What is the best method to bleed the clutch?

My Disco is drivable again but i'm not convinced the clutch is completely free of air.

I was using a basic Draper 1-man bleed bottle with non-return valve and cycled quite a bit of fluid without really getting any result. I possibly wasn't waiting long enough at the top of each stroke?

I then jammed the pedal down with the bleed nipple closed, opened it and it coughed out a big air bubble.

Any tips on the most reliable/effective method for this please?

now that you have the moajority of the air out make sure the bleed nipple is fully closed and just sit and pump the pedal for a good five minutes, or go for a drive

Peter

I thought it was drivable but isn't, just tried to do some more in the dark and made it worse as the pipe on my bleed tube split so it will have sucked a load of air in and is even worse now.

Really getting annoyed with it now.

Would it better to buy an oil syringe and reverse fill it from the slave bleed nipple?

after pedal pressed tighten bleed screw up then let pedal up repeat takes two people but dont need pipe

Get the front end as high up in the air as you can (jacks, ramps whatever) and leave it overnight.
Next morning, with an assistant -
Top up reservoir
Open bleed valve
Pedal down slowly and hold at the bottom.
Close bleed valve
Pedal up
Open bleed valve
Pedal down slowly and hold at the bottom.
Close bleed valve
Pedal up
Top up reservoir
Open bleed valve
Pedal down slowly and hold at the bottom.
Close bleed valve
Pedal up
Open bleed valve
Pedal down slowly and hold at the bottom.
Close bleed valve
Pedal up
Top up reservoir
Open bleed valve
Pedal down slowly and hold at the bottom.
Close bleed valve
Pedal up
Open bleed valve
Pedal down slowly and hold at the bottom.
Close bleed valve
Pedal up

That'll sort it.

Trewey said:

Get the front end as high up in the air as you can

Click to expand...

Can I ask what the reason for this is? What is it that your trying to get an angle on? Is there any benefit from removing the slave cylinder to change it's orientation if I still have problems?

I don't think I have anything to raise the front, as I have a project car in the garage. It is parked on a slight incline.

I'll get my dad to come round tomorrow evening if I don't have any luck on my own. I can use a long bit of wood to hold the pedal down (billy no mates me, locally anyway )

you dont need to raise front end ,works on series front brakes as bleed screw is on bottom cylinder ,but is better with two closing nipple before letting pedal up

Tiny air bubbles collect at the highest point overnight. Lifting the front makes that point near the bleed nipple.

Tried it this morning, still no better.

Running out of ideas now, maybe there is a clutch fork problem and it's not the cylinders now. Completely stuck, I could take the slave off and try it at a different angle (bleed nipple upwards?)

I did also try taking the pipe out the master cylinder and pressing the pedal, was expecting a big squirt of fluid but didn't seem to get anything?

barrow_matt said:

I did also try taking the pipe out the master cylinder and pressing the pedal, was expecting a big squirt of fluid but didn't seem to get anything?

Click to expand...

replace the master cylinder then....and if the slave is old replace it too otherwise a new master will force it and it'll cede

barrow_matt said:

Tried it this morning, still no better.

Running out of ideas now, maybe there is a clutch fork problem and it's not the cylinders now. Completely stuck, I could take the slave off and try it at a different angle (bleed nipple upwards?)

I did also try taking the pipe out the master cylinder and pressing the pedal, was expecting a big squirt of fluid but didn't seem to get anything?

Click to expand...

Either piston not returning or fluid feed holes blocked in master-cannot blame fork until hydraulics are working correct-i prefer to use "easy bleed" as this forces fluid under pressure round system-found it good for clutch and brake bleeding-and you can do it on your own

two things ,bleed nipple should be at the top slave is on wrong way round, master cylinder if splashing in res or black deposit on bottom you need new one ,to bleed master you sometimes have to remove pipe and press pedal and hold finger over pipe hole while you let pedal up ,repeat if necessary or other way more usual is to slacken pipe press pedal ,tighten pipe then let pedal up repeat till clear fluid appears ,with air in system master sometimes just pushes fluid in out of reservoir and not down pipe