New guy here, needing help with bleeding slave/clutch

bossbob · Mar 9, 2017

Picture added for those interested, help with bleeding slave/clutch

Hi everyone,

I just bought an 87 Ranger for my 16 year old, so far it is everything he wants in a truck, only thing missing according to him is the 4wd option.

So, I got this truck knowing it needed a slave cylinder, no problem at the time until I learned that I needed to pull the tranny in order to replace it.

My son and I pulled it and replaced the slave, it was a joy to work with him and teach him a little about his truck.

The problem I am having is bleeding the system, I thought we had it dialed in and it was functioning properly for a day or two. However, I took it to get smogged the other day and it started acting up, wouldn't shift, so I am assuming I still have air in the line somewhere.

I've looked at alot of videos, and read a lot of info on bleeding, the one thing different about this system is that it doesn't have the quick connect fitting to the slave, it just has a straight line, seal, and clip that holds it together.

Is there a trick to this set up, or do I just go with the video's I've watched.

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

swynx · Mar 9, 2017

ive spent probably 100+ hours bleeding these systems, sometimes they go real quick, sometimes they take forever, one thing ive learned is to just spend the 120$ on rockauto and get a pre-bled setup.

since you already bought a setup id recomend buying a vacuum bleeding tool and like 8 foot of clear tubing, hook that up to the bleeder screw and apply some vacuum, 10-15 lbs. also go to a farm store and buy a large syringe, i bought mine at north 40 for like 1.92. itll hold more liquid than the oe cylinder and allow you to force air/fluid down the line, or suck air/fluid back up.

you may also wanna try getting 2 syringes and using one on both ends that way you can push fluid up thru the slave and push the air bubbles the direction they want to go.

as im sure you know air likes to get stuck at the elbow on the firwall where the peddle connects, i have before unhooked all that stuff, pulled the c clip out and pulled the assembly apart and gotten a burst of air come out.

other than that, next time i would suggest pulling the entire system out and hooking it up on the shop floor, and operating the slave by hand. if the bleeder valve is closed and youve got it mostly bled, when you push the slave together it will force the air/fluid into the syringe then you can iether force it in with or operate the pedal assembly by hand to suck fluid back down, you will feel the resistance increase, and then you can fill your syringe up, hook up the bleeder and suck the remaining air out of the bleeder valve.

GOOD LUCK!

adsm08 · Mar 9, 2017

The Ranger's system up to 87 was a real peach to bleed. You almost need to take the master off the firewall and hold it with the rod facing down so the firewall mounting is below where the fluid line comes in from the reservoir. Air gets trapped above that line, which is why they can be so bad to bleed.

It is still better than the Mustangs that had the same butterfly clip with no fluid break and NO BLEEDER. You have to pull a vacuum on the reservoir and pump the clutch to pull the air back out the top. Stupid design.

bossbob · Mar 9, 2017

I see how the angle of the M/C can be a problem the way it's inverted. I really don't want to take it off. That being said, if I remove the rod from inside and remove the clip I'm guessing the idea is to let the piston out somewhat to let air escape, but if the air is trapped at the highest point how would the air come down past where the clip goes?

If I use your vacuum tool and some plastic hose, I am forcing brake fluid through the system either from the reservoir to the bleeder or reverse. In any case, what is the likely hood that the air trapped at the highest point of the M/C will be blown out.

I'm not doubting the process, just new to this set up, and would really like to only have to tackle this one last time so I can move on to other problem areas.

Thanks again,

swynx · Mar 10, 2017

bossbob said:
I see how the angle of the M/C can be a problem the way it's inverted. I really don't want to take it off. That being said, if I remove the rod from inside and remove the clip I'm guessing the idea is to let the piston out somewhat to let air escape, but if the air is trapped at the highest point how would the air come down past where the clip goes?

If I use your vacuum tool and some plastic hose, I am forcing brake fluid through the system either from the reservoir to the bleeder or reverse. In any case, what is the likely hood that the air trapped at the highest point of the M/C will be blown out.

I'm not doubting the process, just new to this set up, and would really like to only have to tackle this one last time so I can move on to other problem areas.

Thanks again,

i generally only pull the clip and rod as a last ditch effort to see if there is air stuck right there. because it will make a big mess and sometimes just let more air in. most of the time you can pull the air bubble out with some vacuum. it seems as tho this bend at the firewall is just where the air like to settle/ get trapped.

the air bubbles want to go up, thats why if you use a syringe to force the fluid in from the bottom, itll help the bubbles move up.

i actually prefer to use 2 sections of hose and 2 syringes, because they create a vacuum together. so if you force fluid in from the bottom, itll only run into the top syringe, and you dont lose any fluid or allow any air in. this is not the case with the vacuum/bleeder gun, it just continues to pull both fluid and air and you cant force the fluid back in, the gun is pretty spendy as well.

also you can have somebody pull on the top syringe while you push fluid in the bottom syringe (vice versa) to try and get that bubble to move,you can also see when you get air out if you use a syringe. it will push the plunger out and create more air space than fluid space.

this method takes a bit of trial and error to see what works best for you. i would first try buying one large syringe and hooking it up to the master cylinder and trying to pull the bubble with it. if you look on youtube there are a few videos where people do this with the bleeder tool and get a bubble out. same concept, different tools.

when you use the syringe and hose, if there are air bubbles and the syringe is nearly empty and you pull the plunger the entire distance of the syringe, you will see the air bubbles elongate inside the hose. just remember that when you pull air out, to push fluid back in.

bossbob · Mar 12, 2017

Okay, I tried the syringe process, saw two small bubbles come up, but still no go. No better, no worse.

