Stupid, stupid hydraulic clutches

JamesCurtis · Post by **JamesCurtis** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 6:41 pm

Hey guys, it's winter time, and it was 53* out today, so I decided to give the old 87 coupe 5 spd another try at bleeding the clutch. I bought this car back in june, and the clutch pedal was stuck. My dad was smart, and thought up an idea that if he pushed HARD enough, it would break the slave cylinder loose. So he pushed & pushed, and the slave cyl. finally popped loose from its rust, and upon later inspection, he successfully bent the banjo rod. Now it is my assumption that if we were pushing that hard and the clutch pedal wasn't budging, it was holding good pressure, because if it wouldn't it would blast past the seals in the slave or master cyl. The status of the master cylinder is used, but the insides looked brand new when i took them apart a month or two ago. The slave cyl. is new, and I also put some grease around the seal to help troubleshoot the problem. Also to note I replaced the bent banjo with an adjustable one from rodney, and I have a stock length slave pushrod.

Problem - Air

I have checked and re-checked the seals and joints in the clutch line, and there is no, repeat that, no brake fluid exiting that line. I have bled about 40 resevoirs full of brake fluid so far, including all the disassembly/assembly, and here's where i'm at now. I get about 3/4 to 1" of travel at the pushrod, and when i let the bleed valve loose, it shoots out a huge jet of brake fluid (often times into my eyes, nose, and mouth), and then it pops out a bubble. This has happened the whole time i was working on it tonight, and after a while you really just lose hope and give up.

Question -

Should I just keep bleeding it? (Press in clutch pedal 5 times slowly making sure to let fully out on each stroke, release bleeder valve, tighten bleeder valve, check fluid, repeat)

or

Should I look into a new clutch line? The current clutch line has 5 splices in it, but at $180 a pop at the Fiero Store, the clutch line will cost more than I paid to get this car.

What's the verdict? :cussing:

Fast88Fiero · Post by **Fast88Fiero** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:31 am

When I bleed clutches I never pump the pedal. I have someone push the pedal down and hold it. Then I open the bleeder until no more fluid comes out then close the bleeder. Then I have my helper let the pedal up all the way. Repeat that process a few times until no more air comes out. This is how I bled the clutch on an 88GT I just finished putting a 4.9 and a 5 speed trans in. It too has a spliced together clutch line and it works great after getting all the air out of it.

JamesCurtis · Post by **JamesCurtis** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 4:07 am

I'll try that tomorrow, usually i switch between pumping and your method for no apparent reason, but i'll try just pushing it in once this time. Hopefully some parts will show up tomorrow that i ordered too, then i'd be in a much better mood for working on cars :salute: . All comments are appreciated, come on guys, I've gotten 1 reply here and 15 on old europe!

Post by **eHoward** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 5:44 pm

It's about quality man.

JamesCurtis wrote:II've gotten 1 reply here and 15 on old europe!

Shaun41178(2) · Post by **Shaun41178(2)** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:44 pm

I dont' pump the clutch either. Just push it down once and hold it. Then pop open the bleeder screw.

MNFatz · Post by **MNFatz** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:59 pm

I've gone as far as unbolting the slave cyl and tilting it up toward the bleeder.

Once a looooong time ago I had my clutch working right. The pedal was completely fluid and the clutch disengaged somewhere in the middle of the its travel. It went away a couple of days later.

That was about 10 years ago. Since then It's always been about 2 inches off the floor.

So don't listen to me; my clutch sucks.

Shaun41178(2) · Post by **Shaun41178(2)** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:18 pm

My pedal sits at normal height and begins to disengage with roughly 1/4 inch of pedal movement. by half pedal its fully disengaged.

JamesCurtis · Post by **JamesCurtis** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:04 pm

IT'S ALIVE!!! It turned out to be that all I needed to do was gravity bleed the thing. I already gravity bled it about 4 months ago, but this time I got a bunch of little bubbles out. After I put the bleeder valve back on after pushing the slave rod in, I got in the car and the pedal was as stiff as ever. It disengages/engages right about at the halfway mark. Now all I have to do is figure out this bushing deal that rodney sent me, it isn't fitting on there that great.

Thx again for the help, now all I need to do is get a title, license it, get an exhaust, and give it a 4 wheel alignment and it'll be ready to go out and my 88gt will be ready to come in for an engine swap :thumbleft: