I've installed a new clutch master and slave in the Sidekick (this one: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/what-have-i-done-car-5-suzuki-sidekick-sport/136705/page1/ ), and for the life of me I can't get it to bleed. I started with my DIY pressure bleeder but wasn't careful with the hose routing and ended up pushing some air bubbles into it. Zero pedal resistance resulted. So I switched to a gravity / pedal press type bleed and still nothing. So I removed the master cylinder from the firewall but left it hooked up to the hydraulic line, angled it so the reservoir was "uphill" from the cylinder, and actuated it with my fingers. I got some pedal out of that but only about 1/3 pedal travel and it wasn't enough for the clutch to fully release. I tried more gravity bleeding and it didn't help. I pulled the master cylinder completely and did a bench bleed with a line looped from the output to the reservoir and got so, so many air bubbles. But then HOW THE HECK do you move it from the bench to the car? By the time I had the line hooked up to the master the reservoir was dry and even after a thorough gravity bleed I had zero pedal. I was so fed up I shortened my DIY power bleeder lines and was very careful about flushing out the bubbles before hooking it up and sent a ton of fluid through and still - ZERO PEDAL.
If you can't tell, I'm a little fed up. I've wasted three evenings on this and I haven't gotten anywhere. I'm about to set fire to it and call the junk yard in the morning. Anybody have any foolproof advice for me? Or maybe a mantra I can say to calm myself? or maybe a car shredder or $500 so you can take this thing off my hands? GRRRR
I might be missing something but why not do the bench bleeding process with it on the firewall? Have it mounted, run the line from the output to the reservoir and pump the pedal.
You need to seal the opening of the master reservoir. Plastic wrap and lots of rubber bands will do the trick. I was recently surprised to find out you can order pre-bled ready to install master and clutch combos directly from Ford. They come full of fluid ready to bolt in. My go to on clutch bleeding is to install it. Fill it with fluid. Pump like 30 times, refill, pump like 30 more times. Eventually, you will get no or very few air bubbles. Then I have the wife come out and pump the peddle as I crack the line at the slave.
In this day and age, it's always possible you have a defective master.
pilotbraden said:
I might be missing something but why not do the bench bleeding process with it on the firewall? Have it mounted, run the line from the output to the reservoir and pump the pedal.
I was told you have to angle it so the reservoir is above the master cylinder so the air bubbles will come out. Can't do that with it on the firewall, and you still run into the problem of the thing leaking all the fluid out and reintroducing bubbles once you disconnect the line to connect the one on the car.
tr8todd said:
You need to seal the opening of the master reservoir. Plastic wrap and lots of rubber bands will do the trick. I was recently surprised to find out you can order pre-bled ready to install master and clutch combos directly from Ford. They come full of fluid ready to bolt in. My go to on clutch bleeding is to install it. Fill it with fluid. Pump like 30 times, refill, pump like 30 more times. Eventually, you will get no or very few air bubbles. Then I have the wife come out and pump the peddle as I crack the line at the slave.
AHH! I'll try this tonight.
@Toyman: I'll have to fall back on that if I can't get it bled tonight. I'm about ready to throw in the towel, which I'm not sure exactly what that means on this car.
I recently had luck with gravity bleeding my clutch hydraulics. Sounds like that method was covered with the power bleeder, but maybe worth a try?
Some just end up needing to push the fluid backwards. I have a rubber tipped blow gun that I use with my pressure bleeder. Open the bleeder and fill from the slave.
Also, have you berkeleyed up the master pushrod adjustment like everyone else on this forum does?
Make sure you have free play in the pedal. It allows the master to recover.
Streetwiseguy said:
Also, have you berkeleyed up the master pushrod adjustment like everyone else on this forum does?
Almost certainly. Can you give me pointers on that? I just kinda eyeballed it as being close to what it was before I tore it apart.
I remember this problem with my 89 c/k. I tried everything I could think of. Ended up opening the slave bleeder and stuck a bottle in the reservoir and went and ate dinner. Came back out shut the bleeder and it worked perfect for years.
Friend had similar issue with his NB. He ended up having to bench bleed the clutch line itself. Pain in the ass.
dculberson said:
Streetwiseguy said:
Also, have you berkeleyed up the master pushrod adjustment like everyone else on this forum does?
Almost certainly. Can you give me pointers on that? I just kinda eyeballed it as being close to what it was before I tore it apart.
Climb down under the dash. Touch the clutch pedal, move it down an eight of an inch. Does the pedal have free play before it moves the pushrod? If no, shorten the pushrod adjustment until you do. The pedal should not be pushing down on the pushrod, and the pushrod shouldn't be holding the pedal off the upper stop.
