Clutch Pedal Stuck to Floor after Bleeding Slave

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Old Jul 22, 2015 | 02:54 AM
  #1  
wheresthepandas's Avatar
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Clutch Pedal Stuck to Floor after Bleeding Slave

So I messed up the procedure on bleeding the clutch lines and opened the bleed valve on the slave, Had someone press the clutch down, fluid came out and now the clutch has no pressure. It just sits on the floor. I didn't wedge anything between the clutch fork as well. There is no pressure in the Master Cylinder it seems since the rod from the pedal to the clutch is free moving. How do I get pressure back into the system. Do I need to press the fork back? How do I do that? An added note is that the fluid came out really milky.
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Old Jul 22, 2015 | 06:35 AM
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Adobeman's Avatar
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From: CT
Here's what I would try, no guarantees here, it may get you out of the bind you are in but probably not. I am also assuming your clutch operated OK before all of this and you were just bleeding it for maintenance purposes (new fluid).

What's odd is the clutch pedal has a return spring that should return the pedal so my guess is it is broken and the hydraulic pressure is what's been returning it for you. With the hydraulic pressure gone you are now stuck. If you can see that the pedal spring is broken then fix it. If that's not practical for some reason then try the steps below.

You will likely need a friend to help with this.
  1. Manually pull the clutch pedal back if you can. Pull the rod back all the way. I'm hoping that will pull the clutch master cylinder piston back with it. If I am wrong about this then the rest of my idea will not work. I do not know the internal construction of the master cyl so not sure if it the rod is a pure push rod or if it is a connecting rod WRT to the piston.
  2. Fill the clutch reservoir with new fluid.
  3. Apply low air pressure to the clutch reservoir cap. You will probably need to get creative here. This is the hard part. I've seem all manner of homemade things...even enough duct tape wrapped around a piece of tubing (attached to a bike tire pump or garden pump sprayer) to make a "stopper" that could be pushed into the reservoir cap. Not a lot of pressure needed. Just a bit.
  4. Open the bleeder nipple on the slave and let fluid get forced through the system. Don't let the reservoir run empty. Close nipple and refill it as needed until no more bubbles.
See if things are any better then you may need to repeat to get the system fully filled again. If they are still the same then you are cooked. FWIW I always prefer vacuum or pressure bleeding. It just seems to always go smoother for me.

Even if this does work something isn't right. The shop service manual says that you can slowly pump as you tried. Since you tried and = Fail something is off.

Last edited by Adobeman; Jul 22, 2015 at 06:37 AM.
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Old Jul 22, 2015 | 11:37 AM
  #3  
wheresthepandas's Avatar
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The Clutch Pedal Spring Still Works. When I pump the Clutch the Master is non Reactive.
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Old Jul 22, 2015 | 01:13 PM
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Can you describe "When I pump Clutch the Master is non Reactive" a bit more? Are you just saying the clutch just doesn't operate or are you saying there's something specific about the master cylinder that you think is broken?

I'm thinking you just have a lot of air in the system and have to bleed it properly. If you didn't attach a hose to the bleeder nipple I guarantee you sucked in air unless you closed the bleeder each time before your assistant let up on the pedal. When you use a hose (clear tubing) you will see the fluid move back and forth in it but progressively move more in the "out" direction. Typically you bleed until the fluid turns clear in the tube. Without the tubing it will just squirt and then suck air back in unless you have the assistant hold the pedal down until you tighten the nipple. This is why pressure or vacuum bleeding IMO is so much easier. No need for assistant, no air introduction, and less chance of damaging master cylinder seals since no chance of stroking master cylinder pistons beyond where they have typically been moving.
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