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Bleeding Clutch MASTER Cylinder

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  #1  
Old 03-24-2018, 06:14 PM
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Bleeding Clutch MASTER Cylinder

I noticed that the clutch master cylinder inside the car is wet so I think I should replace as I am doing a big brake job and need to bleed those so why not rebleed the clutch while im at it. I cannot find any truly helpful videos or forum pages on how to properly bleed both the cylindars. Ive got how to do the one under the car next to the engine but no real help on the one inside the car as I want to do it right. I am ordering a pressure bleeder as well so I have that to use too.

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Old 03-25-2018, 06:12 AM
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Always best to "bench bleed" a master cylinder before installing. It saves a bunch of time and hydraulic fluid. Do a YouTube search in case you don't know what I'm talking about. Make sure you adequately protect painted surfaces while you're doing the job.
 
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Old 03-25-2018, 10:11 AM
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Ok thanks I know what bench bleeding is just will need to see how it’s done on that part, I assume after that, install the master, then bleed the rest of the clutch,(then in my case brakes) system?
 
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Old 03-25-2018, 10:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Colin Schlagel
Ok thanks I know what bench bleeding is just will need to see how it’s done on that part, I assume after that, install the master, then bleed the rest of the clutch,(then in my case brakes) system?
If you have a pressure bleeder, I fail to see the benefit of bench bleeding other than inviting the unnecessary mess and potential paint damage. It may just be my ignorance.
 
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Old 03-25-2018, 06:01 PM
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IMHO, w/o bench bleeding, you will just introduce a lot more air into the system that will make bleeding the clutch slave cylinder that much harder...and we all know what a pain in the butt that is!
 
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Old 03-25-2018, 07:20 PM
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The cars been sitting for a couple months while I fix it and not use it this winter but aint that neat, mold an all!!





 
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Old 03-25-2018, 08:08 PM
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I know it is important to compress the slave piston to bleed it. Unless the master cylinder has a pocket at the high point that can trap air bench bleeding is not necessary. Assuming you do bench bleeding, how do you ensure a bit of air is not introduced when you connect up the supply line and the outlet lines. A long way from the bench to the time you have it installed and hooked up.

Pelican's step by step procedure does not call for it.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...eplacement.htm
 
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Old 03-25-2018, 08:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Colin Schlagel
The cars been sitting for a couple months while I fix it and not use it this winter but aint that neat, mold an all!!





Nasty stuff. Wash the carpet with plenty of water ASAP. Dilution is key. That happened to my Gen 1 Miata like 28k miles, and people complains about Mini not lasting forever.
 
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Old 03-25-2018, 08:33 PM
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Originally Posted by pnwR53S
I know it is important to compress the slave piston to bleed it. Unless the master cylinder has a pocket at the high point that can trap air bench bleeding is not necessary. Assuming you do bench bleeding, how do you ensure a bit of air is not introduced when you connect up the supply line and the outlet lines. A long way from the bench to the time you have it installed and hooked up.

Pelican's step by step procedure does not call for it.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...eplacement.htm

this is is kind of where my confusion is, so no the master cylinder doesn’t need to be compressed as pelican doesn’t call for it but the slave cylinder does? If bench bleeding isn’t neccassry it might be easier for me as this is my first time but it will be at least a week before my parts ECS had some stuff I needed on sale so I ordering it tonight, ( got some new pedals as they were only $3, guy before me just has some skateboard grip stuff on the bare pedal and when wet it’s slippery)
Also should I do this before or after I do the brakes cause at the moment there is not much if any in the brake lines since I took all the calipers off to paint them properly. If you think about the process of bleeding the clutch system makes since to do the brakes first to me at least


And PNW yes I am cleaning it’s been wet for a while but it’s time to fix it maybe I’ll even get a little smoother shifting now!
 
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Old 03-26-2018, 08:10 AM
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I never find the sporty metal with trips of rubber pedal slippery even when wet. It was my concern when the Mini was new to me. Brake fluid on rubber will definitely make them super slick and dangerous.

Whether you do the brake first or separately makes little difference. Clutch just happen to share the same fluid reservoir with the brakes. It has a draw port that is higher than that of the brakes for safety reason. They don't share any hydraulic fluid path.
 
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Old 04-08-2018, 06:07 AM
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ok so I tryed doing a full bleed, after installing the new master cylinder I took the cylinder under the car and compressed it how you are supposed to. I just put my brakes on then filled the resevior and put some in the pressure bleeder and bled the cylindar under the car there was a few air pockets then a smooth stream. excempt now the clutch is not doing anything its super easy to press down and up
Any ideas of where i might have gone wrong?

