I'm so frustrated I've made an account because I have questions that other forums don't answer.

I installed a new slave cylinder and I've been trying to bleed it for 2 days now

Tried the rf bleeder to sc nipple with 0 progress

Tried the oil can method with 0 progress

My questions are if the fluid is leaking from the sc bleeder am I spinning in circles? Does it have to stay completely dry to bleed fluid up?

Does the clutch have to be depressed while bleeding? I've had it up and had 0 progress

Lot of times it seems I build so much pressure the hose comes off one of the 2 nipples...do I have sc bleeder not open enough? Because It leaks still when pressure makes the hose fall off

Oil can gets so pressurized that fluid comes out of sc bleeder and out of the hose that is connected to the oil can...someone help me get this working ):

Haven't tried the oil can method on a car, so I'll stick with what I've used with success. You definitely want the clutch pedal up. If its down, no fluid can get up to the reservoir so the air can get out. The fluid path is blocked. So connect a hose to the right front caliper bleeder. Either fill the hose with fluid or make it as short as possible. I've had to zip tie the hose onto the bleeders before. The art of this method is figuring out how far to open the bleeders and how fast to push the brake pedal down. the farther open the bleeders, the more they leak. The faster you push the brake pedal, the more it leaks or blows the hose off the bleeders. You might take the caliper bleeder all the way out and make sure the holes are clear. So just crack the bleeders like 1/4-1/2 turn, start the car so you'll have power brakes, and gently push the brake pedal down. It helps to have a helper to monitor the leakage sitch or to watch the master cylinder reservoir with the cap off to see if bubbles are coming out. Now think about how long that hose is and how long it will take fluid/air to travel through the hose, fill the slave, go up the line, through the clutch master, and into the reservoir. Just be patient and you'll get it done. I think I've used a speed bleeder on the caliper, too. Can't remember.
You didn't say why you changed the slave. Is it possible the hose section of your line is swollen shut?

I'll be trying the rf bleeder to slave with both zip ties and the car running tomorrow...changed the part because I woke up one day and clutch went to the floor and I had low resivoir... the old slaves seal is for sure bloated and ruined

What worked best for me was guy across the street has a pump for a diff oil bottle, just like the pump on a shampoo bottle. I opened the bleeder on the receiver cylinder ran a tube to a jar under the car and pulled the hose off of the brake reservoir and pumped brake fluid into the hose.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

I also spent two days using all sorts of methods (pressure from top, suction from bottom, using closest brake caliper) and none worked.

What did work was just leaving it a couple days with the slave nipple closed, the bubbles just found their own way out.

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1978 300D, 373,000km 617.912, 711.113 5 speed, 7.5mm superpump, HX30W turbo...many, many years in the making....
1977 280> 300D - 500,000km+ (to be sold...)
1984 240TD>300TD 121,000 miles, *gone*
1977 250 parts car
1988 Toyota Corona 2.0D *gone*
1975 FJ45>HJ45
1981 200>240D (to be sold...)
1999 Hyundai Lantra 1.6 *gone*
1980s Lansing Bagnall FOER 5.2 Forklift (the Mk2 engine hoist)
2001 Holden Rodeo 4JB1T 2WD

I used a pressure bleeder. Pumping the ish outta the pedal wouldn't push the air out.

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Watch him go!!! link

#dontdealwithkahlil

I've been in your exact shoes before bleeding my first W123 clutch. I'm sure you feel like punching something but try to take some deep breaths as I'm pretty sure I have your answer.

All of the above advice will work, although only in ideal conditions. One variable which you need to take into account is not so obvious at all. You cannot have ANY pressure on the clutch master cylinder push rod whatsoever (inside the car underneath the dash) or you will not be able to bleed the system. I know you replaced the slave cylinder but the symptoms you are describing lead me to think the push rod connected to your clutch master cylinder is slightly depressed. If this is the case, then any amount of pressure on the push rod will cut off the clutch's hydraulic system and you will not be able to bleed it.

