Clutch bleeding for dummies

[Adamsindrey]

Hi i recently bought my first car the other day, a 1979 Triumph Dolomite 1300

Not bad for £50!
It needs lots of welding done to it (to be expected for its age/price) but i need my clutch workin to get it around and fixed.
It was crunching in to every gear (especially reverse) so i tryed to bleed it and now I have no clutch atall! Could you guys give me very clear and precise instructions for bleeding the system please, Ive looked on the net for step by step guides and how-to's but the last one i used to the letter and now i have no clutch atall (must be full of air)

Thanks
Adam

[RandomTask]

Obviously if you are bleeding your clutch you're running a hydraulic setup. I'll try to make this as precise as possible.

Setup, I'm doing these instructions with the idea that you can have a person helping you (It would make this process a lot easier)

1st: Locate you're slave cylinder. More than likely its bolted to the side of the transmission. It should have a bleed valve screw, a small (usually 8mm) bolt with a 'nipple' for lack of better terms coming out of it.

If you don't have a slave cylinder, than its possible you have a hydraulic throw-out bearing. There should be two lines running into your transmission bellhousing. One powers the throwout bearing, the other is for bleeding.

For a slave cylinder setup you will need to do as follows. Have about two quarts of DOT 3 Brake fluid ready (This is what is used in a clutch system) Take the cap off the Clutch Master Cylinder (Located on the firewall) and make sure it is to the top. Next, have your helper pump the clutch pedal three times, on the third time hold the clutch down to the floor. While they are holding it, crack the nut on the slave cylinder (the one with the nipple) open by turning it counter-clockwise, until fluid near stops coming out. Quickly tighten it back up and then let your help release the clutch pedal. Every third time you crack the nut open, make sure to refill your Master Cylinder with fluid. If it runs empty, then air was allowed in the system, and you need to start all over. Repeat this process until all air is out of the system.

While I've never done it, The process should be the same for the throw-out bearing setup as well. With your year car, I doubt this to be the case.

A couple things to keep in mind:
If you still don't have pedal feel or the clutch disengages late into the pedal throw (its hard to get in gear or you have to press the pedal all the way down to release the clutch) Its possible you have a bent clutch fork. Also if you get on the floor and look at the clutch pedal, there is a shaft coming out of it that goes through the firewall (and eventually into the master cylinder) check to make sure there is no leaking fluid. Generally, hydraulic systems are automatically adjusting. As such, if you have all the air out of the line, and you still can't get the car into gear I'd put a safe bet on a bent clutch fork.

I hope this helps!

Joe

[Adamsindrey]

"While they are holding it, crack the nut on the slave cylinder (the one with the nipple) open by turning it counter-clockwise, until fluid near stops coming out"

So im expecting fluid to drain out when i open the nipple then the flow will begin to slow down (then i tighten it)?

Adam

[RandomTask]

Yup

[CraigFL]

Be aware that clutches can be very hard to bleed. The person pushing the pedal does not have the feel or control like when you are bleeding brakes -- the pedal goes to the floor every time. The person controlling the bleed screw can best tell when the screw needs to be closed by watching the travel of the fork lever. The screw needs to be shut before the fork lever comes back to its regular position. Some clutches are so difficult to bleed that they need to be pressure bled in reverse-- pressurized brake fluid fed into the nipple and extracted out the top of the master cylinder.

[Adamsindrey]

yer i bled it, its all pressured up but the clutch is not fully disengaging. Its big work to even look at the clutch fork isnt it?
Ive been told it could also be that the pin the clutch fork pivots against could be worn or even missing.

Adam