177mph

After completing water pump and timing belt on my 86.5 5 speed - I put the clutch slave back in and bled system 3 times using power bleeder - then tried reverse bleed by pushing in slave slowly a number of times looking for bubbles. No luck clutch pedal travel was very short and pedal would not return to the top.

Local shop told me that they believed it was the clutch master. So I ordered a new one, and hoses from roger - cut the window in the fenderwell - and replaced it. Same clutch situation. Ive bled it using power bleeder - and then reverse bled the system using garden sprayer from clutch slave bleeder screw. Nose of the car is in the air. Followed all instructions on previous posts. Still no properly working clutch pedal.

Open to suggestions. thanks guys.

Kevin in Atlanta

I have only been successful by putting brake fluid in an oil squirter can, attaching a clear plastic line to it and then to the slave cylinder nipple and pushing fluid up to the reservoir. Be sure to draw the fluid out of the reservoir and have a somebody watch the fluid level

Crumpler

Had a similar situation, assume no action in pedal and dead on the floor.
I made a fitting on my motive bleeder and attached it to the bleed screw on the slave. Great results, but will contaminate your reservoir if old clutch fluid in line.
Did you replace blue hose WYAIT? Fun.

Hey look at Stan's ideas on cutting down push rod in new clutch master, I did indeed have to trim 4.5 mm of the new unit to get the same travel.

177mph

Yep. Blue house has been replaced. Thank god for the "window" in the wheel well. Ive flushed the system before this so the fluid is in pretty good shape. Just hoping theres another trick out there that i dont know about.

Crumpler

I got nothing left except "burping" the master at the floor board. Some of the guys have done it without making a huge mess in the cabin.

Somebody like Sean R. might have additional tricks.

I had to go to 10 psi on the power bleeder while "reverse bleeding" the system at the slave bleed screw. Did you push it that hard yet?

I can tell you if I have to do any of this again I will also cut a window, I moved the brake booster and it was a royal drag.

Regards.

177mph

Thanks Dave. I realized i missed the last part of your post. I had read about this earlier but thought it was only for older cars. The master matched perfectly. Should i pull it and attempt this shortening of the rod?

Guy

Burp it from the inside. Done the job three times this way, its the only way to go IMHO

robot808

That is what worked for me as well.

Crumpler

My understanding is that any new unit that we get would be cast slightly differently, or at least mine was.
It was interesting: the piston and spring were essentially identical between my old and new master clutch...BUT the bore depth of the cylinder on the old unit was deeper. To compensate I had to remove two coils on the spring and 4.5 mm on the piston on the new unit.


Attachment 828485


IMO, I would not pull the new master yet, unless you are frustrated enough that you are pulling everything to bench bleed.
Get the air out first and then see what you got, it may work without the alteration.

If it's any consolation 177, I bet you will get it done faster then I did.

Strosek Ultra

I just changed the clutch master cylinder on my S4 1987 Strosek. No need to cut an ugly hole in the fender wall. Have not done the bleeding process yet. Have you checked the helper spring preload? The correct installed length is 43mm between washer and center of bolt. The clutch MS shall be preloaded by one turn of the rod.
Åke

Strosek Ultra

Did the bleeding process yesterday, both clutch an brakes. I am using the Motive Powerbleeder pumping up the pressure to 15 psi. Bleeding the clutch did not go straightforward, had to remove the slave cylinder and push rod fully in. Both the clutch and the brakes feels good, will make a test drive when the car is finished in a few days. It is a 1987 S4 Strosek Version III and it has been sitting still since 2008.
Åke

Cutter67

power bleeders and cutting windows in wheel well. I did one on mine a couple of weeks ago. I just bench bled it. installed it. (it was a pain but I have done worse) then I opened the bleeder at the salve pumped the pedal a couple of times till fluid came closed bleeder in mid stroke. pumped it a couple of times held pedal to floor cracked bleeder one more time closed. done and seems to be working fine. I always bench bleed everything just the way I was taught.....

177mph

Update on the process:

Did all of the correct things, replaced master, blue line, flex hose to slave, bled from top with power bleeder, bled from bottom with bleeder, pushed slave in to get bubbles up. Had an assistant push pedal down - using proper process. Fresh fluid, etc, etc. Checked new master to make sure it matched old (in terms of piston length, etc). Finally got the car into a few gears with the motor running last Sunday. Waited a few days - went back out - car again refuses to go into any gears. Clutch pedal doesnt pop all the way back up. Very frustrating.

I can see the slave moving thru the inspection hole. Ive checked the mechanical adjusters under the dash for the clutch pedal. Ive bled the clutch every which way - nose in the air, tail in the air. What am I missing?

PS: Clutch operated just fine three weeks ago when I had to pull slave to put in flywheel lock to repair a pulley. Nothing else has changed.

Guy

Burp it. You will kick yourself for not doing it sooner

177mph

Is there a "burp technique" or write up i can follow? I'm ready to try anything at this point.