shaynezrl

I am replacing the clutch master cylinder. What is the best way to bleed the system? Have anyone done it before?

Thanks
Shayne

DDSLT5

Sure -same as any other hydraulic clutch system. Fill 'er up with fluid, get a buddy to pump the pedal for ya. Press the pedal to the floor, crack the bleed screw, bleed it, tighten, repeat.

Z51JEFF

When I did the slave in my car I was told to fill the res,open the bleeder and get the fluid down to the slave.Close the bleeder and start pumping the pedal,eventually the pressure will will build.It never did.I ended up using my Mity Vac to pressure bleed the system.Afterwards I came up with an easy method if one of the pressure bleeders cant be had.Get a length of clear hose,one of those hamster water bottles with the metal tube with the ball in the end.Put the metal tube inline with the clear hose and place the end of the hose in a container of fluid.As you pump the pedal it will draw fluid up to the res,the metal ball in the metal tube will prevent the fluid from draining back into the container.Atleast it works in my head.

Dominic Sorresso

You can use a Mity Vac and fill system from
bottom up thru slave cylinder bleeder valve.
Reverse the Mity Vac pumping action to pump fluid in.

Zproud

with no bleeder Fill with fluid, and pump the pedal about 100 times.

ShawnZR-1

If the system is working properly and the bleeder screw is tight, the system will self purge of air. Your leg will get a work-out but it will work.

Zrxmax

That method worked for me inside of 10 minutes. I had a sloped area in which to position the car. Nose down to start and about 50 pumps... then nose up and 50 more pumps. Just keep the resoevoir full and the air will come out on its own. That was it !

shaynezrl

thanks everyone i will give it try with my buddy on Friday. If the 100 times of leg pumps doesn't work then Mity Vac it is.

Z51JEFF

I must have pumped the pedal 100+ times and it would never build pressure but then again the left side of the car was 2 feet in the air while the pass side was on the ground.

HAWAIIZR-1

Here is what I found works with ease after trying all the other methods I heard about and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

My method from here out out is I had a syringe with a cup of clutch fluid next to me. I was in the garage against the wall (if you have a vice it would be best) and pushed the plunger all the way in. Holding it there I used the syringe to fill what could be filled (bleeder valve closed) and slowly backed the slave away from the wall and kept filling the slave as I pulled away and the plunger extended. To check for air I would push back in a little to see if any air bubble came out. Once full, push it a little in to confirm no air and full. Carefully connected the hose with it dripping naturally from the reservoir.

Once I put the slave back up all I did was top off the reservoir and it was done. There was no pumping to do or bleeding and took all but a few minutes to fill the slave with that method. You don't even need help to do it this way either.

I could not believe all the years I was struggling trying to get it done all the other ways I read about. The only one I did not try was the reverse bleed since I did not have the correct device.

Paul Workman

Serendipity is an excellent teacher!

My very recent experience was similar to yours, Craig. My big concern was purging the slave of all the abrasive clutch dust. And, since I was by myself...

While lying on my back, under the car, and the slave removed, I opened the bleeder and forced the plunger in. I was rewarded with a solid black stream of fluid. The reservoir above was full of fresh fluid, so when I plugged the top of the bleeder with my finger and released the plunger, fresh fluid was pulled in.

I had to go up and re-fill the reservoir a couple times, but at the third purging of the secondary, the fluid was clear. I closed the bleeder and refilled the reservoir and, as Dom suggested, I pumped the hell out of it to get any air out. To my pleasant surprise, I had full peddle pressure within just a very few strokes. I checked the fluid after about 50 strokes and it was just a little bit murky. So I replaced it again, and per Dom's suggestion pumped it some more. It stayed clean.

All that to say, there must be a better way. A Mity Vac sounds like the way to go to me. (I should do the brakes next, while the car is up in the air (yes...still)).

P.

HAWAIIZR-1

Paul,

Thanks for sharing yet another method to do this. I converted my system to the later model style (91-96) per Bill B's website and he sure does provide a wealth of information and who knows more about this hydraulic clutch system that the ZF Doc himself. I tried the Mityvac and it did not work for me so I must have been doing something wrong. I had my reservior and lines flushed with the Mityvac and then capped the end so the fluid was cleaned and no air in the system by the time I did the method I described. All I know is I am going to use the method I did from now on as it was too easy and full clutch pedal with no pumping........I was totally thrilled and amazed after all the frustration of trying to get some pedal pressure and pumping the crap out of it. I know one thing, the traditional method of pump bleed does not work due to the the design and gravity of the air wanting to go up. If I had one of those Pheonix injectors I would try that reverse method.

By the way, don't feel bad as mine is not running yet. I have to dig into it as soon as I submit this reply.