clutch bleeding issues *i know its been covered...*

[89dieselbko]

OK so i just replaced my MC/slave/clutch hydrolic line, and spent LITERALLY 4 hours trying to get it to come up to pressure. we bench bled the slave, used the *bleeder* tool thing (had my neighbor give me a hand) after all that we just barely have clutch involvement. cracking the bleeder appears to only let fluid out, no air.

flywheel clutch throwout and all that jazz is new, after i swapped the motor/trans it only took about 2 hours to get it bleed, but my old slave was leaking so i replaced the whole system.

i guess the point of this is... could i have a bad part? there are no leaks in the system, we both cant figure out why its not getting up to pressure. at this point the pressure plate is moving just fine, and the clutch pads themselves you can just start to feel trying to move, but has been that way for a good 50-100 pumps.

Also the pedal is sitting in about the middle of the pedals full movement. Not sure if that could be the cause of a bad mc/slave or if it just needs more bleeding? im stumped and the bko is sitting another week due to this issue. I would assume bleeding would let air out, but it seems to be purely fluid. You can *hear* what sounds like air in the system, but his bleeder and the bleeder valve arent getting any air out... im totally frustrated at this point!

sorry if this has been covered before, hit a few of the other clutch pressure threads and they dont really seem to be the same as my problems

 

[typ4]

pump the pedal, and sit there for 5 minutes or so with the pedal down and let the bubbles rise to the master, then slowly let the pedal up, let it sit a few then do it again, I do this onall of them and it hasnt failed me yet.

 

[justinray]

So you dont actually have to bleed them?

 

[89dieselbko]

thanks typ4! i didnt even give that a thought. and your the first person i have found that said to just hold it in. Everyone else is just pumppumppump bleed blah blah and that wasnt working for me.

 

[G. Mann]

I use a different approach, and it works every time, first time, no need for even a second person to "pump the clutch".

I bleed from the bottom up. Use an old fashioned oil can pump. Fill it with brake fluid, attach a hose to the nozzle end. Slip the other end over the OPEN bleed screw. Take the top off the clutch master cylinder but leave it setting loose to cover the reservoir. [If you don't , in the next step you will make a mess]

From the bottom, start pumping brake fluid UP to the Clutch Master Cylinder. Air naturally wants to rise and you use fluid from the lowest point to push the air UP out of the system. Pump for a bit, close the bleed screw, check fluid level in Master Cylinder. When you have it about half full, tighten the bleed screw at the clutch slave cylinder, finish filling the Master cylinder reservoir.

Your done....... This system has never failed me, first time. takes about 10 min total to bleed a clutch that way. [I also use it to bleed brakes,, same result.. one man, no pumping, just go to longest line first, close that one then next longest, etc.

 

[89dieselbko]

hmm G. Mann that is an interesting way to do it for sure. i dont have any way to *pump* from bottom up tho.

 

[G. Mann]

Any of your friendly local autoparts houses should have a old fashioned pump oil can. Less than $5 usually.

Some of the new slave cylinders use a bleed screw that doesn't have a "nipple" on it.... where I slip the piece of hose. If you have the "new and improved" type... change it out. It's worth the effort.

I use a piece of hose from the pump oiler can to the bleed screw that's about 4 ft. long so I can bleed / pump while standing beside the truck and watch the fluid in the clutch master.. [Yeah... I know .. that's cheating.. so?]

 

[Agnem]

I've since become a bit of an expert on this myself. Here's the thing... your not really trying to bleed the slave. Your trying to bleed the line. And the reason people have so much trouble is because pockets of air can become trapped in there. Most folks have a black clutch line. But a few lucky people will have a semi-translucent red one. This is the ticket if you have one. If you don't, you have to use your imagination. Don't bother with the bleeder screw. The reality is, if you fully compress the plunger in the slave, there is no air in there. Can't be. That piston goes all the way back. The problem is, with all the bends in the line, air can litteraly sit in there and avoid moving up the pipe. Soo.... you have to hold the piston in, and message' the line. move it around... tap on it.... flick it... anything you can do to dislodge a bubble in there. Keep the master full and just let the slave back out slowly. Do it this way, and you will be surprised how fast it bleeds out. Case in point, the Nightmoose blew a clutch line at the Carlise car show, because my son did not take my advice and tie back the line. It got against the manifold and melted. We installed a red line, but it was at night. We literally couldn't see. It was just like having a black line. We tried in vain for 4 hours to get it to work right, and we never got it. He ended up floating gears to get it home. The following day, in the daylight and with a flashlight, we could SEE the bubble sitting in there. We could SEE that it did not move enough to get out of the line regardless of what technique we used. We simply flicked on the line, and bent it around until we saw the bubble go to the master cylinder. Bingo! Instant good clutch action. What we couldn't accomplish in 4 hours the night before, we fixed in 4 minutes because we could SEE it.

 

[89dieselbko]

well crap! i didnt get a see through or black line, mine is all stainless half braided half hardline. if this rain keeps up the site here will go to standstill and ill try to force air bubbles out via hold in and wiggle, thanks a bunch agnem and typ4.... G. mann ill look into your method for future reference. Combination of the 2 and i should never have to fight with a clutch line again!

 

[riotwarrior]

well crap! i didnt get a see through or black line, mine is all stainless half braided half hardline. if this rain keeps up the site here will go to standstill and ill try to force air bubbles out via hold in and wiggle, thanks a bunch agnem and typ4.... G. mann ill look into your method for future reference. Combination of the 2 and i should never have to fight with a clutch line again!

Where did you get your line, I want one...I have two types of plastic....RED...n BLACK!...sucks...I want metal!

 

[89dieselbko]

i had mine made at a local big truck shop.... but rockauto.com i believe has the metal ones *not stainless*

ok here is the information from rockauto
DORMAN Part # 628200 More Information About this Part {#F5TZ7A512A}

i brought it up via 1990 F250 7.3 and searched Clutch Hydraulic Line

its the one i was going to get... but its not stainless, and i hate putting more cheap, fast to rust metal on the bko... esp being stuck here in PA

 

[riotwarrior]

Oh well since you had it made...could you get one made 3-4" longer?

 

[89dieselbko]

i can have my wife run down and see what it would run ya. i took my old black plastic one down, had them mimic it, cost me 107 bucks. nearly twice the rock auto price of 50 something, but at least it wont rot out! She placed the order for me, so ill have her stop again and get a price quote and let ya know.

 

[riotwarrior]

Thanks, I prefer a good steel line vs a plastic one, I'll be bench bleeding my entire setup if I swap lines and then just stick in all 3 parts line MC n slave as one! That's how I swap too...pull MC from firewall...leave attached to trans...never under any circumstances would I open that setup! lol I know the ramifications for sure!

 

[franklin2]

We simply flicked on the line, and bent it around until we saw the bubble go to the master cylinder. Bingo! Instant good clutch action. What we couldn't accomplish in 4 hours the night before, we fixed in 4 minutes because we could SEE it.

That's why driving it down a road going over bumps and hills works so well also. The hardest part is getting it in gear the first time. Hopefully you have bled it enough where the clutch "sort-of" works. You can then usually get it into 5th, and then quickly work your way down to 1st or reverse. Once you get going down the road, the vibrations of the engine and the truck will help bleed the system out completely.