intoc6s

I tried using the search on here to find info about bleeding the Hydraulic Clutch system with no real info. Is there a link? I question whether i got mine bled good enough, but i watched the throwout bearing push on the pressure plate fingers and it looks about right(i think). But i hate to put it all back together if its not... Any suggestions would be appreciated!!

breecher_7

It bleeds just like brake caliper....

Do yourself a favor, call up tick performance and get a speed bleeder line as well as an adjustable master. The factory hydraulics plague these cars... And the speed bleeder makes it a quick one man job without crawling under the car or having to take anything apart!

http://www.tick-performance.com/cata...tte/driveline/

ipuig

Have an assistant depress the clutch pedal to the floor, open the bleed screw, hydraulic fluid along with air (if any) will escape, close the bleed screw. Have your assistant release the clutch pedal and re-pump up the hydraulics, it may take 3 -5 strokes of the pedal to re-charge the slave cylinder, keep an eye on the fluid level in the reservoir while this is going on, you do not want to re-introduce air into the hydraulics.
Repeat the procedure several times until you feel confident the air has been removed. If you have a factory shop manual, the procedure is in there. If not, I suggest you get one. good luck.

intoc6s

Thanks! Im gonna have someone pump it up a few more times(and open the bleeder) till i feel comfortable with it. It just feels kinda soft still, after 3 times pumping and releasing it. Although the throwout bearing pushes the fingers on the pp in probably about an inch already. Thanks!!-Jason

JCENZ06

I am going to be trying this tonight. I have been using Ranger's protocol for 2 years and the fluid has been staying clear. The other day when shifting out of first to nuetral, my car suddenly took massive effort to get in or out of gear. Now when in gear at a stop light with the clutch pressed in (i do not normallly leave in gear with clutch pressed) it wants to creep like an automatic and i have to hold the brakes. It almost takes 2 arms to get into first or reverse from a stop and shifts hard unless rev matched. The fluid in the master is still clear. Any sugguestions on what is wrong, i'm hoping bleeding the slave will fix it as maybe there is some clutch dust trapped in their.

01_torch_red_vette

i am having the same issues with my monster 3.5, sounds like a hydraulic issue. either air in the system, or a bad master or slave. i have ran quite a bit of dot 4 through mine and am pretty sure its not air, then i went with a tick adjustable master and still no luck so now i get to drop the tranny

lucky131969

Hopefully, this doesn't apply to you.....

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-t...-clutches.html

JCENZ06

Well i keep getting lots of air everytime i bleed it with 30 pedal pumps. Should i be pumping less or is my slave bad and letting air in everytime. We probably did 10 bleed cycles. Should the 90 degree elbow be tightly threaded where the clutch feed line goes into the slave cylinder or does it freely rotate? It seems to rotate and i wondered if air was entering here. Car is still on the lift did not fire it up and try to shift again yet.

nickolbag

Clutch not disengaging. I don't think a fluid change will fix that. Thats a MC/slave problem isn't it?

Ranger

Here is a bleed procedure for a remote bleeder. You can use it as a basis for checking your steps. The key one being, the clutch pedal must be on the floor when the bleed valve gets tightened.

Start by placing a section of clear tubing over the remote bleed valve nipple and running the tube to a clear plastic bottle, so that the expelled fluid can be seen. Light the tubing and bottle appropriately. Then:

1. Replace fluid in the reservoir with fresh DOT4. Clean diaphragm and replace cap.

2. Helper pumps the clutch pedal five times slowly full-top to full-bottom to full-top. Helper then takes foot off pedal.

3. You open the remote bleed valve.

4. Helper slowly presses the clutch pedal to the floor and holds it there.

5. You re-tighten the bleed valve.

6. Helper releases the clutch pedal.

7. You refill the reservoir to the fill-line and replace the cap.

8. Repeat steps until the expelled clutch fluid remains clear and shows no air bubbles.

9. Final step is to correct the fluid level in the reservoir.

10. Go for an easy drive without launch or high-rpm shifts. Check clutch engagement point and shift smoothness.

11. Repeat at lease one more time as required to disgorge trapped air.

If the fluid remains clear and an absence of air in the system is verified, the next step is to replace just the master cylinder. Since you're doing your own wrenching, that should cost less than $150 for part and take about an hour. After install, rebleed.

If that doesn't resolve the issue, the next target is the actuator. But often a failure there is accompanied by a loss of fluid.

Ranger

JCENZ06

Well after bleeding the slave by your instructions Ranger everything was good. Until today when i drove probably 100 or so miles the same problem came back. I could feel it slowly getting harder to shift this time instead of the abrupt stoppage last time. I see you said to take it for an easy drive and bleed again which i didn't do because i don't want to keep my friend's lift tied up. Should i bleed again or do you think i need the new master cylinder?

Ranger

Sorry to be late in replying. Was off-the-grid.

Would suggest re-bleeding while paying close attention to the procedure and re-tightening the bleed valve.

If the symptoms return, then replace just the master cylinder and then re-bleed. Let us know your results either way.

Ranger

uncle wilson

struggling here ! with bleeding !
new slave and clutch pedal has to pulled from floor!!!

n_brio

I have the exact same problem, what to do?

liquidforce917

Bringing threads back from the dead lol.

Anyways I just wrote this procedure for another forum member. Hope it helps.

If you have any "dead pedal" at the top of your clutch that means it is time to replace the master. For a $100, you cant go wrong.

I just replaced my clutch and installed new master and slave w/ remote bleeder.

To get a 100% bleed of the clutch & slave you need to:

1) fill up reservoir
2) fully submerge end of bleeder into the reservoir
3) pump until no more bubbles come out (alternate between sessions of fast and slow pumping)

This method allows you to bleed the air out of the system without wasting fluid. Also, it will ensure that you are not inducing additional air into the system. Make sure to point the end of the bleeder anywhere but at the supply of the master, as you could then recirculate the bubbles.

Let me know if it helps.

Also, when i was bleeding my clutch i also noticed a "vortexing" of the fluid as it exited the bleeder screw. After the fluid straightens back out these microbubbles should disappear. if they do disappear then it was a form of caviation, but they prcede to form a larger bubble then there is still air in your system and you should continue to pump.

bnich11

Been trying to bleed my clutch for an hour now with no progress. I installed a new clutch, tick master and slave cylinder about a month ago with a speed bleeder. However, no matter how many times I pump the clutch pedal, no fluid is flowing through the bleeder. I just keep pumping with no fluid. Any ideas?

k24556

Try having the reservoir at the normal fill level, which is halfway. Then put the cap on with the bladder/ seal. in. Not much fluid comes out each time, and you can get 3 bleeds, then refill. For some reason having the cap and seal helps.