OK, I get it, if the two systems are connected together with a hose from a caliper to the slave, you want to push pressure up thru the clutch system.

Has anyone bled the clutch system by just leaving the bleeder open at the slave and letting gravity feed fluid down to it? Or does that leave a bubble in the clutch master?

Yah, one of the old timers around here advocates doing it that way, cant remember who it was. Next time I do it I'm going too try using a pump oil can. Only one hose to hook up and you could probably get away without the clamp since your not trying too accommodate two different size nipples.

I tried the gravity method. left it open all night. nothing came out.
maybe the air bubble wouldn`t let the fluid past.

Charlie

"Fixed" -- ended up driving it cross town without a clutch to my mechanic :) Lying on a wet NYC street looking for the slave bleeder nipp wasn't my idea of a fun evening.

(And I do 99% of my own wrenching.)

Cop out. You didn't share the pain with us.
We will cut you some slack seeing it was in the CITY.

sooo...inquiring minds want to know. How did HE do it?

You drove across NYC without a clutch ?
Tell us more about that .....

Not really that bad -- warm up the engine in neutral so it's easy to start. Shut off, put in first, start up and get rolling. Then drive slowly in first so you block everyone in back, and can have enough distance in front of you to be able to "time" the traffic lights. I only needed to stall the car two or three times. Actually, NYC was probably easier than the 'burbs, since I could get away with keeping it under 25 and didn't need to shift.

As to how the mechanic did it, apparently it needs a new master cylinder, so he's replacing and bleeding it. I should have it back by Monday, or something. No rush since I don't need the car this weekend.

^^ Oh, so he hasn't actually done it yet.:D

Better send him the url of this website...we'll be talking to him....

Well, I just spoke to him. He replaced the master, still can't get a hard pedal. I asked how he was bleeding it -- he said he was bleeding fluid out from the nipple on the slave. I told him to try to force fluid INTO the slave nipple, and he said he'd try that on Monday. Failing that, he'll have to R&R the slave as well.

Man , you are good !

spdrun-
I hope you got a written quote from him for this work...
Might be best to get him to replace the slave as well. They don't seem to last as long as the masters do and you may as well have the whole system spankin' new.

Besides, once your Mr. Goodwrench finishes this, he won't ever want to touch your hydraulics again (if he's still talking to you).

Sorry for the pessimism, but this is really a black art. I did this twice, both times bleeding up from the caliper. The first time took me 10 minutes and I wondered what the fuss was all about. The second took me 3 weekends...:(

Nah, just verbal, same way as I often quote to clients. Sometimes you just have to trust people -- actually, poor guy was a bit frustrated, he said worst case, he'd put the old master in and I could have the car back for free! :eek:

That doesn't help you any. If he did that, what would he charge you for- his time to fail?

It is actually typical to have to replace both master and slave. The clutch circuit is fed by the rear of brake fluid reservoir, but the clutch typically lasts the life of the engine, so the fluid is normally never changed. The two cylinders sit at the dead end of the hydraulic circuit and therefore spend the bulk of their operating lives in degrading fluid. Once one begins to rust and cause leakage, the other is soon to follow. So, replacing both is a good practice and often necessary.

I have had the steel tube fail as well in the past and drove from the NY side of Lake Champlain 300 miles, towing a jet ski, with no clutch, back to CT due to a fatigue crack in that component. Granted most of the driving was on the highway. Shifting the 240D without a clutch is not that bad. Downshifting can be a challenge, but I only had to shut down at toll booths.

Also, I have never had to do any tricks to refill the clutch lines. Just fill and pump. Takes time but eventually the fluid line goes "solid" with fluid and clutch behaves normally.

Jim

Looks like it does need a slave as well, per the mechanic. At least I'll have a totally new clutch hydraulic system after all is said and done!