Usual clutch woes

[subby28]

Hi,

Bought a 2003 LCR yestarday, completely standard, and love it! Had an S3 in the past and this is a much more interesting drive.

However one slght problem, when i got home the clutch went.

Well, the clutch is actually ok, (wasnt slipping prior to failure)

Basically the biting point got gradually further down and then the pedal went to the floor.

I was expecting a puddle of fluid on the floor and the reservoir to be low and an expensive clutch/slave change, however there was no fluid coming from the bell housing, and the fluid hadn't gone down.

I decided to change the master cylinder as this is a simple job (this went fine), but i just cant bleed the system after fitting it. If i pump the clutch for 5 minutes then i get a pedal and the clutch begins to work, then I bleed once its pressurized and pedal goes straight to the floor again, and then takes a further 5 mins of pumping the pedal to get any pressure at all.

During all this, no fluid is coming out of the bell housing, and the fluid only goes down if im bleeding. There seems to be constant air coming out when bleeding, and the pedal never gets hard.

When im pumping the pedal, the master is noticeably 'gurgling', is this normal ? Could there be a leak somewhere ? No fluid appears to be leaking from the master connections.

Im going to try an easy bleed kit tommorow which you pressurize the resevoir and push fluid through, and hope that can sort it out !

Am i missing something, or is something else wrong ?

Thanks

 

[towcester vag]

as you are going to do i always use a easibleed kit and have had no issues
the only pressure issues are usually the pedal master cylinder or slave cylinder in box

 

[Muttley]

Bleed the slave cylinder first, then the m/c, using your easibleed.

 

[subby28]

Bleed the slave cylinder first, then the m/c, using your easibleed.

how do you bleed them separately ?

Ive just done it using the easy bleed normally, and all the air appears to have gone and i have a perfect clutch.

However im worried that the biting point will just get lower and lower and the same thing will happen again. Will take it for a good drive today and see how it goes! Hopefully i wont need to be towed home....

 

[Muttley]

I see your point, there is only one bleed point, where the hydraulic line goes into the gearbox bellhousing - the slave cylinder itself is wrapped around the gearbox input shaft and acts directly on the clutch.

I'm afraid it might be the master cylinder then. Hope it isn't the slave , as that's a gearbox-off job.

 

[subby28]

Yea well i have changed the master cylinder so i would have hoped the new one is ok.

It went again after it was perfect. So i took it to a garage to get sorted.

Not a good start with my LCR ownership...