Bleeding the clutch master & slave problem

[visualpoet]

Before anyone says it; I searched, I found, I read. I even watched some guy bleed a Civic on youtube for 22 minutes. (by the way, thanks to whoever posted that in another thread. The guy was right, getting that damn cotter pin out was the hardest part. lol) This is also not the first hydraulic clutch system I've had to bleed, but it's kicking my ass.
I even referred to this thread

This is going on because I parked her one night, came out the next day and dropped the clutch pedal to the floor to start her and it stayed. I swapped out the master and slave, bought a one man bleeder kit, and it just won't build pressure. I've pumped over a quart through it and it will start to feel like it's getting pressure, then it drops right back off. I don't see any leaks, But it seems like it keeps sucking air from somewhere, I've been at it for about two hours tonight, and a couple more last night, watching fluid and bubbles flow into the bottle, keeping the reservoir full, emptying the catch bottle, over and over and over and over.
There is a small drip coming from underneath, but I'm 97% sure it's just spillage running down from removing the catch bottle over and over and I did over fill the catch bottle a couple of times, but it could be something I can't see.

So, I'm asking for suggestions. Tomorrow I'm going to try running a line from the slave bleeder to the reservoir as suggested in the aforementioned thread, just to save myself all the running back and forth and fluid spillage. Anyone have any ideas what I might check out besides the slave and master? I'm working in the dark, and I've followed the lines as far as I can with a flashlight and they don't appear to be corroded or damaged in any way. I don't hear anything squirting or sucking air when I work the clutch pedal, and since it's moving fluid through the system, I have to think they're both working.

The excitement I felt when it started to build pressure was nowhere near the emotional crush I felt when it lost pressure again. I haven't reached the tool throwing stage yet, but it's getting pretty damn close.

[TypeG]

are you in anyway letting the pedal come up with the valve open? later.

[foamypirate]

How are you bleeding it? Did you bench bleed the master?

The method I use, that has always worked for me (but requires two people):

With a full reservoir, have someone push the pedal to the floor. With a hose into a bottle full of brake fluid, crack open the bleeder, wait until fluid stops flowing, and close the bleeder. Let the pedal up, pump it twice, and hold it to the floor again, while you crack the bleeder until fluid stops going again. Rinse and repeat until you get good pressure.

[James Matteu]

On the Clutch Slave Cylinder Bleeder Valve you should slide on a flexible line that drops to a container filled with enough fluid to submerge the end of the flexible line. If not, each application of the pedal forces fluid from the end of the flexible line but also sucks in an equal quantity of air. I know some people bleed with two persons, but with a jar and some extra vacuum line anyone can do this alone.

[visualpoet]

are you in anyway letting the pedal come up with the valve open? later.

How are you bleeding it? Did you bench bleed the master?

The method I use, that has always worked for me (but requires two people):

With a full reservoir, have someone push the pedal to the floor. With a hose into a bottle full of brake fluid, crack open the bleeder, wait until fluid stops flowing, and close the bleeder. Let the pedal up, pump it twice, and hold it to the floor again, while you crack the bleeder until fluid stops going again. Rinse and repeat until you get good pressure.

On the Clutch Slave Cylinder Bleeder Valve you should slide on a flexible line that drops to a container filled with enough fluid to submerge the end of the flexible line. If not, each application of the pedal forces fluid from the end of the flexible line but also sucks in an equal quantity of air. I know some people bleed with two persons, but with a jar and some extra vacuum line anyone can do this alone.

I'm using a one man bleeder set up with clear line, I can see that it's not sucking air back in, I've been watching it push air bubbles and fluid out into the catch bottle, leaving the pedal down until the fluid stops moving, letting it up and then pushing it down again. You can see that it's not sucking air back in, it's only sucking in a little fluid, not even 1/16 as much as it pushes out.

[tgdrums1990]

I'm using a one man bleeder set up with clear line, I can see that it's not sucking air back in, I've been watching it push air bubbles and fluid out into the catch bottle, leaving the pedal down until the fluid stops moving, letting it up and then pushing it down again. You can see that it's not sucking air back in, it's only sucking in a little fluid, not even 1/16 as much as it pushes out.

