bleeding clutch slave - solved!
Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2022 5:30 pm
As so many others have, I had problems bleeding my replacement clutch slave cylinder.
I read just about every post I could find, in UK, USA, & here in Australia.
I tried most of the tips, & pumped until my leg couldn't take it any more. Used vac bleeding pump - no good.
I was about to embark on the expensive route of progressively throwing money at the problem: braided flexi hose; new master cylinder; garage.
But after day 2 of fruitless floppy-peddledom, and about to give up, we (son & me) tried one last trick - and it worked! Yaay!
The answer was a simple tip from - I think - the Miata forum in US. All I did was completely remove the bleed nipple, & use my finger instead. Turns out a finger makes a much better seal & one way valve than the leaking bleed nipple (& yes, I greased the threads to seal it).
We then carried out a bleed in the conventional way, & within a few pumps we got a result - good as new!
Drawback is that it sprays brake fluid everywhere. But you can clean this up, & by now I was past caring.
So do try this simple method before selling your car & buying an automatic.
I read just about every post I could find, in UK, USA, & here in Australia.
I tried most of the tips, & pumped until my leg couldn't take it any more. Used vac bleeding pump - no good.
I was about to embark on the expensive route of progressively throwing money at the problem: braided flexi hose; new master cylinder; garage.
But after day 2 of fruitless floppy-peddledom, and about to give up, we (son & me) tried one last trick - and it worked! Yaay!
The answer was a simple tip from - I think - the Miata forum in US. All I did was completely remove the bleed nipple, & use my finger instead. Turns out a finger makes a much better seal & one way valve than the leaking bleed nipple (& yes, I greased the threads to seal it).
We then carried out a bleed in the conventional way, & within a few pumps we got a result - good as new!
Drawback is that it sprays brake fluid everywhere. But you can clean this up, & by now I was past caring.
So do try this simple method before selling your car & buying an automatic.
. 
), returning with plastic tubing in various sizes, a garden sprayer, and some irrigation connectors. Drilled out a spare m/c cap, siliconed on the irrigation joiner, attached one end of the hose to the cap, the other end to the nozzle of the sprayer, and a lengthy piece to the bleeder, then pumped a little pressure into the m/c and hey presto a few drips appeared. Rinse and repeat (because the m/c setup was not holding pressure well), and after a few repeats I had enough fluid for the pedal to operate the pressure plate. If you are playing at home, GO NOT yse a garden sprayer from the shed, you do not want the stuff left in it in your clutch fluid!!!