What next, I'll probably try to remove the clip on the m/c piston, and see what happens. If no improvement, I guess I'll have to throw in the towel, and take it to a shop. If so, what is an average price for this services, or how many hours should I be billed for.

Thanks again,

swynx · Mar 12, 2017

bossbob said:
Okay, I tried the syringe process, saw two small bubbles come up, but still no go. No better, no worse.

What next, I'll probably try to remove the clip on the m/c piston, and see what happens. If no improvement, I guess I'll have to throw in the towel, and take it to a shop. If so, what is an average price for this services, or how many hours should I be billed for.

Thanks again,

everything ive listed is the list of things ive gone thru and spent hours messing with.

i once paid 1100 to have a shop change the slave and clutch on my b4000.

ive heard of people getting a quote and it being 5x that amount because the shop had troubles getting the clutch bled.

ive also heard of people paying for the job before hand, and the shop having troubles, but just having to eat the cost of the hourly wage beacuse of the pre-pay.

honestly i wouldnt pay more than 100$. seeing as a pre-bled system is 120$ from rockauto, and with help would take 2-3 hours to change. this pre-bled system is new from top to bottom.

adsm08 · Mar 13, 2017

Have you tried pulling a vacuum on the bleeder screw and then cracking it open? The problem with all of the most effective methods is that they don't work on your transmission. They work on the 88 and up because the line has a fluid break on it, and you can disconnect it without putting air in the system. Can't do that on the 87s because they just have that stupid butterfly pin.

veefer800canuck · Mar 13, 2017

I did the "pop the piston and rod out" trick and it worked first time.

I was very careful to have the reservoir topped off fully, and paper towels on the floor, and only BARELY withdrew the piston for a moment, then popped it back in immediately.

Fixed the issue immediately.

bossbob · Mar 13, 2017

Well, I'm down at the m/c trying to pull the clip, can't see how I can pull that out. It's a C clip with no do dad holes for a pliers.

Shran · Mar 13, 2017

I have done a lot of clutch/slave/master cylinder jobs on RBVs over the years and the ONE method that consistently works 100% of the time is to remove the master and hose from the truck and bench bleed it. If you can't get it bench bled with the method in the video below, you have a bad master cylinder (I have had several, including one bad one that was brand new from VatoZone.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgNTDGwcjZc&t=394s

I don't bother doing it any other way anymore, it's just easier to spend an hour this way rather than 5 hours messing with other methods and end up just bench bleeding it.

bossbob · Mar 13, 2017

The only problem I see with the bench bleeding, is that I don't have the quick connect to keep the fluid in the system. My system is free flowing to the slave cylinder.

Could I have a bad Master Cylinder, and or could there be problems with the clutch itself.

I have what I would call a full pedal, it just doesn't seem to disengage enough for the tranny to shift.

Shran · Mar 13, 2017

Ah... yes, now I remember those. Sorry. I would recommend removing the master cylinder from the firewall, rotate it so that there is no longer the possibility of air being trapped in it, and work the pushrod to see if you can get air back up through the reservoir. It may also help to simply invert the master cylinder and gravity bleed it by running several reservoirs worth of fluid through the system from top to bottom.

Take note that removing the pushrod from the pedal usually results in breaking the plastic clip that holds it in place. I believe you can get the clip from Ford if you destroy it, it'll usually work with a tooth missing though.

I don't remember how I bled the master cylinder in my '86 when I replaced it, I bet I used this method though.

From my experience the master cylinder either works or it doesn't, there is not much in between - it's not like the slave where it can leak and still work. I think you've just got air in it.

kunar · Mar 13, 2017

something i havent seen mentioned, and a method i swear by, is a pressure brake bleeder. use it to pressurize the reservoir to 6-8 psi, open the bleeder on the slave and vigorously pump the pedal. by pumping the pedal, you break the air pocket up into small bubbles and theyre pushed through the system by the pressure bleeder. motive products sells a nice unit, and they also make an adapter that screws right onto the clutch reservoir. i've done it this way several times, its never let me down.

bossbob · Mar 14, 2017

Well, I through in the towel, and took it to a tranny shop near by. There going to take a look at it and let me know what's up. They mentioned it might be the pilot bearing causing the clutch to not release. Does that sound like a possibility?

Either way, my son said he would rather sell it than help me pull the trans again. Kind of a bummer, but at least he dove in with me the first time around.

New guy here, needing help with bleeding slave/clutch

New Member

Active Member

Senior Master Grease Monkey

New Member

Active Member

New Member

Active Member

Senior Master Grease Monkey

New Member

New Member

Junk Collector

New Member

Junk Collector

Forum Staff Member

New Member

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Member & Vendor Upgrades

Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Amazon Deals