clutch bleeding problem

[naughtyG]

I just bled my front brakes (the fluid looked real old) and then went on to the clutch. Undid the master reservoir screws, sucked out most of the old stuff with a syringe, topped it up with fresh fluid. Then loosened the bleed screw on the slave cylinder and pulled the clutch lever - old dirty fluid came out. Closed the bleed screw, then let go of the clutch lever.

But now, when I try pulling the clutch lever again, I get no pressure at all until the last 1/4 inch before the lever hits the handle bar :ummm:

Did I miss something or do something wrong? I thought the clutch springs would push the slave back and pumping the master cylinder would rebuild pressure in the line, but it doesn't seem to do so.

I have no clutch anymore :bang head:, help!!!

 

[maleko89]

Did you suck out all the fluid from master? Air gets in the system by draining it completely. You always want a bit in there and keep it full of fresh fluid. Mityvac at bleeder valve works wonders.

 

[naughtyG]

hmm I don't have a mighty vac.. Trying the gravity bleed right now and hoping - I hope it'll work out as I need to ride to work on thursday and the car's in bits right now!

I sucked most but not all of it out then topped it up before pumping?

 

[G Man]

This may sound like an odd thing to do, but I have had success with it. Just for fun, you may give it a try. Loosen off the clutch master cylinder handlebar clamp bolts. Take the master in hand, carefully point the unit lever side high. Keep it that way for a bit while "tickling" the lever just a wee bit. No need to fully depress. This can help to dislodge air that may be trapped within the master. Carefully re-clamp to handle bar and then rapidly depress the lever a number of times and see if you re-gain the full stroke.

Good luck.

G Man

 

[ssnsltd]

the best way I have found for difficult hydro fluid is to use a syringe and small hose I picked up at the auto parts store

1. attach small hose to syringe
2. open clutch (or brake) reservoir, empty fluid.
3. fill syringe with fluid of choice
4. loosen the bleeder screw and attach hose/ syringe
5. open bleeder up, close syringe/ pump fluid through line. Do this until the fluid coming into the reservoir is clear/ clean.
6. empty the fluid reservoir of the fluid
7. pump one more syringe through the lines, close the bleeder and disconnect the syringe
8. top off reservoir and close it up.

Since bubbles try to rise, you are getting them to work with you instead of against you.

I do have a regular bleeder set up, but this works EVERY time on every type of vehicle. I spent 3 days trying to bleed the air out of my Jeep Cherokee clutch the old way. nothing worked until I tried this. this set up is also much cheaper

 

[naughtyG]

I tried David's suggestion, but it's not working for me :-( When I try pumping the fluid from the syringe, it comes out from the thread around the bleeder screw, but doesn't seem to want to go up the line to the master reservoir.
If I leave the bleeder screw open for 10-15 mns, I then get about half a squeeze from the clutch lever, and in the last 1/8 to 1/4 of the lever course, I get a little pressure that pushes fluid out into my clear bleeder hose.
But the problem seems to be that the master cylinder is not refilling itself with fresh fluid, or that something in the master cylinder is sticking.

Any other suggestions? Should I attempt to take my M/C apart? Could it be a problem at the other end (S/C)? Is there any way that the clutch itself is not pushing back on the slave cylinder properly?

Until I started bleeding everything worked fine, other than the clutch feeling quite heavy when pulling the lever.. :ummm::ummm:

 

[Thevmaxrider]

Naughty,

Try this method:

To bleed I use a long piece of tygon tubing attached to the bleed nipple (has to be long enough to drape over the handlebars at a height higher than the master cylinder) open the top of the master cylinder, open bleed nipple, pump lever refilling to top off resevoir as necessary, continue until air stops coming out of nipple, let sit for 5 minutes or so and pump lever a couple of times to ensure no air. This method will force air to go either up to the master cylinder to bleed out or up the tygon. Has worked for me multiple times (I flush my clutch fluid at least once a year even though I use DOT4) with no issues.

 

[naughtyG]

Thanks for the hint Jim. Unfortunately my problem is that I seem to be unable to pump the fluid through because the master cylinder is not refilling / pushing the clutch lever back out. Maybe it's clogged or something - I guess I'm gonna have to try taking it apart 'cos I've been at this for a few hours now but not getting anywhere.

I tried G-Man's tip too to no avail - I still dunno if it's a M/C or S/C problem but it feels like it's the M/C at this point.

Wish me luck...

 

[Thevmaxrider]

Sounds like a rebuild of the master cylinder is in order.