I would strongly advise you, for your own sanity's sake, to disconnect the clutch master cylinder push rod which is inside the car underneath the dash and then attempt to bleed the clutch from underneath the car with the oil can method. Make sure to leave the hydraulics still hooked up to the clutch master cylinder. Once you've bled the system, reinstall the push rod to the clutch pedal.



#2 is your clutch master cylinder on the inside of the car underneath the dash. #3 is one of the clutch master cylinder's hydraulic line, the other is at the top and runs vertically just as #3 does. *Leave these both connected*
Also for a reference the metal bar attached to the spring in the photo above is the clutch pedal.



Here is what the clutch master cylinder looks like, and your goal is only to disconnect the push rod in order to bleed the system. It is pretty self-explanatory, but the angle in which to work on it is a real challenge. Like I said, disconnect the rod and bleed the system and then reconnect the rod.

My theory is that aftermarket clutch master cylinders don't come with the right length push rod and once installed can give you some big problems such as this. The picture above is of a w123 clutch master cylinder for sale, notice how it comes with two push rods? Even then I don't think the dimensions are nearly as accurate as the OEM Mercedes clutch master cylinder. Anyways, I bet your clutch master cylinder was replaced at some point or your clutch linkage is causing you this issue. Report back with what happens, and good luck. But trust me, I have a feeling that this is your ticket to successfully bleeding the clutch.

Hmm, that hadn't occured to me. Isn't there an eccentric which might allow full extension if adjusted?

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

What worked for me on Mutt the Race Truck (S-10 w/OM617 and Gettrag 4 speed w/Mercedes hydraulic clutch) was to push fluid up from the slave to the master with a big veterinary syringe full of brake fluid. It wasn't perfect but got me enough pedal to be able to do the final bleeding with the push-the-pedal-and hold-it method. It's now just right. I'm using the S-10 master so my situation might be a bit different.


If you try my method be sure to drain the master reservoir most of the way as there needs to be a place for the fluid to go. Obvious but easy to forget.


Dan

another trick to bleed it would be make a loop on the small bleed hose that you tie to the SC nipple, this way the brake fluid in the hose will make a oneway valve on its own, and wont suck expelled air back into the slave cylinder.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Possibly, but I've always just unhooked the push rod from the clutch pedal. Maybe that is something to look into as it isn't much fun disconnecting the clutch master cylinder.

But you all see what I'm saying here? The original poster is having trouble getting ANY fluid to go through the system to the point where his hose connection blows off of the valve. He is opening the bleeder valve and is not able to move any fluid through the system no matter which method. I bet you he isn't doing anything technically wrong it is just that the system is either partially cut off or fully cut off on account of the clutch master cylinder or something else is obstructing the flow of fluid. It probably isn't just a matter of suggesting different methods.

In a perfect environment, the oil can method should work with ease on a W123. Once the original poster unhooks his clutch master cylinder or finds something else obstructing the flow of fluid, he will be able to use the oil can method without any problems.

This is the easy method. I dont know why anyone does it another way. I can have any car with a similar setup bled in the amount of time it takes to jack up and put the car on stands. You can make the loop in the hose go around the exhaust or something to keep it up. That way fluid stays in the hose. No air will enter the system. Leave the pedal up and tighten the slave bleeder . Pump the pedal afterward if needed. Done easy . 1 hr max, if your good, including lifting the car.

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Chris
84 280sl
82 300d euro

I read somewhere in the archive that it’s possible to bleed the clutch from the top down using a pressure bleeder attached at the reservoir. Mind you, this was not about clearing air, but exchanging old fluid for new. My system’s due for a flush and this is how I’m hoping to do it.

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1981 240D 4sp manual. Ivory White.

Oh boy ~ I hate vertical clutch m,aster cylinders .

I used to have to do them on fleet rigs, IHC's & Ford C - series tilt cabs .

Gah .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Couple things: Yes there is an eccentric where the eye of the pushrod is. I recently replaced the clutch master and paid the small amount extra to get one from MB. It came as a FTE. No star at all on it. Can' remember if it was in a MB box or not, now. The metal pistons use a different pushrod than the newer plastic pistons. Don't know if the length is different, the ball is different though.