My 348 Clutch pedal is still limp - need some ferrari viagra

I'm under the impression that you need to raise the rear end and do a two-man bleed pumping the clutch pedal numerous times.

 

Did you put the new seals in the right way?

 

Yeah.....what he said. There was fchatter not long ago that issues also. I think he just had an airlock and needed to raise the rear of the car also.
It worked for him in the end.

 

Good point, is the fluid leaking out of the grill under the housing?

 

Should the car be level when bleeding??

I have also heard of people pumping fluid in through the bleed valve. Just watch the reservoire

 

Just in case, just in case.... are you aware that the fluid level in the tank MUST be kept very near to the top while you are bleeding the clutch system? The hose from the tank to the clutch master cylinder is up near the top of the tank on the left side. If the fluid level drops below the level of that hose, you are allowing more air into the lines as you pump the pedal. The line to the brake cylinder is down at the bottom of the tank, so it continues to feed fluid to the brakes long after the level has dropped below the clutch line.
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Yeah, dont forget to have a full brake fluid resivior.

 

Just a 3rd vote on the fluid level, that sounds like the problem if there are no leaks. In Jeff's pic as guide, fill it the top of heavy dark line shown there don't go past that or you will pump fluid out the cap when you appply the brakes. Regards, Vern

 

Hey Vern, in general would it make any sense to have a slightly taller, hollow cap on the reservoir so that you could fill fluid to the brim and not have to worry about overflow due to the extra room in the cap?

 

You could but with the size of that reservoir it really shouldn't be required if you take a peek at it once in a while.

Quite a few Ferrari hyd clutches can be a challenge to bleed because the line runs up and down hill so much. Lots of areas for air pockets to form. One thing I would suggest to start with is to bleed the clutch master output to be sure the master is not air locked.

Also I read an alternate method in a Mercedes manual years ago that has saved me a few times and really works great when you have a combined brake and clutch reservoir. Get a hose and attach one end to the clutch bleed nipple and the other to a brake bleed nipple. Open both, pump the brakes a number of times. If you have another person around have them watch for when the bubbles quit coming up in the brake res. Now close both bleeders and see what you have for a pedal.

 

Bleeding a Ferrari clutch with a power bleeder is a waste of brake fluid, time and leads to frustration.

It almost never gets a clutch full of air bled.

 

Hey Brian, is there some secret about having the clutch pedal pushed down just a bit in the cockpit while you are pulling the clutch pack in order to block off a drain hole to prevent the Master cylinder from becoming airlocked during a clutch change?

 

Is it possible the master cylinder is leaking??

 

That might help but I find it more productive to remove the hose and cap off the end. I suppose it could work if the hydraulics were not apart very long.

I find it much easier to bleed out the air that is in the bell housing rather than a whole system.

 

Check the mechanical linkage going to the master cylinder.

 

Did you ever go to the trouble to try to diagnose the system or did you just jump right in and decide to bleed it?

Even it it's initial problem was air it came from somewhere.

 

Check the banjo fitting on top of the master cylinder. It may be loose and sucking air from that interface.

 

Neat idea. So the idea is to use the good possitive no air system of the brakes to force clean fluid through the clutch system to purge the clutch air... eh???

 

Right. It could be time for new washers top and bottom (parts #34 in Miltonian's diagram in post #8) for the banjo fitting.

 

I've run into this several times. I have had good luck with letting the pedal spring back, making it 'clunk' Doing this ten times or so. I think the piston in the master gets stuck at the end of its stroke. Fluid will bleed through forever but with no pressure. Sometimes pumping the pedal rapidly helps build pressure. I hit the pedal hard, but not all the way to the floor and lift my foot off each time, more like 'tapping' Sounds funny, but it works more often than not.
Or like others have suggested, the master could be bad.

E

 

Good point, the plunger could be stuck.