clutch bleeding

robert2017

Active Member
Aug 14, 2017
2
0
greetings

seat ibiza 1.4 2004 16 valve

used power bleeder and pumped to 10 psi , opened the bleed nipple located on top of the slave cylinder and saw no fluid leak out . what did i do wrong?
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
Sorry but I can't answer that - for the obvious reason I'm afraid that I have never ever bled the clutch fluid - and I owned a 2000 Passat for 13 years and wife's 2002 Polo for 13 years, I'd heard just too many stories about that bleed valve snapping off and no replacements being available! (ie I bottled it!)
 
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RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
That might be a valid reason/comment, but as the basic hydraulic circuit and components are the same as for the braking system, then the same would be true when bleeding it with a pressure bleeder - but it is not! (ie master cylinder actuated by the clutch pedal movement and slave cylinder that actuates the clutch release lever/sleeve?)
 

R3k1355

Active Member
Oct 30, 2014
1,778
247
Yorkshire
So I assume pumping the clutch pedal with the bleed nipple open drain fluid through?

Like the cheap DIY way of doing brakes.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
I can see that that should work okay, but why, forgetting any gunge/crap in that area, is the exerted extra pressure above the fluid in the reservoir not forcing fluid through and out that opened bleed valve? Maybe check to make sure that the clutch master cylinder "in" side is connected to the fluid reservoir.
 

atsimas

Active Member
Apr 21, 2015
10
0
Ibizas share the brake fluid with the clutch. just do a Brake Flush and you're set
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
No, not completely correct, the pipe from the brake/clutch reservoir to the clutch master cylinder and all the rest of the clutch system will still have wettish fluid in it, which over time will equalise its moisture contents out into the rest of the brake fluid.

So, while I've never flushed out the clutch system on any of my VW Group cars over the past 15+ years, I should have. I think that there is now a short plastic section of pipe that contains the bleed valve, so if or when that cracks, you can buy a new section for maybe £15.
 

turbod

Active Member
Feb 9, 2014
157
0
North East
bleeding

if anything like my st pressure bleeders didn't work without pumping the clutch pedal then keep nipping to the front and opening and closing the bleed screw until there was no air coming out them pumping the clutch pedal a good few times to build up the pressure ...... they are normally self bleeding systems up to a point on cars
 
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