Bleeding Clutch Slave Cylinder IMPOSSIBLE!!!

[A4 TSCHUSS]

Without a pressure bleeder to pressurize the fluid resevoir isnt it? I tried and tried doing the old conventional method of pump and hold then open and close valve but it doesnt work.

I just replaced my clutch slave cylinder and my pedal has no pressure on it besides the springed tension where if you push it a little it springs to the floor and stays then you can pull it a little bit and it springs back up. I guess you have to pressurize the fluid resevoir or it just aint gonna happen is it?

Sucks, I wanted to drive my car! Hopefully I can find someone in town that has what I need between 2 shops I know mechanics at. Checked advance auto but they didnt have one, gonna check Napa tomorrow too if the mechanics dont have one.

[ad03avant]

Im pretty sure I just had a friend push on the clutch pedal when I had the opened the valve and about 100 cc of fluid came out. It seems that the system has repressurized the clutch slave because everything seems to work fine driving around. It sure looked like brake fluid coming out of there!!

D

[A4ringedONE8T]

You can do it without a bleeder. Push down and pull up the pedal with your hand to get some pressure. Have someone hold the clutch down and loosen the bleed. Tighten it back and pump the clutch. You may have to pump the pedal with your hands the first couple times as it will stay on the floor. After 4-5 times it should come back

[Don Supreme]

worked with old fashioned way for me...

Open and pump.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

Yes but did you have the system completely opened (the line disconnected from the slave cylinder) or did you just decide to bleed it some when you system was already pressurized.

[A4ringedONE8T]

Yes but did you have the system completely opened (the line disconnected from the slave cylinder) or did you just decide to bleed it some when you system was already pressurized.

It will work without any pressure to start

[A4 TSCHUSS]

I pulled the clutch up then pushed it down where it would stay on the floor, I did that like 5 or 6 times then left it on the floor got under the car and opened the valve and let fluid out. I then got back in the car and pulled the pedal off the floor and repeated (pushed it to the floor where it would just fall to the flood due to the spring up under the dash) then pulled it back up, did that a few times then pushed it to the floor and left it there, then got under car and opened valve. I did this like 7 time and have accomplished nothing.

[ad03avant]

Already pressurized. I drained the calipers first starting with the closest to the master cylinder. The system was pressurized and air free when I cracked that bleeder open.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

Already pressurized. I drained the calipers first starting with the closest to the master cylinder. The system was pressurized and air free when I cracked that bleeder open.

Well that is a totally different story then.

[B6Lovin]

You can do it without a bleeder. Push down and pull up the pedal with your hand to get some pressure. Have someone hold the clutch down and loosen the bleed. Tighten it back and pump the clutch. You may have to pump the pedal with your hands the first couple times as it will stay on the floor. After 4-5 times it should come back

it should build SOME pressure when you pump it by hand. went through the same thing on a couple of my friends' cars. none of them are a4's but i don't see why we couldn't do it the old fashioned way.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

I dont know, im telling you, I "pumped" it atleast 5 times each time then pushed it to the floor where it would stay and then opened the valve. I did this routine atleast 5 times and it is no different than when I started.

[AudiA4_20T]

I dont know, im telling you, I "pumped" it atleast 5 times each time then pushed it to the floor where it would stay and then opened the valve. I did this routine atleast 5 times and it is no different than when I started.

you need to have someone else do it, I think youll lose the pressure in the time it takes you to walk around

[AudiHere04]

sigh:: having issues with my tranny right now as well.

[B6Lovin]

well what he is saying is that he's pumping it and then it stays on the floor then he walks around and opens it.

you need to pump until it builds up some kind of pressure. if there's a lot of air in your lines that could take quite awhile but if you don't have a power bleeder you have to keep at it till you get something. if you don't get any pressure check to see if you can add more fluid and then add fluid every chance you get till you get some pressure back in the pedal.

[absolutegtr]

(I didnt read all the posts) When I did my clutch, I screwed up the slave somehow and had to totally disconnecting it (like you).

I tried for MANY HOURS, the old fashioned pump method, a vacuum bleeder, but nothing. I ordered a power bleeder and within about 2 minutes I had a perfect clutch pedal....

I'm telling you, I have done the old-fashioned way, god knows how many times, (on other cars) and with our systems it yielded zero luck,

GL finding a pressure bleeder

[CO AVANT]

Those power bleeders sucked at getting air out of the system when I replaced my Master brake Cylinder. I went up to 35psi, bled about a hundred fvcking times, and ran more than 10gal of fluid through the system, and nothing. Seemed as though all the air was out of the lines but wasn't out of certain pockets in the MC or ABS (even bench bled the MC and bled at all line connections in the system). Did it the good old manual way and all the air came rushing out. Just that simple. Never had a problem with a pressure bleeder in the past, but I also never replaced a MC before either. My audi tech buddy had to go through the same thing as me a week later in an A8.
Just get someone to help you David and you should get it done without a hitch.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

I said screw it, I called a friend with a flatbed had him bring the car to a shop where I know the mechanic and just dropped it off for him to deal with it. To aggravated with the car. I can take out my engine, rebuild the whole thing from the ground up reinstall it, but I cant bleed my damn clutch

[AudiA4_20T]

I said screw it, I called a friend with a flatbed had him bring the car to a shop where I know the mechanic and just dropped it off for him to deal with it. To aggravated with the car. I can take out my engine, rebuild the whole thing from the ground up reinstall it, but I cant bleed my damn clutch

you didnt want to buy the $35 bleeder and give it a shot?

[dougyfresh]

Why did you have to replace the slave cylinder?

