I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: Clutch Bleed Issues
Routine brake bleed, but this time , and for the first time, thought I’d bleed the clutch system too. All was going well, until suddenly no pedal resistance with bleed valve closed.
No visible leaks. I have removed the line from the master cylinder, fluid is ejected from the master cylinder when pedal pressed (only tried this once). Also, blowing down line with footpump (not perfectly sealed) does give some movement at slave cylinder. With everything reattached, pumping pedal produces no fluid at slave bleed valve.
Clutch fluid take-off from the brake reservoir is quite high. I suspect you have drawn some air into the clutch system by letting the level drop too far.
I assume your bleed kit has a non-return valve.
As the shortest line in the brake system the NC clutch should be done last, and always using a fully topped-up-to-the-brim reservoir!
If you have a vacuum bleed kit on the slave you should be able to draw air and fluid through the system. It makes life much easier. I’ve not used this particular one, but it’s generic and cheap.
Otherwise, patience, a well trained pedal pusher, and frequent top-ups will get you there in the end.
I lost the pedal on mine, fluid went too low. I went and bought a gunson bleed kit, topped it off and fitted it, got underneath and bled it and the pedal came right back.
It keeps the brake/clutch fluid reservoir filled right to the top as you bleed under pressure, rather than the fluid level dropping below the clutch supply pipe.
OK, after watching various YouTube videos on bleeding problem clutches, the weather and other jobs list finally cleared to allow me to do the bleed today. The car was up on 4 axle stands because I had changed the gearbox oil, so I lowered the rear of the car back down to the ground to encourage any air to move up to the fluid reservoir. I also clamped the slave cyclinder acuating rod closed. And finally, I bought another Gunson Eezibleed (no idea what happened to my original one).
As expected, huge air amount of air trapped in the system, and it only took a little new fluid to drive it out, which is just as well because that’s all I had left, and I didn’t fancy spending another £33 on another litre of ATI Typ 200!