2.3L ('83-'97) Time for a new clutch 96 2.3

[justinae]

thanks for the reminder. i just might have missed it.

 

[RobWigglezz]

And if you're battery was disconnected the whole time, it might idle a bit high between shifts for a few drive cycles until it figures itself out again. So don't think your IAC or something went bad.

 

[justinae]

good to know. why is that?

 

[justinae]

y'all. i can't get this hydraulic system bled.

I hooked up my coolant funnel and just doing a gravity feed and putting the fluid back into the funnel when the collection bottle is full.

you see the "spray" of air bubbles coming out at the bleeder valve? (it's the part of the clear hose that looks white-ish. they were moving fast). it keeps doing that even after the bottle has filled three times. I didn't have a leak before.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Gravity bleeding these clutches doesn't really work, and it can be like bleeding brakes where you can get air sucked through the threads on the bleeder screw... I would pay less attention to that and more on how the pedal feels. Ideally you should have about 1/2" or less of soft pedal before it gets firm and you can tell it is compressing the clutch. If it is softer more than that the "best" way to get the air out is to remove the master cylinder and hose and bench bleed the assembly which isn't fun. What works sometimes is pushing the clutch pedal to the floor then slipping your foot off a handful of times...

To put it shorter, check pedal feel before stressing about bleeding...

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

^^^
I agree, test the pedal before proceeding.

Its been a very long time since I've bled a clutch line. Iirc the line does a woop-de-doo where air gets trapped. I use engine vacuum to bleed hydraulics. Take your bottle and drill another hole sized for your tubing. Run it up to engine vacuum. Make sure the tube is barely in the bottle, you don't want to suck in fluid. Air does bleed past the bleeder threads, so ignore tiny bubbles.

 

[scotts90ranger]

The other way that has popped up somewhat recently was someone using a vacuum pump style brake bleeder with a pointed adapter into the clutch master cylinder putting a vacuum there to pull the air bubble out of the master cylinder from the top...

The problem with these clutch systems is the master cylinder is pointed down not horizontal so air gets trapped in the master cylinder piston and can't get out to the reservoir and doesn't want to go down to the slave cylinder either...

 

[justinae]

i wonder if you're right about the bleeder threads. after 4 bottles recycled through (all very clean) i just decided to call it. truck is down and:

• idling great
• clutch pedal has that play at the top then is firm the rest of the way
• shifts through all gears smoothly
• no leaks as far as i can see after 15 min of idling

about to take it out for a real test.

 

[justinae]

Drive Test Results

• first half or more of travel on clutch doesn't do much
• clutch engages right off the floor
• all gears shift smoothly
• no noticeable leaks

I'll need to adjust that clutch to engage further up.

 

[scotts90ranger]

There's no adjusting, it's hydraulic... you have air in the master cylinder somewhere, try the pedal thing before you get too invested, the vacuum style brake bleed through the hole in the reservoir is going to be the next simplest...

 

[RobbieD]

The problem with these clutch systems is the master cylinder is pointed down not horizontal so air gets trapped in the master cylinder piston and can't get out to the reservoir and doesn't want to go down to the slave cylinder either...

That's exactly it.

If using vacuum doesn't get it bled right, it's not that difficult, to pull the driver's fender wheel liner for access, then dismount the master cylinder, and tilt it down or rotate it so that lines are at the top, then press the piston by hand to bleed and push the air out of the cylinder.

 

[justinae]

thanks for the guidance fellas.