Stiff clutch to feels like normal?


reno

reno

15+ Year Member

Joined
Jan 18, 2008
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OK, I had a stiff clutch also,I checked the fluid and it was kind of dirty looking so I bled it out till fresh fluid came from the bleeder valve. Then I made sure the resevoir was full and opened the bleeder until no air bubbles were seen, then I closed the valve.
After that, I had my son in the cab and pump the pedal 5 times holding to the floor for about 2 seconds on each pump and bled the system that way, about 6 or 7 times total, no bubbles were seen on the last 2 pumps. Now the pedal is easy to push and hold, but if I put the truck into neutral and then depress the clutch pedal then try to shift into gear, like 1st, it won't go until I shift into rev then while still holding the pedal in shift to 1st and it will go.
Then I tried lifting the clutch just before friction, and shift from 1st to reverse, and it shifted fine, no grinding or binding, only when in neutral then try to shift into 1st. If I keep trying repeatedly trying to shift to 1st, it will eventually go, but takes some force.
Does this sound like a M/C beginning to go? I just always left the clutch alone, I figured that was how the clutch was supposed to be (never had a hydraulic before, except on a motorcycle).
 
A properly working hydraulic clutch is indistinguishable from a cable clutch aside from not needing adjustment.

Hydraulic leaks will tend to get worse if you hold the pedal down longer, and may respond to pumping. Incorrect bleeding may just be squishy.

If you were just flushing the clutch, there should NEVER have been any bubbles. That there were any makes it sound like you let the reservoir run dry. After that, it must be bench bled. It is not possible to bleed the master with it bolted to the firewall (though there is an unbolted but connected position that will do it).

On an M5OD, you can remove the inspection cover to see how much travel the slave has. This is the most reliable (direct) method of checking release.
 
Thanks Makg, there were no bubbles, just after I kept bleeding the line until fresh fluid came out is when I made sure of no bubbles,never let the rsevoir run dry.
I drove it this morning to work,and clutch is a lot easier than ever,seems to shift a little easier as well. I take it that the m5od trans does not like to be shifted to quickly, if I take my time in shifting gears, it is a lot smoother. And the only other thing I noticed is, before when I was in first gear, if I would push the clutch in, it would drop the front a bit and jerk the truck for a second, kind of like the driveshaft snapped. It does not (or has not yet) do that now. I do know I have to get used to this clutch now.
 
Can anyone please answer this? :dunno:

The directions do not say to open the bleeder valve in step 8.
"8. Slowly press the pedal five times, waiting two (2) seconds each time the pedal is released. When releasing the pedal on this step, release it fast. This tends to help suck fluid down the stream and aid in faster bubble reduction."

Step 5 and 7 are the only 2 that say to open the valve,so we are to leave the valve closed for step 8?

AND, do we leave the fill cap and black thingy (I don't know what it is called, but it goes inside the filler cup first then the cap goes on,Brake M/C has also but not like this one)off until we are done bleeding? I hope so, I left mine off, but I had my son pump the clutch pedal 5 times and then hold it while I opened the valve, then closed the valve and let him release the pedal to do it again (like you do brakes), my vac pump did not even seem to much good.
 
Is everyone else having problems logging in?
I want to make sure i bled this clutch correctly, I am not used to hydraulic clutches, I am used to the old fork throw out bearing attatched to it, and rod & spring clutch.
 
know your pain brother .
I have been dealing with issues myself .
I can't seem to get the air out of mine .......
I still have a spurt of air after the truck has sat for a while , like over night .
Come out in the morning , and the pedal travel is long , and If I pump it , it comes up to where it should be .
Then I go thru the same thing , if it sets a few hours .
There are no leaks , everything is new , and I have bench bled the master on the truck , dis-mounted from the firewall and inverted ......
I just can't get that last little burp out .
At least I can drive it tho ....good luck
Ashley
 
I can drive mine, seems ok, I am used to the friction point being a lower pedal than this. I just need to know if you only open the bleeder that one time, then the 5 times it is done the bleeder is left closed? The fluid that was in there could have been old, I do not know. I am just slowly going through this truck sections at a time and inspecting\replacing if needed parts. Wheel bearings are to be repacked this weekend and retorqued. Brakes will be done next weekend and will inspect the wheel bearings on the rear while I am there. I want to know this truck top to bottom and front to back before I go offroad, might as well fix it now than go off road and leave me stranded because I did not know that part was failing.
 
One very common mistake when bleeding a system is to open the bleed screw for too long. If you leave the screw open until the stream completely falls off, you're likely to get air back in. Shut the screw again just before the stream dies. Then have your buddy pump and repeat. Also, you don't need to pump the pedal several times, once is enough.

If you did manage to suck a bunch of air into the system at some point, you'll probably need to remove the MC from the firewall to bleed it.
 
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