3500GT Vignale, bleeding the hydraulic clucth NEED HELP!!!

Ciao All,

Am having a problem bleeding the hydraulic clutch system... Any tips or specific procedure to follow ???

I rebuilt the master clutch cylinder as well as the slave... Put everything back together, filled the master, pumped the pedal, bleed procedure like the brakes with 2 persons, but cannot seem to get any fluid to the slave cylinder.

It feels like the master clutch cylinder does not push any fluid to the slave... Am Assuming I am missing a way to prime the whole system... Or a closing valve may not be working...

I also used a vacuum pump @ the slave cylinder, created a good vacuum, it sucked liquid in its reservoir, while a buddy pumped the clutch pedal, kept on filling the clutch master reservoir with more fluid, but nothing works, no fluid getting to the slave cylinder...

Please need help with this chore and really, really do not want to disassemble again the whole pedal system just to get to the clutch master cylinder (((((

Many Thanks for the help!
Best
Carlito

 

It is best to bench bleed master cylinders before installation, but since it is already installed I would pressure bleed the system. Try it first from the fluid resovoir and if that does not work try it from the slave cylinder.

 

Carlito, if you don't have a pressure bleed system to pressurize the reservoir on the clutch master, try loosening the connection from the clutch master to the slave cylinder until you see brake fluid seeping and then tighten the fitting. This should prime the master cylinder so that you can develop pressure with the pedal.
This works for me.
Larry

 

After you loosen the output connection on the master slowly pump the clutch pedal. You should see brake fluid squirting out. If you do not it is time to redo the master. That master cylinder is very common (Jag etype). I don't bother rebuilding them, just put in a new one.

Ivan

 

Thanks Guys...

BTW, am using DOT4 to fill the clutch master cylinder, have doubt if its the correct fluid to use??

Grazie
Carlito

 

FYI

Ok bleeding the clutch hydraulic system successful!...

The trick is to make sure that the line from the master to the slave is filled with fluid, if not, the air in it will be sucked back into the master and nothing will happen no matter what you will do... The trick is to have that line filled up with oil...

What I did:

- Unhook the outlet line @ the master, making sure the oil squirts out while pressing the clutch pedal

- Hook the line the outlet line back up

- Unhook the line @ the bottom, right before it going into the rubber hose

- Pressing the clutch pedal, its most effectiveness is @ the last 2" so make sure you press it all the way in...

- Once oil starts to come out right before the rubber hose, its all good from there...

- Simply re-hook the brake line to rubber hose and proceed to a regular bleeding of the slave cylinder

- Once you bleed the slave 5-6 times, it all falls in place and the slave starts to push the clutch lever...

A chore to figure out, but happy now that its done!!

Best
Carlito

 

Glad this worked for you ...

An alternate solution is to use a hand held vacuum pump on the slave cylinder's bleed screw and "pull" the fluid.

It is unusual to have all the problems you had bleeding the clutch master, I suspect something is not quite right with your master cyinder. If after 24 hours the clutch pedal feels like it needs to be bled again ... it is time to replace that master. Hopefully everything will be fine.

Ivan

 

I did try the vacuum from the slave, but it wasn't pulling any fluid while pumping the clutch pedal... Probably pumping the pedal wasn't keeping the master cyl. outlet open long enough to let enough fluid get into the line to the slave...

Somehow undoing the line right before the rubber hose by the slave did the trick, I did also used the trick of putting my finger on the line, when the pedal was released, this helped pulled fluid in...

I checked the system, every day after and everything works perfect, pointing out that luckily there is no issue with the master which also has been totally rebuild...

Thanks for your help
Best
Carlito

 

It is also possible that the rubber hose has collapsed on the inside. I have seen this happen on several cars and it causes weird problems. If you did not replace the rubber hose you might inspect it when you have a chance

 

BTw dot 4 fliud is correct, I have the best results with Castrol LMA

 

Interesting point... Luckily I put in a brand new one...