1988 Ranger Bleeding the hydraulic clutch

[papperbob1]

Hi,
I have been a member for several years and have used different post for information. They have been very helpful. This is my first time posting a problem I am having with my 1988 Ford Ranger 4x4. My Ranger has a 2.9L engine, 5 speed standard transmission, 3 inch lift, 33x10.50x15 tires with 1" spacers. I am a 75 years old retired person and drive this truck very little, probably around 1000 miles a year. I have owned the truck for 13 years. I jokingly have said that this was my retirement project. Which it has been. I have repaired or replaced about everything in that time frame. Looks really nice from a distance, but I am still having problems. Recently my clutch pedal started loosing up and down travel and would rake gears going into 1st and reverse, so I started researching how to bleed the clutch system. Which got me into more then I bargained for. I had the whole clutch system replaced when I had the motor changed out right after I got the truck 13 years ago. I haven't driven the truck more then 12,000 miles since the clutch was replaced. The clutch has always worked fine up until now. I have read where these years of Rangers are some of the worst, hardest clutches to bleed. First off I found out that the clutch master cylinder fluid was low. Being low probably let air into the line at the master cylinder fill cup.? My wife helped me by pumping the clutch pedal while I would release and tighten the bleed screw on the slave cylinder. I didn't get much fluid to come out of the slave bleed screw. I probably just got more air in the system. After researching what could be the problem, I removed the master cylinder and line that runs down to the slave cylinder - stretched the line out like a video showed me to do and bleed the master cylinder turned up so the air could escape. My problem is that after installing the master cylinder and line back into the slave cylinder. I still can not get it to gravity bleed through the slave cylinder when opening the bleed screw. Should the system gravity bleed without pumping the clutch pedal? I know that there is a check value in the master cylinder line where it attaches to the slave cylinder. I do not know if there is also a check value in the slave cylinder where the two lines connect together. I thought that the check values might be the reason I couldn't get the fluid to bleed through the slave bleed screw, - because of the check values being closed? One of my question is - could the slave cylinder being void of fluid or air cause it not to gravity bleed?? Air locked? Is there any way to fill the slave cylinder with fluid and remove any air that is in it - before inserting the master cylinder line into the slave cylinder? I purchased a vacuum pump, could I use it at the slave bleed screw to pull the fluid through from the master cylinder line that attaches to the slave cylinder? Would a vacuum pump open and pull the fluid through the check values? I have hooked up a bleed bottle with a hose inserted into it when trying to bleed the system. I also tried using the vacuum pump on the bleed screw but don't quite understand the procedure. Didn't work for me. I have had the master cylinder and line out and reinstalled twice to get the air out of it and it's no easy task. Before trying anything else again and getting air in the master cylinder again I hope you guys would give me some help or advice. I would sure appreciate it.

 

[papperbob1]

Hi again,
After posting my problem with my hydraulic clutch today. I decided to work on it again. I didn't have any help, I placed a plastic bottle with a drain hose attached to the slave cylinder bleed screw which I tightened close. Then I reattached the master cylinder line into the slave cylinder coupler. I made sure that the fill cup was full of fluid. I didn't pump the clutch. I went under the truck and opened the bleed screw. To my surprise the fluid started to gravity bleed through the slave cylinder this time. I kept filling the fluid with about two or three cup full of fluid before closing the bleed screw. I now have firm clutch pedal again. The only thing I can figure happened before, was that when I tried to attach the master cylinder line into the slave cylinder coupler, I didn't get it snapped into the coupler good enough. That must have been the reason I couldn't get the fluid to gravity drain through the slave cylinder bleed screw. Problem fixed.

 

[Holden]

Hi again,
After posting my problem with my hydraulic clutch today. I decided to work on it again. I didn't have any help, I placed a plastic bottle with a drain hose attached to the slave cylinder bleed screw which I tightened close. Then I reattached the master cylinder line into the slave cylinder coupler. I made sure that the fill cup was full of fluid. I didn't pump the clutch. I went under the truck and opened the bleed screw. To my surprise the fluid started to gravity bleed through the slave cylinder this time. I kept filling the fluid with about two or three cup full of fluid before closing the bleed screw. I now have firm clutch pedal again. The only thing I can figure happened before, was that when I tried to attach the master cylinder line into the slave cylinder coupler, I didn't get it snapped into the coupler good enough. That must have been the reason I couldn't get the fluid to gravity drain through the slave cylinder bleed screw. Problem fixed.

That's good to hear! I recently had to replace my whole hydraulic system while I was replacing my clutch and all those goodies and bleeding it was a big fear of mine, luckily I was able to order the whole thing already bled and it didn't get any air in the system when I hooked it all up. I'm also new here

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Hi again,
After posting my problem with my hydraulic clutch today. I decided to work on it again. I didn't have any help, I placed a plastic bottle with a drain hose attached to the slave cylinder bleed screw which I tightened close. Then I reattached the master cylinder line into the slave cylinder coupler. I made sure that the fill cup was full of fluid. I didn't pump the clutch. I went under the truck and opened the bleed screw. To my surprise the fluid started to gravity bleed through the slave cylinder this time. I kept filling the fluid with about two or three cup full of fluid before closing the bleed screw. I now have firm clutch pedal again. The only thing I can figure happened before, was that when I tried to attach the master cylinder line into the slave cylinder coupler, I didn't get it snapped into the coupler good enough. That must have been the reason I couldn't get the fluid to gravity drain through the slave cylinder bleed screw. Problem fixed.

Thanks for the update.