[Redgoat]

I feel your pain. i gave up on bleeding mine on Friday.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

you didnt want to buy the $35 bleeder and give it a shot?

nobody had what I needed in town so I would have had to order it. It cost me $51 to have the shop do it.

To bad I have a new problem now though I jumped on the road and drove about 30 minutes north and the coolant light comes one. I pull over and look around and see the top nipple of the thermostat housing snapped off where the hose comes down in to it from the hose going over the intake manifold. So I was stranded on the side of the road until a friend happen to drive by and pick me up and bring me back home.

I called another friend that happen to be out of town and near an Audi dealer so he picked up the new housing for me $177. What can be next! God help me!

[A4 TSCHUSS]

Why did you have to replace the slave cylinder?

Forgot to put it in all the way when I put the tranny back in after fixing the broken bolt and then snapped it when pushing in the clutch pedal.

[Redgoat]

Is it just me or is the slave cylinder a pain to put back in?

[dougyfresh]

Is it just me or is the slave cylinder a pain to put back in?

It takes some persuasion. After about 10mins I had it in no problem. I also had my whole intake and front end off the car since I was putting in a new engine/trans so it was super easy to get to and apply pressure to get it into the car. I suggest going from up top down the transmission tunnel to get to it.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

That thing is a nightmare! I put it in once so easy (took like 20 seconds) the other few times I had it out it fought me the whole time and got me very angry until it finally got in to the little grove it sits in where the bolt goes in.

[Don Supreme]

So are you back on the road now?

[A4 TSCHUSS]

Yes/No. The transmission problem is fixed but the car is sitting on the side of the road 30 minutes away from my house due to the broken thermostat housing. My friend that bought one for me is on his way back to where we live now (still 1 hour away). I will need to go up to the car and take the intake manifold off then get at that housing to swap it out, add coolant then drive the car back home.

[Don Supreme]

and deal with the annoying air pocket problems you will probably have...

P.S. How did this happen? Did you forget to tighten something down?

[A4 TSCHUSS]

I have no idea how it happened. There are 2 10mm bolts that bolt the housing to the side of the block but that has no connection to how this piece broke. On the top of the housing there is a ~1" diameter nipple that has about a 4-5" long hose that goes straight up to the metal pipe running along the top of the intake mani. It isnt like it is being pulled to the side or anything.


The circled nipple faces straight up and connects to the hose coming straight down from the pipe above. that thing sheared straight off at the housing somehow.

[Redgoat]

It takes some persuasion. After about 10mins I had it in no problem. I also had my whole intake and front end off the car since I was putting in a new engine/trans so it was super easy to get to and apply pressure to get it into the car. I suggest going from up top down the transmission tunnel to get to it.

A few different curse words in a few different languages and I was about ready to give up LOL.. of course I was going at it from underneath (up on a lift)

[A4 TSCHUSS]

A few different curse words in a few different languages and I was about ready to give up LOL.. of course I was going at it from underneath (up on a lift)

Sounds like me but I just use one word and in english over and over. Started with an F

[Redgoat]

Sounds like me but I just use one word and in english over and over. Started with an F

It has honestly made my day knowing I am not the only one who has had this problem. I know that sometimes I go about the things the hard way, and honestly it started to feel like I was missing some simple step or something. Nope not just me! YAY!! LOL

[617 Bones]

If the pedal stays down with the spring, then there is not enough pressure to even attempt a bleed.

I think you would probably have to pump that pedal a few dozen times if you are doing it the old fashioned way. I made a pressure bleeder for $30 following a DIY from a bmw guy online. Used it to bleed my brakes and clutch when I upgraded to B7A4 front/rears. Took more time to pump up the bottle than it did to actually bleed the whole system!

[absolutegtr]

I have installed the thermostat without the intake manifold removed.....thats alot of extra work, for a car on the side of the road!

[A4 TSCHUSS]

Used a hand type vacuum bleeder reversed to where it pushed fluid instead of pulled and hooked it to the bleeder valve on the slave cylinder and pumped fluid through it then pumped the pedal, did the pump some more, pumped the pedal then got some pressure in the pedal. Then repeated that a few more times and the pedal started getting stiff but still had air. Then pumped the pedal about 100 times and it still wasnt allowing the clutch to engage so then the back of the car got jacked up to move air around in the master cylinder and pumped pedal some more. It got better then probably pumped it another 100 time and finally the clutch would engage like normal.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

I have installed the thermostat without the intake manifold removed.....thats alot of extra work, for a car on the side of the road!

The whole housing or just the thermostat? I am putting in that whole big thing in the picture. Figured it would be a lot easier with the manifold off and it only takes all of about 3 minutes to take off anyway.

[AudiA4_20T]

your housing is so different than mine...

Anyway, for the slave cylinder, I have a trick to get it in in about 20 min

[JMRQuattro]

you know i thought there was something wrong with my clutch when my pedal was doing that to me and nothing was happening. And it ended up it wasn't that i was doing anything wrong but somehow the weld on my pedal broke from one side and so the cord wasn't even attatched to it. So after all that work thinking wtf is wrong? It was the pedal the entire time. So i had to get it towed to a local shop and they had to replace my pedal for me.

[absolutegtr]

The whole housing or just the thermostat? I am putting in that whole big thing in the picture. Figured it would be a lot easier with the manifold off and it only takes all of about 3 minutes to take off anyway.

The whole thing. To my knowledge you cannot replace just the thermostat, you only it buy in housing-form.

But I can see how removing the manifold would make it tons easier.....

[Redgoat]

you can get to it without removing the intake manifold.. here it is when I did my water pump