Originally Posted by the_duke
hey mate,
Can you give me a run down on how to bleed my clutch?
Thanks
Hey Mate. Bleeding your clutch is a fairly easy diy job and is done the same way as bleeding your brakes. Start to finish should take maybe 30 mins but allow extra time if doing this sort of thing is new to you. I'll try and explain the procedure the best I can:
*Jack up the front of the car far enough so you can get yourself under the gearbox area with room to work and then put some car stands under it for safety.
*Locate the slave cylinder on the drivers side of the gearbox near where it says "Getrag". It has a thin steel pipe connected to it. Remove the rubber cap from the bleeder valve (which looks like a grease nipple) and attach a 40cm length of clear hose to the bleeder valve that is a good tight fit over it (its about 4mm from memory). Then place the other end of this hose in a glass jar that has a small amount of brake fluid in it. Make sure this amount is enough to keep the end of the hose fully submerged in the fluid.
*Locate the clutch master cylinder reservoir in the drivers side of the engine bay. It is a small circular clear container with a black threaded cap and is located right next to the brake fluid reservoir. Unthread the cap and top up the fluid level with new quality Dot 4 brake fluid to the full level and make sure this level never falls below half during the bleeding procedure.
*Now you will need a second person to assist, one in the car and one person under the car. Hold the glass jar and ensure the end of the hose is fully submerged (otherwise it will suck air back into the line). Slowly pump the clutch pedal a few times and then while it is being depressed, open the bleed valve on the slave cylinder which from memory requires a 10mm spanner. You should now see fluid come out of the hose that will most likely look dirty and contain small air bubbles. Then, while this fluid is still escaping from the bleed valve, close it off again. Slowly let the clutch pedal rise again and repeat the procedure several times until no more air bubbles are coming out of the line and the fluid coming out is fresh and clean. Don't forget to keep checking the fluid level and topping up the master cylinder reservoir.
*Once you're satisfied this step is complete, retighten the bleed valve and remove the hose from it. Put the rubber dust cap back on the bleed valve.
*Lower the car back down to the ground and then top up the clutch master cylinder reservoir to the full level and screw the cap back on and you're all done.
As a side note, this should be done every 1-2 years to keep the system in good operating condition. This is because the fluid becomes less effective and spongy over time as the metal fluid lines condense and therefore you end up with condensation (water) mixed in with the brake fluid.
Good luck with it and feel free to shoot me another message if you're unsure of something or I have not explained something very well.
Cheers,
Chris.
