I replaced the clutch slave today with a $50 eBay item. After fitting the new slave it took no more than 20 minutes to get the system bled and fully working. I did not use a pressure bleeder, and my assistant was my girlfriend who had already helped me flush the brakes, so I was working on borrowed time anyway.

All it took was a few presses on the slave piston, and then a few minutes working the clutch pedal by hand while bleeding at the slave bleed nipple and then it was done.

Did I do something wrong, did I cheat in some way?

 

Hi Paul,
Sounds like your typically successful DIY .. as long as no air bubbles wandered up to the master cyl. after opening the line to the slave, then bleeding a new slave is as simple as that!
The 'pump the clutch pedal' approach works as well as a pressure bleeder, as long as the clutch pedal is slowly withdrawn by hand from the floor after it bottoms out .... and does not return: that assures that fresh fluid is drawn down from the reservoir ---- rather than the reverse.

 

If there can be a 5 page thread about stripped allen head seat bolts, 3 pages on clutch hydraulics is OK.

 

Paul the trick with the clutch is to get out ALL of the air, Then if you have a good master and slave you shouldnt have any problems for a long time.
But the best way IMHO is to do it this way remove the system and bleed it up to the slave then install it in the already bled condition