 

[naughtyG]

well, I just took the whole M/C off and emptied it completely. There was a bit a black dust at the bottom of the reservoir, and I cleaned all that off.
I put it all back together and filled it up with fresh fluid. I wasn't able to bench bleed it because I don't have a spare piece of brake tube fitted with a banjo bolt or anything that would fit into the M/C thread.
I've been pumping and pumping and pumping and pumping, and now at least the M/C piston is free again and it's coming back out on its own spring pushing the clutch lever back out, but no fluid seems to be coming out at all at the bleed screw on the S/C.
Gonna leave it sit for a while with the bleed screw open to see if gravity can help at all.

I still don't get how this thing's been working just fine all this time and suddenly just cos I bled it, it would stop working altogether?

Very puzzled and praying for mother earth's gravity force to come to the rescue lol..

 

[ssnsltd]

ok- try it n reverse:
open bleeder screw and suck fluid through ??

 

[naughtyG]

yup I tried that too - it seemed to suck mostly air in from the bleeder's thread..

Really hoping leaving it overnight will work the bubbles out - I need this thing to work tomorrow. Richwrench, Philthy - you guys don't happen to have a mightyvac handy by any chance?

 

[naughtyG]

OK it's sorted - finally. I managed to use the reverse bleeding suggestion with a syringe after adding a little teflon tape to the bleeder screw's thread - all the bubbles and the rest of the dirt that was still in there can out pretty quickly!
Then I sucked most of that dirty stuff out of the reservoir and topped up with fresh fluid - job done. :clapping:

Thanks to all who made all the good suggestions that got me there in the end - where would I be without this forum? I love u guys! (taking the opportunity to say so while I can for a month..) :rofl_200::rofl_200::rofl_200:

 

[dannymax]

Very happy to hear this G, at the velocity you travel (usually measured in warps), you def need all the braking power your bike has to offer!! :biglaugh:

 

[Thevmaxrider]

Great to hear G!!! Have fun riding, while those of us in the frozen north sit snowbound.

 

[richwrench]

Glad you got it G - and YES, my Mightyvac is yours any time you need it Bro. :biglaugh:

 

[ssnsltd]

Glad it worked.

Next time you pluck a chicken make sure your not standing so close to your bike, or at least close the reservoir lid. . . :biglaugh:

 

[richwrench]

Glad it worked.

Next time you pluck a chicken make sure your not standing so close to your bike, or at least close the reservoir lid. . . :biglaugh:

HAY - them thar chikin feathars are grate fer a clutch - they make the clutch engagement feather-soft. That's how we did it in the country back in the day. Speaking of the country, you know what a girl from West Virginia & a bear cub have in common ? They both like to suck their PAW ! :rofl_200:

 

[Jack Butler]

the best way I have found for difficult hydro fluid is to use a syringe and small hose I picked up at the auto parts store

1. attach small hose to syringe
2. open clutch (or brake) reservoir, empty fluid.
3. fill syringe with fluid of choice
4. loosen the bleeder screw and attach hose/ syringe
5. open bleeder up, close syringe/ pump fluid through line. Do this until the fluid coming into the reservoir is clear/ clean.
6. empty the fluid reservoir of the fluid
7. pump one more syringe through the lines, close the bleeder and disconnect the syringe
8. top off reservoir and close it up.

Since bubbles try to rise, you are getting them to work with you instead of against you.

I do have a regular bleeder set up, but this works EVERY time on every type of vehicle. I spent 3 days trying to bleed the air out of my Jeep Cherokee clutch the old way. nothing worked until I tried this. this set up is also much cheaper

Just wanted to say thanks, so.....THANKS!
A clutch disengagement problem comes out of nowhere...
So, after I drilled out the reservoir cap screw that had snapped off, I realized I had overlook changing the fluid as it was cloudy.
Working through a conventional bleeding process a number of times, I had no success and of course balls that were increasing in size, so I stopped.
I thought, maybe the forum has something on it...and low and behold it did.
I try to look before asking, as many of you have answered the same questions over and over.
Anyway, reading this thread was the ticket.
The reverse bleed is gold. It worked the first try!!
What a website we have here.
SSNSLTD....I owe you one, what a tip!

 

[timax]

Nothing i have seen work s as good as an electric vac pump..... keep the master full and let the pump do its job... I just did a fjr front master,, my friend brought over this gadget he got at a local flea market.... New master bone dry, lines pretty much empty to..

Did not even have to prime the new master... Ten minutes or less and the job was done, with no mess. I do have the speed bleeders at the calipers..