how do i check and fill the clutch?

i have a little play in my clutch pedal at the begining and i was told to bleed it. how do i bleed it and were is the plug to bleed it? also were is the fill plug to check the trans fluid. this is my first stick shift and need help lol.

thanks

the motor is a 305TPI if that matters.

 

The trans will have two plugs on teh side that are allen (hex) or square (usually a 3/8" drive). The upper one is the fill/check point and the lower one is the drain. DO NOT TOUCH THE STAR HEADED BOLT! That holds the reverse shift linkage together and if you remove it you will have to pull the trans apart to fix the damage.

Set the trans level on a lift, or on four jackstands. Pull the upper plug and stick you finger in it. If you feel fluid at the bottom of the hole it's full. If not it's low. You cna fill it with a pump, or a long hose and a funnel up in the engine compartment. Your trans is a WC, so the fluid is ATF (auto trans fluid). This may seem strange, but it's the way it is. All the newer sticks run ATF for fluid.

The fluid for the clutch is brake fluid. You check the level at the master cylinder, which is bolted onto the side of the brake master cylinder (it's a small round reservoir). If it's low add some fluid. You will have a little play in the first few inches of travel, that's normal. If the pedal is spoungey or the clutch doesn't seem to be disengaging then either the hydraulics need to be bled or the clutch is shot.

 

Check the clutch fluid at the round clutch master cylinder reservoir. If it is full, you would have to remove the slave cylinder from the bell housing to bleed the clutch hydraulic system. Our cars don't have bleeding screws on the plastic stock slave cylinder. What I usually do, and has been working very well for me, is I remove the slave cylinder and with the cap open at the fluid reservoir, I let the cylinder expand fully. Than I compress it slowly by hand all the way. Repeat this a few times, making sure that you have enough clutch fluid in the system while doing this. Don't push on the clutch pedal while the slave cylinder is off the bell housing. It will cause the slave cylinder to brake and all of your clutch fluid will end up on the floor.
The minimum travel of the shift fork where it is being engaged by the slave cylinder should be 14 mm. I hope this helps.

 

Hey I just picked up an 87 TA with the 305 TPI 5spd and im having a hard time shifting into the gears even with the clutch all the way in, this kinda just started happening could I be just low on fluid ? I was told the clutch was replaced in Feb and its not june so its not that old?

 

The only reason the clutch hydraulics would be low on fluid is if there is a leak. Check the level in the master cylinder. Even if it's low it doesn't mean that being low on fluid is the problem. If the clutch is toast the slave will have to move farther out, thus lowering the fluid level in the system (just like how the level in your master cylinder drops are the brake pads wear).