with clutch problems, I have had the truck only 10 years and it is not my daily driver anymore, but I have been through 3 slaves or 4 if you count the metal one from Car quest that never did work. My current (3rd) master will loose fluid and then be fine. The best deal is NAPA since you get a New Master, line and slave. I did not bench bleed mine. I disconnected the slave and mounted the master and line, filled and let the fluid run out of the line, then with the slave compressed I installed the line with the o-rings and that roll pin. Then have a buddy pump the master and then bleed with the allen screw.

 

[73idi88f350]

when i replaced my master for my clutch i had to hold the pedal to the floor for a few mins then did a few hard fast stabs then hold.. with a arrangement of doing that i got mine bleed.. the air will work up not down so i dont remember opening my bleeder. your never get air to force down it always wants to come up..

and then once it is moveable take it for a ride and it "should" get better.