No Clutch At All.....

[The Mechanic's Assistant]

Hello there,
Vehicle: 1997 Ford Ranger XLT 6cyl.
Problem:After Pulling the Trany, resurfacing the fly wheel & installing a new pressure plate. I cannot get any pedal at all under normal conditions! The only time I CAN get pedal is when a pressure bleeder is in place. Only then does the clutch work properly.
I have replaced the following:
-clutch M/C
-Slave M/C
-Clutch-tranny fluid line

So what is my problem?????
Or probably more to the point, what am I being an IDIOT about?

 

[fastpakr]

Check this thread. Pretty sure you're dealing with the same thing.

 

[The Mechanic's Assistant]

Thanks fastpakr!!
I am on the fence with this whole "air in the line" direction. The reason for my hesitance is that I have a "pressure bleeder" in place. While that unite is IN, I have great pedal! As soon as I remove it & put the regular M/C cap back on, I loose all pedal. So I am wondering if "air" is really the problem. Any advice or alternate information sources are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Jason

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

Did you bench bleed the master cylinder? I'd start with that; it needs to be out of the truck to bleed it properly. After that, bleed the slave manually, don't use a pressure bleeder it won't work well. Also, did you notice any brake fluid when you pulled the transmission?

 

[fastpakr]

The master does not need to be out of the truck, nor should that even be considered. It is both easier and more effective to simply leave it in the truck, but unbolted from the firewall and therefore easy to rotate so the air can escape. Bleed it by pushing the piston manually. Route the slave bleeder line into the master reservoir and just leave it open until you're convinced the air is out, then close it and test. Quick and easy (other than the part about unbolting the master, which still isn't terrible.