i breeched my hydrolic clutch system, replaced a leaking slave cylinder and now can't get the master cylinder to develop any preasure to force fluid or air on through the system. it also seems like the first time i try to bleed it i have better preasure than the second or third time i pump up the system. i've tried pulling a vacumn on it but it doesn't seem to remove the air or allow the master cylinder to make preasure.

 

IIRC there's a little tiny bleeder screw on the SC, an allen head, maybe about 5/64" or 3/32", right in front of where the line goes into it.

 

It's a 4mm allen head. Bleed it twice, fill the fluid, then repeat. Do the whole procedure at least 5 times, or a couple times after you stop getting farts, whichever results in more times.

Then you're not done. Remove the bleeder screw completely, and push the slave cyllinder piston in very slowly. Keep holding it in and reinstall and completely tighten the bleeder screw.

Everybody bleeds the master cyllinder, but nobody ever bleeds the slave cyllinder, which is where most of the air winds up.

 

yeah i understand all that and know how and where to bleed the system, the problem is it doesn't build up any preasure.

 

Ed,

It's even more fun on a Fiero, with ten feet of hydraulic line between the MC and slave. Does the slave piston rod compress back into the cylinder with hand pressure only? (Bad cup seal?)

Are you bleeding the slave with the system assembled? You might need to mechanically disconnect the slave piston rod from the throwout arm. (I've had to do that on the roller skates).

Are we sure the MC is good? (Pumping a solid stream of oil?) Just checking. There isn't much of a reservoir there, and I've run them out of fluid before I knew it.

I know you know what you're doing, but I'm just tossing out ideas. It's gotta be frustrating, since there isn't really much to the system. Have you tried to fill the slave and lines with gravity?