I did a bunch of searching last night and concluded that the clutch might not be bled fully after all. I found a couple of old threads from guys who swapped the slave cylinder and couldn't get the clutch to release after re-installation and bleeding. Either that or an engagement point right off the floor.

I went to the garage today to try and bleed the clutch once again. It didn't work and my patience for this is running low! From the beginning, I have used all the following methods:

1- Normal bleed: open the slave bleeder and pump the clutch. I tried that at the very beginning when the system was completely empty. It got me some resistance on the pedal but not nearly enough. Then I searched and found method #2...

2- Reverse bleed with RH caliper. I hooked up a 3/16 clear tube to the brake bleeder and to the slave bleeder. I opened both bleeders and pumped the brakes. I must have tried this method 3 or 4 times. I popped the line from the slave bleeder many times from too much pressure on the brakes. Very frustrating. I had to pump the brakes with low pressure. It firmed up the pedal to a point where I thought I would be good. I wasn't. I did the procedure again. It didn't work again, popped the line right off the slave cylinder.

3- Pump fluid in the slave with a syringe. I tried this today. I attached the clear tube to the slave cylinder first and this time I managed to get a quick clamp on it. It doesn't clamp much but I figured it would be better than nothing. I put a syringe at the other end of the tube. The syringe was held about 35" above ground level on a bar stool. I opened the slave bleeder and the brake reservoir cap and tried pulling fluid from the slave with the syringe. No fluid came out of the bleeder! I eventually managed to fill the hose and syringe with fluid, but I think all the air was escaping at the slave bleeder connection. I tried pushing the fluid back in but it didn't work. I had to put a lot of pressure on the syringe, it seemed like I compressed air. That method did not work.

I think the mechanicals of the setup are okay. The pedal is firm, my only remark is that there seems to be about 0.5" of play at the pedal before you feel like you are pushing on something:
• 717.412 transmission
• LUK 11005 clutch kit
• Beck/Arnley 0728817 clutch slave cylinder
• Centric 13635200 clutch master cylinder
• 3/16" hardlines with a 1/8" brake hose from some Jeep

I highly doubt that the setup above is incorrect. The only clue I have is some thread I found where some guy used a Centric slave cylinder and found out that the pushrod was shorter or had less stroke than the stock pushrod. The guy swapped for a Beck/Arnley cylinder and got his setup working. Kinda wierd but it can happen.

OK does anybody have another tried and true method for bleeding? I don't care if it involves some exotic specialty tool that costs 250$. I just want to drive the damn car after all these years.

I found another thread where some guy used what seemed like a Mityvac hooked up to the cap of his fluid reservoir. There were no pictures of the setup, but it seemed like he vacuumed the bubbles from the cap. Anybody tried that? I feel like any method that puts a pressurized line at the slave is bound for popping the line off and spilling brake fluid all over the place!