AS above whats the best way to bleed the clutch after a change cheers Charlie :-/

charlie wrote on 24. Oct 2010 at 12:24:

AS above whats the best way to bleed the clutch after a change cheers Charlie :-/

Hi, Get an assistant - a. to keep the clutch reservoir topped up b. to pump the clutch pedal when told (unless you have an automatic bleeder!)
Take top off your reservoir
Ensure it is full
Find the clutch slave cylinder and attach a piece of clear flexible pipe to the bleed nipple, with the other end into a glass/clear container
Slacken the bleed nipple and get your assistant to operate the clutch pedal pushing it fully down to the floor and letting it slowly come back up. Making sure the reservoir is full of new clutch fluid. Do this a couple of times, watching that no more air bubbles come out, and then while the pedal is fully down on the floor lock the bleed nipple off. By now you should of expelled all the old fluid and any air in the system.
Top up the reservoir again and put the cap back on
Jobs a good un :y

You have to pump the clutch pedal by hand as it has an over centre spring, which holds the pedal down when you first started bleeding the clutch...

You will find that you will only be able to pump the clutch 1 time before needing to put more fuel in the reservoir (filled to the brim)...  It took me a good 2 hours on my own to properly bleed the system this way...  Vx say that it cannot be pumped through in the conventional manner, but it can with plenty of time...

Easy way is to get an easy bleed (the sort that connect to your spare tyre) and pump the fluid in through the bleed nipple. 

I cheat! Get a 100ml syringe and a short length of clear rubber hose. Fill the syringe from the master cylinder making sure you don't have any air in it. Put the pipe on the bleed nipple, open the nipple and squeeze in the syringe. Close the nipple and remove the pipe. Do this another 3 or 4 times and your clutch is done. Takes 10 minutes ;) You can also use the syring for removing oil from plug wells when the cam covers start to fail ;D

Welung666 wrote on 24. Oct 2010 at 18:52:

I cheat! Get a 100ml syringe and a short length of clear rubber hose. Fill the syringe from the master cylinder making sure you don't have any air in it. Put the pipe on the bleed nipple, open the nipple and squeeze in the syringe. Close the nipple and remove the pipe. Do this another 3 or 4 times and your clutch is done. Takes 10 minutes ;) You can also use the syring for removing oil from plug wells when the cam covers start to fail ;D

Good idea!  :y :y
I use mine to empty the fuel filter bowl of the diesel Astra when adding Diesel Magic.  :y

Welung666 wrote on 24. Oct 2010 at 18:52:

I cheat! Get a 100ml syringe and a short length of clear rubber hose. Fill the syringe from the master cylinder making sure you don't have any air in it. Put the pipe on the bleed nipple, open the nipple and squeeze in the syringe. Close the nipple and remove the pipe. Do this another 3 or 4 times and your clutch is done. Takes 10 minutes ;) You can also use the syring for removing oil from plug wells when the cam covers start to fail ;D

I tried to get a syringe earlier but the people thought i was a drug addict ;D ;D,ive managed to change the easy bleed, to pump fluid though the nipple and into the master cylinder but the pedal seems soft but ive never tried it with the engine running yet,or could it be soft because of the new slave clyinder :-/

I can get 100ml syringes if anyone needs one :y

Holy thread resurection Batman!

I've swapped servo's and need to bleed out the clutch as air got in the system.

I'm having troubles bleeding it though, so far I've tried -

- 2 man method (not getting anywhere after a half hour and I'm spending 2 hours like some people have)

- Block of wood on pedal and reservoir open (no chnage in pedal)

- Reverse bleeding via tube and syringe onto nipple, tried with pedal up and pedal held down, making sure nipple is open when syringing - the problem I'm having with this method is it won't take the fluid with pressure and it ends up leaking at the nipple or at the syringe end of the pipe, or the pipe blows off eventually as I put a lot of pressure, despite the pipe being a good fit.

I'm going to buy an easy bleed now to reverse bleed it unless someone has another suggestion? 

Finally, how do I modify the easibleed and should I have the pedal up or down when doing it?

kingers wrote on 31. Aug 2011 at 08:30:

- Reverse bleeding via tube and syringe onto nipple, tried with pedal up and pedal held down, making sure nipple is open when syringing - the problem I'm having with this method is it won't take the fluid with pressure and it ends up leaking at the nipple or at the syringe end of the pipe, or the pipe blows off eventually as I put a lot of pressure, despite the pipe being a good fit. I'm going to buy an easy bleed now to reverse bleed it unless someone has another suggestion?  Finally, how do I modify the easibleed and should I have the pedal up or down when doing it?

You would need the pedal fully up.. otherwise, the bore that connects the master cylinder to the reservoir is blocked and you will not be able to force any fluid in.

The reason why it is so much more awkward than bleeding the brakes is due to the large diameter of the hydraulic hose.

When bleeding the brakes the pipes are small enough that any bubbles stay put between each press of the pedal.

When bleeding the clutch the bubbles rise back up the pipe to the master cylinder between each press of the pedal.

Even with an easibleed I struggled to get enough fluid into (or air out of) the system to get it halfway working.

Once there was enough resistance from the clutch to overcome the over centre spring though I found that sloooowly pressing the pedal to the floor, counting to 10 (to let the bubbles rise up the pipe) and then quickly lifting the pedal got the air out through the master cylinder :y

Sorted - this was not a hard job if done right from the start.

I used a hydraulic easibleed in the conventional manner, hooked straight onto the reservoir - cracked open the slave nipple and bingo, a heap of air and 20 secs later I have one bled clutch.  Couldn't be simpler.

I think the problem with the 2 man method is that the feed for the clutch master cylinder pipe from the reservoir is at the top of the reservoir and it can very easily take in air....

Anyway, if anyone tries to do this in the future go out and spend the 25uro on an easibleed and try it my way first, it won't take long to see if it works or not.