Tips on bleeding a clutch

Beef52751 · Jul 14, 2009

i got a 94 4.0 Ranger that had a new clutch, slave cylinder, and master cylinder installed when i bought it. I was told the clutch was never bled but the slave and master were bench bled. There is absolutly no pedal pressure. I have tried to bleed it like you would bleed brakes with no luck. any ideas on how to get it to bleed or why it doesnt have any pedal pressure.
thanks
Beef

Rifleman · Jul 14, 2009

To bleed mine, I opened the valve, had someone press (once) the pedal and hold it, I closed the valve, they let off the pedal once the valve is tight. Clutch doesn't require "pumping" like brakes. It does require filling the resevoir much more often as the process progresses (do not let it get low enough to suck air or you are starting over). If you just changed things and the system is empty, it will likely take about 20-25 times of the process above before you start to see any fluid or notice any pressure.

trail B2 · Jul 14, 2009

I have one of those syringes that inject into meat that your cooking for spices and stuff I take off the needle and slip A piece of vacuum line on the end silicon line works much better put the other end on the bleeder screw with it cracked open and the air bleed out of the syringe you can now move the fluid back and forth made mine come around right away an old dirt bike trick.

Beef52751 · Jul 14, 2009

ok, thanks, any more ideas?
Beef

Bob Ayers · Jul 15, 2009

Since the master cylinder points down, air will get trapped in the back of it.
Either un-bolt it from the firewall, pointing the end up, so the air will exit when the line is cracked opened, or remove the pushrod & c-clip in the back,
allowing the air out the back.

Beef52751 · Jul 16, 2009

so ive been bleeding the clutch like Rifleman said and i finally got a solid pedal for about 3/4 of the stroke of the pedal. When i try to put it in reverse it grinds, and it wont even attempt to go int 1st. Does it need bled more or are there other problems??
(i bought the truck with the new clutch and the system was never bled so there may be issues i dont know about)
Thanks
Beef

Shran · Jul 16, 2009

Push clear tubing onto the bleeder and put the other end in a can of brake fluid. Clutch in, open bleeder, pull clutch pedal out as fast as you can. Close bleeder and repeat. This draws fluid from the master down into the slave, and into the can eventually. You have to repeat this quite a few times. Make sure the reservoir stays full.

HareRazor · Jul 16, 2009

I have found that it is way easier to just take the master cylinder loose from the firewall and detach the hose from the slave cylinder and pull the master and line out of the truck and bleed it that way. I typically clamp it lightly in a vice and push the rod in as far as I can and take a nail or screw driver and carefully push the end of the line in to let the air/fluid out. Once I can't push the rod in hardly at all I put it back in the truck and bleed the little air out of the slave. It may seem like more work, but it beats messing with it under the truck for days trying to remove the air.

kunar · Jul 16, 2009

trail B2 said:
I have one of those syringes that inject into meat that your cooking for spices and stuff I take off the needle and slip A piece of vacuum line on the end silicon line works much better put the other end on the bleeder screw with it cracked open and the air bleed out of the syringe you can now move the fluid back and forth made mine come around right away an old dirt bike trick.

this sounds like a very good idea. if you can force fluid through the system backwards, the trapped air pocket will be forced out through the reservoir. the other way that i have had very good luck bleeding these is with a pressure bleeder. attach it to the reservoir and put about 10psi on the entire system. open the bleeder valve and pump the pedal a few times, the faster the better. this gets the air suspended in the fluid and it's forced through and out the bleeder valve.

the pressure bleeder i linked to will fit the clutch reservoir on my truck, probably all ford trucks. if you get the other fittings you can do your brakes with it too. really a great system. ebay search "motive bleeder" if you want to look a little more

laclabb · Jul 23, 2009

Beef52751 said:
so ive been bleeding the clutch like Rifleman said and i finally got a solid pedal for about 3/4 of the stroke of the pedal. When i try to put it in reverse it grinds, and it wont even attempt to go int 1st. Does it need bled more or are there other problems??
(i bought the truck with the new act clutch and the system was never bled so there may be issues i dont know about)
Thanks
Beef

My friend also got the same experience. He grunts alot every time he tries to put it in reverse and eventually grinds. He's a total noob anyways.

sfwjesse · Jul 23, 2009

you will probably never get the grind to go away unless you unbolt the master and tilt it, and also clamp the clear tubing to the bleeder and run it back to the reservoir. Pump until you see no air bubbles in the line.

Trust me...there are 100 threads on this and this seems to be the best way....see how i did it here...post 12
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45660

In my case the master was bad, but the method is good.

jcolgan_42 · Sep 27, 2009

Rifleman said:
To bleed mine, I opened the valve, had someone press (once) the pedal and hold it, I closed the valve, they let off the pedal once the valve is tight. Clutch doesn't require "pumping" like brakes. It does require filling the resevoir much more often as the process progresses (do not let it get low enough to suck air or you are starting over). If you just changed things and the system is empty, it will likely take about 20-25 times of the process above before you start to see any fluid or notice any pressure.

Just where is this valve ?? I can't for the life of me see anything like that to bleed mine.

sfwjesse · Sep 28, 2009

It is the little fitting that looks like a grease fitting 1" above where the hydraulic line attaches to the slave cylinder through the side of the transmission.

jcolgan_42 · Sep 28, 2009

OK, thanks alot !!

Tips on bleeding a clutch

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