pi5tolpete

Was starting to find that my clutch pedal was not returning to its full reach while driving. There seemed to be a point where it would hang, and sometimes 'pop' over, but lately not so. Final straw was attempting a leisurely drive on Thursday and I could barely get it into reverse. Thought better of my idea and left the car there.
After exploring here and a few other forums, I was convinced to bleed at the slave cylinder. So I gathered my necessities, 7mm wrench, tubing, etc, up went the car. With the rear left wheel off, you can contort your arm to reach, remove the rubber protector, and get your wrench on, followed by the tubing. So then what? I asked my friend to assist with the coordination of pump the pedal, holding to the floor as I loosened the bleed.
Great.
Only problem, there was absolutely no fluid that came out. We even tried a single to-the-floor-and-hold pedal stroke with the bleed nipple removed but again, nothing!
At this point I am hopeful that it is not internal engine work, and it is only hydraulic.
Looking for some renn-sight to help with next steps.

Peter

Vandit

I'd use a pressure bleeder to do this job. Make sure your brake fluid resevoir is topped off. The fluid pickup for the clutch circuit is pretty high, so if the fluid is low, you'll be pushing air through the line.

pi5tolpete

appreciate the reply and yes, I'm planning to use the bleeder tomorrow.
fluid levels are both at max on the res. I'm thinking either pluggage in the line (hydraulic pressure would have overcome that, no?) or the master cyl is toast.

Jacke2c

Old pressure lines that connect to the slave can and have swollen in times past. The result: when you press the pedal, the pressure will force fluid past the swelling, but when you release, it will often only bleed back slowly. Hence, hanging pedal. I suspect that you may have both a failing slave and attached hose. If you are replacing one, it is just as easy to replace both at the same time.

Indycam

Have you check the roll pin ?

pi5tolpete

roll pin seems fine.

Thank you to all. I'm getting close.

I connected my vac unit and pumped it up. This is AFTER I pinpricked through with the bleed nipple removed to clear the blockage. Once clear, and with some human vac first, the flow started to come. But, it NEVER dropped reservoir level, and when I went to push on the clutch pedal, it flung to the floor. I have sucked out all the fluid between the master and the slave, and when I wiggle the base of the master (the piston end) there is A LOT of play. I mean, it doesn't feel like there is a piston inside the cylinder at all. It is as if the diameter of the shaft is all that is in there, not piston top. So, Me thinks its the master cylinder. Thoughts?

pi5tolpete

is it ok for my master cylinder to do this: Seems not right, and very rattly.

pi5tolpete

So, if I just finished bleeding the slave, does it make sense that I'm no longer getting fluid? Thought that if I bled the slave that it would pull through from the master and from the reservoir. Does this help to point to the master being an issue?

alexjc4

If you aren't getting fluid from the bleed nipple you haven't successfully finished bleeding.

Is the clutch operating?

Indycam

Its hard to make heads or tails out of this .

Have you added any fluid to the reservoir ?

As a test we could force fluid down the supply line to the master .
If you have a clean squeeze bottle , put some brake fluid in it , attach it to the master cylinder supply line , crack open the bleed nipple on the slave , and then press the fluid down the line , through the master , then down the line to the slave . Does the fluid come out of the bleed nipple ?

That should prime the system and maybe get you back going .
You may have a stuck / sticky piston in the master .

pi5tolpete

I did a vacuum bleed from the slave. This got what appears to be the amount equivalent to the slave and tubing, but then it stopped coming, and the reservoir never dropped. Pulling more vacuum just makes a gurgling sound with no liquid. I feel that the master is shot, but would have thought that the vacuum should have pulled from the reservoir through the master, no?

pi5tolpete

Honestly, it feels that the master cylinder shaft has become detached from the plunger within the cylinder. perhaps this is the design, doesn't seem right.

Tomorrow I will doe a motive bleed to test it all out. DOT 4 correct?

Indycam

No , the line to into the master is blocked when the piston is not back at the rest position .
If the line into the master was not blocked when the piston went up the cylinder , the brake fluid would just run back up the supply line into the reservoir .

So here is what happens when everything is working normal .
There is fluid between the two pistons , you step on the one piston moving it forward , that forward motion covers up the fluid supply hole , the fluid has no where to go but down the line toward the other piston , when you let up on the piston you were stepping on , the spring under the slave piston forces that slave piston to push the fluid back to flow back toward the master , forcing the master piston back .

Babalouie

I found that the long and convoluted line from master to slave, meant that the usual vac bleeder that you attach to the slave end never worked.

The only thing that worked, was a pressure bleeder that pushed the fluid from the reservoir end.

Same thing happened to me, the pedal was stuck to the floor until it was bled properly

greg1990964

I have a brand new cluch installed myself 200 miles ago. I have a new slave and hose installed a yr ago. I bled when motor reinstalled, and I get slight hanging clutch also..What up! I bled it 3 times..Clutch works fine though..Very slight hanging..