Clutch Bleeding Problem! Please help
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Clutch Bleeding Problem! Please help
I'm trying to bleed the clutch on my 1992 4.9L I6 f150 and having lots of problems. It all started when the previous owner told me the slave cylinder had a slow leak and would need the fluid to be topped off every once in a while until I replaced it. I forgot about this for a week or so then noticed that the clutch felt a little spongy this morning. When I got to work I opened the reservoir and noticed the fluid was very very low so I topped it off. Now I figured I probably got a bit of air in the system so I'd just bleed it and problem solved right? Nope..
I got someone to hold the clutch pedal in for me while I opened the bleeder valve, some fluid shot out then I closed the valve and then told my helper to release the clutch. I then told him to press in the clutch and we repeated this process. On the third try the clutch went completely soft! I checked the reservoir fluid level and even though the bleeder valve had shot out a fair amount of brake fluid in those 3 bleeds the reservoir hadn't gone down at all. I thought maybe that there was a miscommunication and my helper let the clutch up while I still had the valve open so we went back to the process for the next 30 minutes. Not a single thing has changed. I have him press in the clutch, I open the valve, a tiny air coming out sound and maybe a drop of fluid sometimes comes out before I close the valve again and then have my helper pull out the clutch and pump it a few times. The clutch never firms up, the reservoir level never drops, and nothing but a tiny little air sound seems to come out of the valve. We're getting nowhere. I don't even know why we lost pressure in the clutch to begin with. The bleeding process should be plenty straightforward.. I've done it on my motorcycle's brakes more times than I can remember. Can anyone help? I need my truck up and running asap
I got someone to hold the clutch pedal in for me while I opened the bleeder valve, some fluid shot out then I closed the valve and then told my helper to release the clutch. I then told him to press in the clutch and we repeated this process. On the third try the clutch went completely soft! I checked the reservoir fluid level and even though the bleeder valve had shot out a fair amount of brake fluid in those 3 bleeds the reservoir hadn't gone down at all. I thought maybe that there was a miscommunication and my helper let the clutch up while I still had the valve open so we went back to the process for the next 30 minutes. Not a single thing has changed. I have him press in the clutch, I open the valve, a tiny air coming out sound and maybe a drop of fluid sometimes comes out before I close the valve again and then have my helper pull out the clutch and pump it a few times. The clutch never firms up, the reservoir level never drops, and nothing but a tiny little air sound seems to come out of the valve. We're getting nowhere. I don't even know why we lost pressure in the clutch to begin with. The bleeding process should be plenty straightforward.. I've done it on my motorcycle's brakes more times than I can remember. Can anyone help? I need my truck up and running asap
Last edited by Harabec; Dec 16, 2010 at 11:14 PM.
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Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
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hmm, I feel kind of silly. After stepping back for a hour or so from the problem I realized I hadn't removed the diaphragm from the reservoir. I didn't realize they go that deep and just assumed it was part of the reservoir itself. Removed, topped off fluid, re-bleed, problem solved.
