Bleeding clutch problem

Hello fellow leafer's.

I decided to change the weeping flexi hose on the clutch. It was a faff, but got there in the end.
The problem is, it just wont bleed up, so I though the master cylinder was weak, so changed that too, along with a new pipe to the flexi.

still no differance, i know all connections are tight, even put a new bleed screw in the slave clinder, with still no result.

The question is do I go ahead and change the slave cylinder now, as its the only thing that has not been replaced, or is there something obvious that I have missed. Every thing was fine before I changed the flexi( it just weeped, and I topped the fluid now and then.)

Just "clutching" at straws now and banging head and getting no were...

Any pointers !!!! apart from a box of Swan vesters....

Silly question - is the bleed nipple at the top or bottom of the cylinder? The S3 ones can certainly be put on upside down.....

Second thought - does the S2 master have an adjuster rod? You need to set it so there's a bit of play with the pedal up.

Had exact issues about 3 weeks ago. Bleed nipple is at 2 Oclock position. I parked on a uphill slope and also drove onto wood to lift nearside front even higher. After a few bleeds i got a proper pedal. I had tried everything before that including gravity bleeding.

Silly question - is the bleed nipple at the top or bottom of the cylinder? The S3 ones can certainly be put on upside down....

Click to expand...

Its on the bottom- as yet I have not touched the slave cylinder.

Second thought - does the S2 master have an adjuster rod? You need to set it so there's a bit of play with the pedal up.

Click to expand...

It was the same postion as when I changed it, although the one I took off was fine, it squirted fluid nicely, when off the car.

The only difference in the parts purchased was the new pipe from master to flexi hose- the one I took off has a flat/flush end, and the "new genuine part" had a beveled end like a break pipe.

More straws- thanks for the info

If your bleed is at the bottom then all the air will be at the top!

Spin the slave cylinder round so that the nipple is at the top, bleed it and you should have no more problems!

There you go - Murphy's second law, if it can be put on upside down, it will.

dose fluid dribble out of nipple when undone and left

I use the rubber pipe in a milk bottle methard works every time ,
doing it alone

Try reverse bleeding it using a new/clean oil can connected to the slave nipple and pumping the fluid up to the master cylinder thus allowing air bubbles to rise with the fluid rather than working against it

With the bleed nipple at the bottom it will happily spurt clean hydraulic fluid on each pump but you'll never get rid of the air! Yes, you can bleed the system by pumping fluid into the bleed nipple but it'll be difficult making a pressure tight seal with the nipple and you'll lose fluid through the threads. I don't think you can just swap the nipple and feed pipe 'cos I think they're different threads (I may be wrong here and it would save some effort if you can) so the answer is to turn the slave cylinder the right way up. I'm lucky enough to have a remote bleed nipple on my S3 which makes the whole job a lot easier.

....sorry wasn't suggesting you leave the slave cylinder upside down - need to put it right way up, but bleeding from the bottom up is so much easier (even I have done it and I'm about as big a dullard as you can get on this sort of stuff (I was shown how to do it by an old geezer after many months of not being able to get all the air out) - worth a try and see if it works for you?

OZAWOZA said:

....sorry wasn't suggesting you leave the slave cylinder upside down - need to put it right way up, but bleeding from the bottom up is so much easier (even I have done it and I'm about as big a dullard as you can get on this sort of stuff (I was shown how to do it by an old geezer after many months of not being able to get all the air out) - worth a try and see if it works for you?

Click to expand...

its never easier trying to bleed with nipple at the bottom

...I think you've misunderstood me James - not bleeding with nipple at the bottom, as that would be upside down slave cylinder... what I meant was bleeding the system by pumping fluid in via the nipple on the slave cylinder up to the master cylinder, as opposed to the usual way from top down - also means you can do it on your own.

Gravity was invented for bleeding clutch systems!

My S1 had a remote bleed nipple fitted by the previous owner. He ran a section if brake pipe up to the top of the bulkhead from the cylinder and plumbed in a nipple. It worked a treat for getting air out.

G

All great info , many thanks- At least I now know the slave is the wrong way round( previous owner).

I will try all suggestions first, before I try and turn the slave round( they must of done it some way before).

i will park it at 90 degrees, then reverse pumping,and if all fails. Slave tuned around...

The slave is difficult to get at with the home made exhaust system that it has for the 200tdi in it. So it will be exhaust off or the wing!!

A five minute job, turned into 5 hours.

Thanks all for the advice

...A little bit late after the event, as I'm sure you've got it sorted by now, but here's a really good link showing which way round a slave cylinder should be and also the reverse bleed method

Replacing and reverse bleeding - clutch slave cylinder Land Rover. - YouTube