I'm trying to get my dad's '80 MGB to its new owner, but the clutch hydraulics failed after sitting for three years. I've replaced the master and slave cylinders, plus the rubber line to the slave. There are no kinks or leaks in the hard line. I've run ~1 1/2 pints of fluid through the system while bleeding it and I've also disconnected the pushrod from the transmission and "burped" the slave cylinder. The best pedal I can get is where the clutch takes up about 1" from the floor, if that much.
Anyone have any other tricks to bleed this thing that I'm missing? It's a freakin' hydraulic system, it can't be that difficult! I'm just hoping it's not the Chinesium parts from Moss that are the problem.
The slave I got for my Bugeye had to have the line and bleed ports swapped to bleed, is the bleed on top or bottom of the slave?
According to Moss, the manufacturer swapped the bleed nipple into the line port so everything would fit into the box. The bleed and hard lines were moved to the right spots. I'm pretty sure it's just air in the system but I can't figure out how to get it out, other than pumping a gallon of brake fluid through it.
NOHOME
MegaDork
5/28/20 4:48 p.m.
When I bleed these little berkeleywads, I always have the piston jammed right into the bottom of the slave cylinder bore . That way air has less volume to hide. You also know when you are done bleeding cause the lack of movement means that the pedal feels like a brake pedal when it is all done.
For some reason MG midgets are always worse than MGBs in this respect.
Pete
In reply to NOHOME :
I agree, the Midgets/Sprites were much worse. And I think (it was 50 years ago) that is how we bled the MGB clutch system. Patience and a willing assistant help.
I replaced the clutch m/cylinder, slave cylinder and hose on a 57 TR3. Simply opened the bleeder and gravity bled the system. Perfect clutch operation. Was not expecting that after years of frustration with MGs.
Epilogue: I got the clutch working well enough for the new owner to drive it home, but I never did get it working as well as I wanted. At least the new owner was happy and the car is finally out of my hair.
