Help! Hydraulic clutch system issues

[Seander]

So I just installed a new lwfw, clutch and slave cylinder. I opened it up to let it gravity bleed. Now I'm trying to bleed the rest of the air out of the system with the push the pedal and crack it. I cant seem to gain pedal pressure. I have resistance midway down the length of travel but nothing at either end. Thoughts??

[S4tech2]

From my under standing it is rather difficult to bleed the slave like this but from what I have personally seen you have crack the bleeder screw more than just like a quarter turn I think I had to do it like an entire turn. But I had a brake flush machine

[Seander]

I'm getting fluid out and even jacked the rear up to see if that will help

[S4tech2]

Approximately how much fluid have you moved through the slave? What kind of clutch did you install?

[Seander]

Pushed 80ml so far. Cm fx350 with a ttv lwfw

[S4tech2]

You shouldn't have any air in the system. I have a clutch masters fx400 and my clutch is rather soft, and grabs close to the top of the clutch travel. I would recommend at this point if you can to start the car and put it in gear to ensure that the clutch is engaging and disengaging, be very careful as the car may try to move with clutch pushed in

[Royal769sr]

How about start in neutral and try to go in gear.. Why induce all that stress to the system?

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[Seander]

Everything isnt all together yet still need to put in the driver side axel as well as downpipes and exhaust. Just want to try and bleed it now with it more accessible.

[Blue AWD]

I think it is important to have the car very level, also gravity bleed is 90% there. Old push and bleed method after.

[Seander]

Thats what I did, and after like 10-15 min I only got very minimal feedback in the pedal. I would get resistance halfway down on the pedal, as I keep pushing down it lightens up. As I bled it it started getting more resistance at the end of travel. If that makes any sort of sense lol

[rnagy86]

I literally bled my clutch yesterday in about 10 minutes. The system was completely
empty. I opened the bleed screw for 5 minutes, not one turn, like 3 complete
turns until fluid was pouring out like crazy. Waited for all the air bubbles to
disappear from the hose I attached to the screw, then closed it completely,
pumped the pedal up until it started to come back by itself, then opened it
up again for a minute until all the air was out, then asked my friend to hold
the clutch pedal down to the floor after pumping it up and opened the bled
screw while he was holding it down. Closed it up and it works like a charm.

[julex]

I also don't get why people have such problem bleeding clutches... this is the simplest hydraulic system you can imagine...

Make sure your car's ass is a bit higher than front so that any bubbles in slave cylinder stay in bleed screw area instead of migrating to front of slave cylinder, loosen the screw so that you can easily crack it, put a length of your choice of hose over the bleeder nipple, route hose to under the car and park it in some jar, crack the bleeder at least 1/2 turn and wait for fluid to start coming out of the hose. Now gently press the pedal all the way in, very slowly return it (at this point you will have to do it with your hand), do that like 20 times making sure to refill reservoir every few pumps.

I think what people are screwing up on is not refilling reservoir like a maniac keeping it 100% filled at all times. Clutch fluid intake tube is located VERY high on the reservoir so as soon as you hit about 2/3 of capacity on your way down, you will suck in air into the clutch system. It is designed this way so in case you lose fluid in clutch hydraulic system, it leaves enough fluid in reservoir for brakes to be unaffected.

[Seander]

Thanks for the replies I will be diligent in making sure the reservoir is full. I was bleeding it how you suggested just didnt seem to be gaining much pressure in it. I'll keep trying tonight after work.

[Seander]

Alright after bleeding and bleeding and bleeding some pedal pressure has returned. However now the clutch pedal is slow to return is this something to worry about and what could cause this?? Please help

[Seander]

Also as I push down on the pedal it feels like it builds pressure and then loses it as it gets to the end of travel. Now I can hear the slave moving and clutch releasing and engaging. Whats up?

[S4tech2]

I think you have a mechanical issue somewhere possibly with the slave, were you able to verify that the clutch would disengage?

[S4tech2]

Also I had an issue with a pressure plate where the fingers got bent and would cause the slave to be fully extended and not actually disengaging.

[Seander]

The reson for the bleed is that I installed a new fx350, ttv flywheel and a new slave cylinder. Havent been able to verify yet if the clutch is disengaging. I can hear the rod moving back and forth though. Its when I stop hearing the movement that the clutch pressure drops. Should be able to verify later tonight. Putting the driver side axel and trans linkages in as we speak

[Seander]

Could it be a bad master since thats the only thing left to change?

- - - Updated - - -

Or could it be it just feels weird bc of the new setup?

[S4tech2]

Possible that the master is bad but more likely the new setup is weird feeling because it's not a self adjusting pressure plate, my fx400 feels very soft

[Seander]

Alright after getting everything back together and going for a test drive here is what I noticed. The clutch pedal seems to be disengaging the disk. However the grab is very high in the length of travel aproximately 1.5" down. Once I push the pedal more than halfway down I lose all resistance and the pedal is very slow to return. This makes starting in first quite the challenge. I found the best way to drive it currently is to only depress the pedal enough that the disk is released and to go no farther. I'm leaning towards a bad master cylinder now. Does that check out with you guys?

[landfill]

You may still have some air bud.

[Seander]

Ive literally bled it for 3 hours in total every single way you can think of. I pushed over 400ml through it. Had the ass end raised 6" above the front for most of it. Not sure what I could be missing

[S4tech2]

To be honest that is what my clutch does. My fx400 feels the exact same especially going from a spec clutch to that. I think it's just the way the clutch is unfortunately.

[Seander]

So you have no pedal pressure past halfway and its slow to return once it's there?

[S4tech2]

Pretty much no pressure past half way by it does come back without issue. The only time the clutch pedal gets past half way is when I start the car. It's weird feeling but but I got used to it.

[Seander]

I have no issue shifting 2nd-6th just starting in first is a bit of a bitch. I'm going to do the master just to see if that will help with the slow pedal return that is really whats bothering me right now.

[landfill]

If you have an upgraded clutch many
of them are on or off engagement meaning
that tbey engage way up at the top of your
clutch pedal travel. When I had my SB stg.4
I had to drive around town with my foot holding
the pedal way up high at stop lights/signs.

@auditech the reason I thought it wasn't his
new clutch is because he says when he presses
the pedal all the way down it doesn't like to return.

[Seander]

I had read that myself and I have gotten a bit better at shifting with it now. However the slow pedal return when fully depressed still doesnt seem right to me.

[julex]

you need pedal stop like everyone going to non-SAC PP... engagement on these is right on top making this clutch a complete bitch to operate. I couldn't live with it so I made a pedal stop and adjusted to stop it around 1" below disengaement point. Now the clutch is super predictable.

[S4tech2]

That is pretty cool, do you have a link to a write up?

[Monty23]

I have picture in my build thread of the one I made, but I don't use it anymore.

[QuinnsterKID]

I havent really read any of the other posts....but make sure the rear is higher and that when you push the clutch in and fluid squirts out, that someone is filling the brake fluid resevoir and not letting it go under that max/min fill line.

[Seander]

So the pedal is behaving normally for the setup? Its not a bad master or anything?

[S4tech2]

I think so.

[Royal769sr]

I could tell you if the master would help because I was having similar issues. BUT my part is still not here. I tried everything except the master so if this doesn't work shoot mr

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[Royal769sr]

Me

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[Seander]

How does the pedal stop work with the safety switch do you just bypass the switch or what. Ive got a master cylinder ordered Royal when I get it installed I'll let you know if it helped. If you get yours in first let me know how it worked out for you.