bleeding clutch cylinder
- Thread starter Zekester
- Start date
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spdwaver
Formerly Kalifornistanian
What problem are you having, exactly?
Two people. One to press down on the clutch, and yourself at the bleeder screw; remind the peddle-presser not to let up on the pedal prematurely, or when the bleeder is open.
Also, if you feel it is not adjusted properly after that, you may need to adjust the nut behind the clutch pedal: lack of adjustment could appear to be air in the line.
Edit: you may also have to adjust the clutch slave push rod.
Two people. One to press down on the clutch, and yourself at the bleeder screw; remind the peddle-presser not to let up on the pedal prematurely, or when the bleeder is open.
Also, if you feel it is not adjusted properly after that, you may need to adjust the nut behind the clutch pedal: lack of adjustment could appear to be air in the line.
Edit: you may also have to adjust the clutch slave push rod.
spdwaver
Formerly Kalifornistanian
Sounds like you need to rebuild your master - and slave, while you are at it. Could be that the wipers are not doing their job.
The problems you are having now is exactly why I replaced mine (mine was a '66, I bought the 'Upgrade' style setup from SOR).
spdwaver
Formerly Kalifornistanian
Yeah, if you bled the system enough (shouldn't take too long) there may be other issues in there.
Curious to know how this turns out.
- Thread starter
- #7
Ok, I bled the master and slave on the bench, there is no air in it at least none comes out when i bleed it.. Clutch pedal height is ok. Now one thing thing I'm seeing, there is no play (the fork return spring keeps it tight, but I can push the fork a good 1/2 inch before any resistance from the clutch is felt...should the throwout bearing make contact with the clutch immediatley? or is that first 1/2" of travel acceptable?
You will find out when you drive it. If the clutch releases completely, it is OK; if not lengthen the slave rod.
Your first idea actually was a good one and there are expensive tools on the market to do it. Reverse fluid injection because air rises is supposed to be the best way to solve problems like yours. You don't need a fancy rig, though, just a hand oiler - the pump-type - & a piece of vacuum hose.
I had a similar issue to what your are describing. The slave pushrod doesn't travel all that much - maybe an inch overall. I had to pick up the slack in the fork - I have around 1/8" of slack in the fork and mine works perfectly now. Once I adjusted the fork end play, I found it was necessary to adjust the rod at the clutch pedal as well. Also, make sure you have a return spring on the slave - it will save your throwout bearing.
- Thread starter
- #11
How did you "pick up the slack? my slave pushrod is almost wound fully out...all I can think of is removing the thereaded part of the slave pushrod and adding a longer threaded part, then adjusting....
I removed both slave and master, as aunit, then bled them on a bench...bolted them back in, same problem,
the only thing I can think of at vthis point is that the new clutch is different than the old one, changing the position of when the throwout bearing makes contact...but that still doesn't rememdy the problem I had originanly, having to pump the pedal to get it to stiffen...this is telling me I still have air...and F-ed if I know how I'm going to get it out, unless bleeding with 1000 strokes and a quart abd a half of fluid is the norm....
Frustrating....
There is a nut on the end of the slave cylinder push rod - I had to adjust mine almost all the way out. After this, I adjusted the rod on the pedal.
I hear you on the pumping, then solid issue. Here is what is was happening in my case that caused this:
- Push in the clutch pedal
- This forces fluid to the slave and moves the rod about an inch which picks up the slack in fork
- You pump the pedal again - the slave push rod moves out even more and finally actuates the clutch/pressure plate.
Mine did this when it wasn't adjusted correctly - AND I did not have the slave return spring installed. When I installed the slave return spring - no amount of pumping would firm up the pedal because the spring kept pulling the push rod back into the bore preventing the build of pressure before the second pump.
Also see this thread for more info - particularly post #12:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/247548-clutch-fork-spring.html
- Thread starter
- #15
here's what i think has happened....
for some reason, clutch being different etc, my slave rod is too short. when I push in the clutch, the first stroke takes up the void between the throw-out brearing and the clutch..the second stroke makes contact. this is the "pumping up" i'm experiencing. It feels spongy on the first stroke because there is no resistance. I made a new longer slave rod, and it appears to work, no pumping, I left some play (as the manual suggests), but it still makes contact almost immediatly. Now one stroke of the pedal gives me enough movement to actuate the clutch, no lag.
I'll let you know tomorrow how it works driving it...
for some reason, clutch being different etc, my slave rod is too short. when I push in the clutch, the first stroke takes up the void between the throw-out brearing and the clutch..the second stroke makes contact. this is the "pumping up" i'm experiencing. It feels spongy on the first stroke because there is no resistance. I made a new longer slave rod, and it appears to work, no pumping, I left some play (as the manual suggests), but it still makes contact almost immediatly. Now one stroke of the pedal gives me enough movement to actuate the clutch, no lag.
I'll let you know tomorrow how it works driving it...
