Best way to access clutch bleed?

[Fun.]

Hi All

I've been under my van having a look about and the clutch bleed looks quite hard to get to, any recommendations on the most effective way of getting in to loosen the bolt so I can try and gravity bleed?  I did have a look in the engine bay and there appears to be metal obstructing a clear path to it, I don't have photo's just now but will post later.

Cheers

Fun.

[jrt]

Bleeding the slave cylinder? Always done mine through the engine bay. What’s in the way?
You can go in from underneath if needed.
David.

[Stesaw]

Engine bay is probably the easiest if still awkward to do but you can see what your doing, rather than running the risk of getting brake fluid in your face being under the van.

[multisi]

Why does it need bleeding, is there a problem ?

[Fun.]

Unfortunately she's in my drive refusing to go into gear.  It's intermittent though, I moved her the other day by putting her into gear with engine off, I was then able to move the van back and later go into gear to pull her back forwards but haven't since.

The clutch doesn't feel very spongey and has a lot of travel, it feels like it's almost engaging but not quite.  Someone did come out and have a look at it (a friend of a friend) and they reckoned it was just air in the system as it's all new brake lines etc, the bummer being they've not been able to come out to help bleed her so I've been digging about trying to take a stab at it or at least get more familiar with my van.

 

[multisi]

When you say clutch has a lot of travel do you mean the pedal is soft at the top until it gets pressed down, if so by how much ?

[Fun.]

It has full travel, it doesn't clunk to the fully depressed position but there's not a huge amount of resistence.  

[Fun.]

I would add I've checked the resivoir and it's full to the gunnels.

[multisi]

So it is spongy then, if with the engine running and trying to engage reverse gear the gear box crunches then there could be air in the clutch system, if the bleed nipple is tight a pair of mole grips may be needed.

[Fun.]

It doesn't crunch, just won't go the last little bit.  Mole grips it is then