Ok guys, today, after fitting my new clutch slave I needed to bleed the system.

Step 1 - I tired a speed bleeder, nothing coming through at the bleed nipple.
Step 2 - Tried normal bleeding technique, only to notice that the pedal does not return to the normal position but clunks violently to the floor.

Tried both steps 1 and 2 but with the outlet on the master cylinder removed.. no fluid here either.. so is the master buggered too?? And whats wrong with the pedal? As surely the master does not return it... is there a spring on it?

Cheers

Mike

 

Keep pumping the clutch pedal, when I changed to a stainless steel line it took me forever to bleed the clutch. Just have to keep at it and eventually the pressure will return.

 

Your bleeding from the clutch release cylinder right? Not from the master cylinder.

 

Yes I am bleeding from the slave(release) as there is no bleed nipple on the master. Thanks Aaron I will give it another go this afternoon!

Thanks

 

Can you confirm that if this is the case it is normal for the clutch pedal not to return then??

 

Ok from the previous post til now I have been bleeding.. and the level of fluid in the master cylinder hasnt budged.. this aint right?

 

Quick check, remove the bleed nipple completely. Put your finger over the hole, and have a buddy pump the clutch. If you feel pressure on your finger then the system is fine and you might just have a bad bleed nipple. I had this happen before. If you feel no pressure on your finger then its something else other than the bleed nipple. It's worth checking to eliminate.

 

Oh and last thing it is normal for the clutch not to spring back until you have bled the system to restore the pressure.

 

I borrowed my dad, and I noticed the following. As the pedal was depressed fluid was drawn slightly into the bleed valve, then it was expelled again. After repeating this a few times the air bubble I had been watching hadnt moved from its original position.

Thanks for all the advise.

 

Yes

 

Im assuming this is RE: the pedal not returning?

 

Wait... so you're saying that you have the bleeder screw open the entire time?

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I have spent the entire day outside.. we tried it:

Pedal down -> Bleed Open -> Bleed Closed -> Pedal Up
Bleed open -> Pedal down -> Bleed Closed -> Pedal Up

Doesnt matter, the same results were achieved. We even tried reversing it to see if we could draw fluid into the system from the bleed valve, which surprisingly worked slightly.. but did give up on that idea.

 

There is no pressure.. I will be ordering a new master cylinder next week, just fed up of waiting to be honest.

 

:bump:

 

I read your steps you took to make this work, but I'm not getting this... it's probably just me... but, when you say "Pedal Down" do you mean you pumped it four to five times to create pressure hold it down and then open the Bleeder. OR, you pressed it once and hold it at the same time? I ask because if you press once and hold it there, when you open the bleeder nothing will come out as no pressure has built up.

 

did you happen to empty the master when installing the new slave?
just a thought.

 

Pedal down (multiple times) -> Bleed Open -> Bleed Closed -> Pedal Up
Bleed open -> Pedal down(single) -> Bleed Closed -> Pedal Up

And the master has been emptied as it was removed to check.

 

Japanese hydraulic clutches seem to be notorious for this - I had the exact same trouble with a Subaru recently - the 'cure' was to jack whatever end of the car you need to in order to get the Master cylinder exactly level. In emptying the cylinder you've trapped an air bubble in the end of the Master cylinder, and while that's 'uphill' of the fluid, you ain't going nowhere...

Perhaps also these points from the workshop manual may help:

• Fluid will damage painted surfaces. Be careful not to spill any on painted surfaces. If fluid does get on painted surfaces, wipe it off immediately.
• Keep the fluid level in the reserve tank at 3/4 full or more during air bleeding.
Note
• When replacing the fluid, drain the old fluid, fill the reserve tank with new fluid and then perform Steps 1-6 below.
Specified fluid

1. Remove the bleeder cap from the clutch release cylinder, and connect a vinyl hose to the bleeder plug.
2. Place the other end of the vinyl tube in a clear container, and fill fluid in the container during air bleeding.
3. Working with two people, one should depress the clutch pedal a few times and then depress and hold the pedal down.
4. While the clutch pedal is being held down, the other person should loosen the bleeder screw using the SST, and bleed any fluid containing air bubbles. Once completed, tighten the bleeder screw.
5. Continue to perform Steps 3 and 4 until no air comes from the vinyl hose.
6. Tighten the bleeder screw using the SST.

PS - the SST in this case is a bent ring spanner

If all else fails tow it to a shop where they have a vacuum bleeder - its the only sure fire way to get it done.

 

Ok then.. so finally got some luck.. managed to start pumping some fluid through the system with quite a lot of air coming through..

Going with the:

Pump pedal 20 times, Open Bleeder, Close Bleeder, Return pedal

However, not that much fluid is produced for the 20 pumps.. and now there appears to be no air coming through but there is still no pressure at the pedal..

Any ideas? Have I missed something?

 

Success!!! Thanks to the guys here for the wealth of knowledge.. using a combination of the two techniques and alot of time I have managed to bleed the clutch

 

Congrats it takes forever, but persistence pays off this time.

 

I'm having the same problem. Did brakes, clutch, and slave cylinder with speed bleeders. Not much fluid from the clutch, and the clutch pedal drops when you press it. No pressure.

Any ideas?