Hi. I'm just completing a major service of my wife's recently aquired 2001 SDi and did the job of changing the brake fluid this weekend using my Gunson pressure bleeder. I thought I would bleed the clutch system as well since this is fed from the same reservoir. However, when I opened thee bleed nipple on the slave cylinder nothing came out? I pumped the pedal a couple of times and still nothing?

Any ideas? The biting point of the clutch is fairly high though after this it is a fraction lower.

TIA

Nick...

I had (And still have) a similar problem with my 2003 saloon - Clutch biting point riding high and occasionally spongy brakes. I've now ascribed this to friction plate wear.

At the last service, I asked the dealer to drain the clutch hydraulic system, and they told me that as the brakes and clutch shared a common reservoir that it wouldn't need doing as the 2 -year brake service would be done during the service and hence the total system would be drained/flushed.

I didn't have much confidence in this assertion as I understood that the clutch hydraulics is on a separate branch, and that draining via the brake caliper drain points may still leave detritus/water in the bottom of the clutch side - I don't think they like draining the clutch as its drain plug is plastic and easily broken.

Unfortunately, the service didn't improve things.

I can only think that you got a hydraulic lock due creation of a partial vacuum in one of the hydraulic lines - probably clutch. I can't think that the brake and clutch lines join before the reservoir, so that the reservoir is probably separated down the middle. So, the vacuum may be on the brake side there. Check the reservoir is fully topped on both sides.

Nick.

The clutch on mine works just fine (2002 TDI) - nothing wrong with the biting point - but I had the same problem in that I couldn't get any fluid to come out of the clutch slave cylinder's plasitc bleed nipple when I was changing the brake fluid a couple of years ago. I was also using a Gunson Eezibleed pressure bleeder thing.

If you find the answer, I'd love to know as I'll have to do it again in a month or so's time, and I'd really like to get some fresh fluid into the clutch this time...

why not try bleeding it normally eg pump the clutch pedal, it works for me.

A pressure bleeding system fitted to the reservoir will not allow you to bleed the clutch system on most cars. Some cars will allow you to do it if you hold down the clutch pedal during the process.

The gunsons ezibleed is a good tool for basic braking systems but on a lot of modern cars they are not compatible.

438915

why not try bleeding it normally eg pump the clutch pedal, it works for me.

I'm pretty sure the Haynes manual says that pumping the pedal doesn't work on the Octavia clutch system, and the you have to use a pressure bleeder... But then the pressure bleeder didn't work for me, so I'm confused!

I'm pretty sure the Haynes manual says that pumping the pedal doesn't work on the Octavia clutch system, and the you have to use a pressure bleeder... But then the pressure bleeder didn't work for me, so I'm confused!

Those Gunson kits never worked properly, even 20 years ago. They're just a very pale imitation of what goes on in garages. To pressure bleed properply you need a decent size external reservoir, pre-pressurised to several Bar and actively topped-up by an air line from a compressor and a completed drain circuit that sucks one end of the system to be drained and blows the other !

In the absence of that, pumping the pedal always worked for me. Had no problems draining the hydraulic clutch on my Alfa Sud, though, that said it did have a separate reservoir.

Are you sure that the slave cylinder hasn't partially seized, blocking the drain hole, such that when you open the drain **** , the pressure goes down and the piston stays rooted to the spot ?

I seem to recall having to replace most of the Alfa's hydraulics at 30,000 !

Nick.

Those Gunson kits never worked properly, even

Are you sure that the slave cylinder hasn't partially seized, blocking the drain hole, such that when you open the drain **** , the pressure goes down and the piston stays rooted to the spot ?

Nick.

I seem to have quite innocently fallen foul of the profanity filter, again !

the **** was c*ck.

Nick

I seem to have quite innocently fallen foul of the profanity filter, again !

the **** was c*ck.

Nick

Amazing, that was OK.

Let see if nipple passes the test ?

Nick

Amazing, that was OK.

Let see if nipple passes the test ?

Nick

Forum Moderator's please note: You've got a sexist profanity filter.

Nick

Hi Nick

If you have a plastic slave cylinder then all you need to do is keep on undoing the bleed nipple (with the pressure bleeder on) until fluid comes out, it will take sveral full turns. No fluid will come out if you only crack it off a little bit. You dont need to pump the pedal when fluid starts coming out.

I have this a lot at work, the Peugeot plastic slave cylinders are exactly the same.

Hope that works for you

Phil

Hi Nick

If you have a plastic slave cylinder then all you need to do is keep on undoing the bleed nipple (with the pressure bleeder on) until fluid comes out, it will take sveral full turns. No fluid will come out if you only crack it off a little bit. You dont need to pump the pedal when fluid starts coming out.

I have this a lot at work, the Peugeot plastic slave cylinders are exactly the same.

Hope that works for you

Phil

Phil - thanks. I think you might have it. Yes, it is plastic and yes, I only cracked it off a little bit (probably about 3/4 turn or a little more). Must try harder

Will give it another go in a couple of weeks when I have the time.

Thanks again.

Nick....

Hi Nick

If you have a plastic slave cylinder then all you need to do is keep on undoing the bleed nipple (with the pressure bleeder on) until fluid comes out, it will take sveral full turns. No fluid will come out if you only crack it off a little bit. You dont need to pump the pedal when fluid starts coming out.

I have this a lot at work, the Peugeot plastic slave cylinders are exactly the same.

Hope that works for you

Phil

Mine's plastic too, and I also only opened it half to 3/4 turn. I expect that's it then - excellent - thank you!