Motive Clutch Bleed - No Fluid?

[OK-944]

I'm attempting to bleed the clutch slave cylinder on my 85.5.

Attached Motive bleeder to brake reservoir and pumped to 12psi, placed clear hose onto slave bleeder, turned bleeder valve and....nothing! No fluid - no escaping air that I could detect.

I'm using the "dry" method with my Motive bleeder - simply securing it to a full brake reservoir. This worked like a charm with my brakes, frequent pauses to top off the reservoir not withstanding.

Prior the clutch bleeding attempt, I did change the blue hose from the clutch M.C. to the reservoir. But I attached the hose to the M.C. first, then used a syringe to fill the hose before securing it to the reservoir - so there should be minimal issues with air bubbles.

At any rate - shouldn't I get something (air, fluid, or both) out of my slave bleeder with 12psi on the Motive?

My understanding is that with the Motive bleeder I should not have to depress the clutch pedal as part of this procedure. Is this correct?

[flash968]

your understanding of the operation is correct.

if you have fluid in the reservoir area dedicated to the clutch, it sounds like the bleed screw is jammed up. not uncommon. remove, clean, reinstall, and proceed with bleeding.

[OK-944]

Took the bleed screw off and its not jammed. Still no fluid.

Possible that the bleed screw area of the slave is so filled with gunk that no fluid can get through?

Maybe I'll remove the bleed screw, carefully insert a pick into the opening and see what happens.

[fiat22turbo]

Read this for some tips to be more successful with your clutch slave bleeding efforts:

Flussig Magazine Clutch Master and Slave replacement

[Skeletor]

I did the same operation last Summer, and ran into the same problem. Ended up having to remove, rebuild and reinstall the slave and also remove and blow out the hard line that leads to it. Works and bleeds fine now. Neither is an easy-access job, though IIRC the slave job was fairly straightforward.

[fiat22turbo]

The rubber flex line from the master to the slave can break down internally and lodge junk in the slave. Not a bad idea to change that when you change the master and/or slave.

[flash968]

this is the problem with hydraulics. the parts deteriorate from the inside. the other problem is that once one component starts, the others follow. the contamination does not stay isolated. further, since it is water that brings in the contamination, the castings usually also degrade. unfortunately this frequently means having to change all of the components just to resolve an issue with one.

[911tracker85]

Looked briefly at that link. looked like he was doing the 'full monty'.

there is another trick, connect the pressure bleeder to the slave bleeder and use very low pressure, think I used just a few lbs, that pushed the fluid UP the way the air wants to go.

however, before I did this to my 951 project car, had already replaced the clutch MC and the line down to the slave.

slave looked almost new, so used a mighty vac to pull some fluid out to be sure I was not pushing crap up into the MC reservoir. what fluid was in the slave can out totally clean.

as I pushed the fluid up, initially pulled that hose off the reservoir to dump into a cup to be sure not crud coming up. once it was all flushed, reconnected the blue hose to the reservoir and done.

then proceeded to move the pressure bleeder up to the MC reservoir to then bleed out the rebuilt brakes.

good luck.

PS. did not like the comment about 944S. rebuilt one for my bro-in-law, but did not have to flush the clutch system. yet.