Whod you get the Master and Slave through?

[James Matteu]

Air has to be coming from somewhere, the bubbles are supposed to stop eventually. Loose connection maybe? You may have also damaged one of the cylinders by forcing trapped air past their internal seals (that's what the bench bleed is for).

[Losiracer2]

have you seen this guy's vid? I think I feel confident after watching it that this is a good way to do it:

[visualpoet]

Whod you get the Master and Slave through?

I got them from Jake who got them from Advance but ended up going OEM on the Jerk.

Air has to be coming from somewhere, the bubbles are supposed to stop eventually. Loose connection maybe? You may have also damaged one of the cylinders by forcing trapped air past their internal seals (that's what the bench bleed is for).

I checked my connections and can't find anything loose, bench bled them both and...

have you seen this guy's vid? I think I feel confident after watching it that this is a good way to do it:

did it EXACTLY like this guy did except he doesn't bench bleed it. In fact that's the video I mentioned in my OP. I'm starting to think I either got a bum part, or somehow damaged one putting it in, but neither of them is leaking fluid out, even with the bleeder screw closed, the cap on the reservoir and the pedal pumped about 50 times.

[tgdrums1990]

I got them from Jake who got them from Advance but ended up going OEM on the Jerk.


I checked my connections and can't find anything loose, bench bled them both and...


did it EXACTLY like this guy did except he doesn't bench bleed it. In fact that's the video I mentioned in my OP. I'm starting to think I either got a bum part, or somehow damaged one putting it in, but neither of them is leaking fluid out, even with the bleeder screw closed, the cap on the reservoir and the pedal pumped about 50 times.

Wait i thought Jake cross threaded the clutch line input on the master on the one he got from advance, did he take it back and swap it out.. Sorry to ask stupid questions just making sure tho.. lol

[90accords]

I've gone through this before and the only thing that worked was a 2 man bleed the old fashioned way. Don't know why but that's how i had to do it.

[CB7Rider91]

I've gone through this before and the only thing that worked was a 2 man bleed the old fashioned way. Don't know why but that's how i had to do it.

That how I did mine and it works fine no problems... Did it just like my brakes it just takes longer.

[foamypirate]

Are you closing the bleeder before letting the pedal back up?

[visualpoet]

Wait i thought Jake cross threaded the clutch line input on the master on the one he got from advance, did he take it back and swap it out.. Sorry to ask stupid questions just making sure tho.. lol

If he did and then sold it to me I'm going to have beef. I didn't have any problems with threading it in at all, and it didn't look cross threaded or damaged before I installed it.

I've gone through this before and the only thing that worked was a 2 man bleed the old fashioned way. Don't know why but that's how i had to do it.

I hope I don't end up dragging a buddy out in the cold to help, it's bad enough that I'm out there. lol

Are you closing the bleeder before letting the pedal back up?

I shouldn't have to with the one man bleeder kit; I haven't had to before when I did a hydraulic clutch or brakes, but I may give it a try. Or make a buddy come pump the pedal for me while I just do it the old school way.

[scudweiser]

I take it that the one man bleeder is a vacuum pump?
Jon - do you have or have access to an air compressor and a airblast nozzle?

If so you can do what I did: pressure bleed. Takes literally 10 seconds to do. Get a pickle jar or similar jar with a lid, and some vac hose. Drill two holes in the lid of the jar just slightly smaller than the OD of the hose. Cut about 3 feet of hose and insert the hose far enough into the lid to reach the bottom of the jar. Cut about 6 inches of hose and just barely insert it an inch into the other hole. Fill the jar with fluid. Hook up the nozzle of the air blaster to the short piece of hose and hook the long piece of hose up to the bleeder valve of the slave cylinder. Remove all of the fluid in the master cylinder reservoir with your vac bleeder then give the pressure bleeder a blast of air for a few seconds. Do it a bit at a time until you see fluid come up into the reservoir.