Thanks
 
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Old 04-08-2018, 08:53 AM
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I took the cylinder under the car and compressed it how you are supposed to.
May be this helps. The last paragraph.

Also from reading countless clutch replacement posts, I gather the air tends to eventually purge itself out as you use the clutch. Mine was a OK from the get go.
 
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Old 04-08-2018, 09:54 AM
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I found a post on a BMW site where after bleeding the guy had no peddle. Somebody chimed in that you had to pump the pedal up. Might sound stupid but it is what I had to do but I cannot remember how many times I had to pump the pedal, 50 and 200 comes into my head.
 
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Old 04-08-2018, 09:59 AM
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To clarify further, I did not do any type of power/pressure bleed. I made a wood block that can be placed so that the piston is held pushed in.

The block is in my tool pack within the car. I have not had to use it, but a friend blew a belt and we know what might happen in the middle of nowhere.
 
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Old 04-08-2018, 09:59 AM
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I believe it. It is not old wives tale. Unlike brakes, exercising the left leg the fluid moves up and down the line and tend to purge the air out. Thanks god we have gravity, and my Mini appreciates it negotiating a corner at warp speed.
 
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Old 04-08-2018, 12:43 PM
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Ok I’m not worried about it as I know I just probably did something wrong, I studied the pelican parts how to and I don’t think I ever pushing back and force the clutch pedal while having the clutch cylinder compressed so the new master may still have all air in it getting me know where, I might skip the power bleeder and use that on the brakes later and just have my dad help me keep the reservoir filled,

side note, on my brake reservoir I have this thin mesh that only let’s fluid can I take this out or is it suppose to be there at all times
thanks
 
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Old 04-08-2018, 12:47 PM
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Also in the steps PNW mentioned does all that and leaving the clutch pushed in over night require to have the brake reservoir cap on or off
 
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Old 04-09-2018, 01:36 PM
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To remove the basket, just use a small blade screwdriver and a scribe 180 degrees apart and pry up on the rim of the basket. Place it safely away from the engine compartment until you want to replace it. As for the cap, I'd leave it on but don't fasten it, thereby allowing air to, hopefully, escape.
 
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Old 04-09-2018, 02:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Colin Schlagel
Also in the steps PNW mentioned does all that and leaving the clutch pushed in over night require to have the brake reservoir cap on or off
As it is not my project (struggle ), I didn't read that Mini Mania method in detail. I don't think you need to remove the reservoir, or even the cap. The cap vents if I haven't mistaken. You can just unscrew it a bit if you want.

I happen to be struggling with messy brake fluid installing aftermarket crap (yes, Wilwood). As always, you can expect complications.
 
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Old 04-09-2018, 05:06 PM
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I tryed the mini mania way and my dad and I got a bit more air out but the clutch just goes to the floor and stays so I’m going to try the pelican parts way with the bleeder with no fluid in it but after I get my new rear caliper and bleed the brakes first,
hopefully I didn’t break anything and now something broken!
 
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Old 04-12-2018, 04:25 PM
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OK well I have tried it once again and I am getting mad because the pedal just goes to the floor after I take the dumb clamp off and put it back together to find it didnt work. So I dont know if I somehow broke the slave or if there is still that much air in or what the deal is. Is there something I am missing I really want to drive it again and this is all I have left to do.
Should of just left it...
 
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Old 04-12-2018, 04:39 PM
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Try pumping the pedal?
 
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Old 04-12-2018, 05:47 PM
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when, during the bleeding process, after, when I am all done, do I need the cap on or off or under pressure or with the bleed screw on or off, or the slave compressed or on the clutch

there are so many variables that I must be doing something wrong as theres no videos just hard to follow step by step, doing all the pelican parts steps didnt help me
 
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Old 04-12-2018, 05:57 PM
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I had an Oh Sh_t moment when I did mine as when I pushed on the pedal it dropped to the floor. I found the pump up thread, got it back hard and then tried again this time with the wood block in place to compress the piston. Same thing so pumped it again and that was last spring, no issues since.
 
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Old 04-12-2018, 06:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Whine not Walnuts
I had an Oh Sh_t moment when I did mine as when I pushed on the pedal it dropped to the floor. I found the pump up thread, got it back hard and then tried again this time with the wood block in place to compress the piston. Same thing so pumped it again and that was last spring, no issues since.
ok would you be able to explain that a little bit more than just confused on this
 


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