Question

[93_R/T_TT_Stealth]

was wondering what the easyest way to bleed the clutch pedal in my awd?

[Igovert500]

http://www.stealth316.com/2-clutchbleeding.htm

[Linebckr49]

Originally Posted by Igovert500

http://www.stealth316.com/2-clutchbleeding.htm

haha! when i read the first post, i immediately thought "i know exactly how Geoff would respond to this question"...then bam! there it was.

[Igovert500]

Yeah, I'm way too lazy to right out instructions if they already exist somewhere else

But one question I do have. I was reading on Jeff's site, and he mentions using brake fluid. We went to Autozone the day we bled that clutch, and found 1 brand of specific 'clutch' fluid, and hten like 10 different brands of brake fluid. I figured, since they are both hydraulic systems both were the same if not pretty close. The guy at Autozone said they were drastically different. Now generally, I've learned people at Autozone rarely know what they are talking about...but what is the truth?

[Linebckr49]

Originally Posted by Igovert500

But one question I do have. I was reading on Jeff's site, and he mentions using brake fluid. We went to Autozone the day we bled that clutch, and found 1 brand of specific 'clutch' fluid, and hten like 10 different brands of brake fluid. I figured, since they are both hydraulic systems both were the same if not pretty close. The guy at Autozone said they were drastically different. Now generally, I've learned people at Autozone rarely know what they are talking about...but what is the truth?

i'm not well-versed in hydraulic fluids, but i think you are correct in your assertion that since both are hydraulic systems there shouldn't be that much of a difference in the fluid they use. perhaps the autozone-dude (best not to use the title "mechanic" or "technician" along with the positions of local franchise auto store employees) thought that the brake system and clutch system are two quite different systems-- one moves a disk back and forth, while the other squeezes a disk. actually, now that i think about it, i don't think one can describe the 2 systems in a way in which they don't appear related.

i'd trust Jeff Lucius over the autozone-newb. i'm not sure what Jeff does for a living, but he sounds like an engineer-minded, detail-oriented, well-read individual that gives both sides of an argument.

back to brake fluids...i DO know there are different types of brake fluids (DOT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, plus another one..something like that) which differ over certain parameters such as pressure they can withstand, viscosity, operating temperatures, and so on. so PERHAPS clutch fluid is only one type of brake fluid, whereas given the many types of brake fluid, one could infer a "difference" between the two systems.

[that's just my . i'm just too lazy right now to research the topic...but i remember reading all that somewhere...maybe even Jeff's site]

[Igovert500]

Well Jeff specified DOT 4 (i think) So I figured they were similar. But my friend was hesitant to use brake fluid after this guy at Autozone said it would "REALLY F-UP his clutch" Of course as usual, he couldn't explain why, other than "well it's brake fluid...you use for the brakes"

[Stealthee]

OMG!! I knew there was a reason I avoided Auto Zone. Everytime I go there I am fed some stupid BS about something. This is a new low though I think. Clutch fluid IS brake fluid. This bottle that specified "clutch fluid" I would almost guarantee its nothing more than brake fluid in a new bottle. One word comes to mind. IDIOTS!

[Igovert500]

THANK YOU...this is what I thought the whole damn time. Yet after the idiot said something, my friend got nervous, and began to question me...which I don't like. And it only got worse when I grabbed the duct tape and a gatorade bottle and said "don't worry I got this" and headed out to his car

[sLADe781]

LOL Yeah, I encountered the same thing last year when I was trying to figure out if there was a difference between the two as well. Everywhere I went didn't have any "clutch" fluid and no one could give me a definite answer as to whether or not it existed. Hehe A couple speculated that it was the same as brake fluid so we ended up going to like 4 Kragens/AutoZones around the area before we finally bought something.
But here's another question....I see DOT 3 and 4 brake fluids as well as synthetic brake fluids. Are there any perks to the synthetic ones like the synthetic oil has?

[Stealthee]

I think its the same issues with synthetic oil. You dont want to mix synthetic and regualr brake fluid. You would have to completely flush the lines of all regular brake fluid to use it. And unless you are auto-xing or road coursing then regular brake fluid will work fine.