Club 80-90 Forums

My clutch decided to stop working just sat there. So had a look and found the clutch slave was almost certaintly the problem as the rubber boot was full of fluid, which leaked out when squeezed. So I changed it and the metal and flexi pipes to it. Problem is, it now wont bleed. Could there be another problem stopping it, like the master cylinder? Or do I just need to keep trying. Don't know how many times I pumped that peddle, but it was enough to become fed up

How were you doing the bleeding, like you do with brakes, depress pedal whilst some opens the bleed valve then closes the valve before you release the pedal, or with an easy bleed kit type thing?

When I did mine last year I opened the bleed nipple and just let gravity slowly feed the new fluid through I left it open for ages, I was doing mine alone and found I could also open the valve whilst operating the lever at the bottom of the slave cylinder by hand. I presume you know that the fluid comes from the brake fluid reservoir under the dash binnacle and you need to keep it topped up.

^^^^^^ as above, did mine last month. Lid off reservoir, helper sat in drivers seat ready to top up and depress clutch. Open bleed nipple, press clutch to the floor and keep it there, shut off bleed nipple then let clutch back up, open bleed nipple, press clutch...........keep repeating until clear fluid come out. You have to keep the reservoir topped up to stop air being sucked in.
David

Was doing it the standard way as you do with brakes with a helper. Bought an easy bleed kit, but due to the nipple being so close to the bulkhead it kinked the pipe rendering it useless . I kept the fluid above the outlets in reservoir so was seemingly doing everything right yet still don't have a clutch.

I use rubber pipe - it doesn't kink as easily as that clear pipe.
It took me over 2 litres of brake fluid to shift an airlock on my daughter's car's brakes - you could be having the same trouble.

It helps if you jamb the clutch operating lever up in the clutch depress position as much as possible.

Use a jemmy or saw a piece of wood so it can be used as a jamb at a near right angle to the ground.
The main thing is to reduce any lost motion in the arm else you're just pissing in the wind.. and not to leeward either!

You could also jamb it the other way too.. so the clutch doesn't operate at all. But be careful once it's bled.. whoever's on the pedal warn them not to stand on the pedal.
These tricks should enable you to force any air locks out.. be aware you are using the clutch master a lot so long slow strokes - no stabbing.

Also everyone.. make sure there is always a blob of grease in the pushrod hollow... after cleaning muck out.

Harry - when I was investigating my clutch I couldn't figure out how to get access to the pushrod - it seems to be jammed up behind a crossmember. Is there a knack? And what does the blob of grease do?
Cheers

RogerT
Ignore that the rod if exists at all is prob up in the slave cyl. boot. Not sure a cross member is anywhere near unless we're at cross purposes; )

But definitely lube the ball on the clutch lever arm.. have seen them dry and corroded and thus so sticky clutch fails to release/engage.
Even Bentley says.. ' lightly lube'