Clutch slave cylinder bleeding

[markymark]

Hi sorted me lights, started ok but clutch pedal straight to floor, checked fluid none there  just powder insde the rubber gaiter filled up with fliud pumped the pedal and the master cyliner looks ok no leaks so now need to bleed, will be hard to reach the nipple does anyone know the ring spanner size as i presume that it will be AF asked in a few motor factors and drew a blank (have never checked the fluid since i bought her and the last owner very rarely used her in the last 10 years so maybe the the fluid has evapourated over the years).

  Regard Mark

[Freebird]

Spanner size is probably 7/16" AF

Brake fluid doesn't evaporate. You may well find a leak when the fluid has bled through. Bank on a new slave cylinder - about £30.

[markymark]

Thanks for the reply the pipes have been replaced in copper and they have left a loop so i would not imagine that the fluid has syphoned away perhaps as you say the the slave cylinder has a leak and the fluid has not beem checked in a while and has just gradually  emptied the master cylinder.
Regards Mark

[Freebird]

That's my theroy Mark.

It's easy to get to the slave cylinder after removing the tunnel cover from inside the car. You will probably see a tell tale stain running down the bellhousing indicating the trail the fliud took as it leaked out.

I wouldn't bother trying to fit a seal kit to your old cylinder with new one's being reasonably priced.

[heraldcoupe]

If a seal is leaking, it is because the rubber has started to break down. That in turn will have contaminated the fluid, which will have contaminated ALL seals in the particular hydraulic system. This will have initiated some degrading in the other seals, so it's good practice to replace them before they become an issue, which they will do within two years at the outside. While the system is apart, flush everything comprehensively and take the opportunity to fit new seals to the master cylinder.
Cheers,
Bill.

[ferny]

When it comes to bleeding - take the gearbox cover off and lean over and onto the pasenger seat. You can kick the clutch pedal whilst you've got a hand on the spanner on the nipple.

[markymark]

Hi thanks for the reply, filled the cylinder last night and pumped the pedal fluid dropped by about 1/4 inch left overnight still the same level have pumped the pedal a lot to see if anything leaks cannot see anything but havn't removed the tunnel if the slave had gone would not the fluid have dropped after all the pumping if it were leaking as any air would eventually be pumped out the faulty seal.
I wonder if the powder that i found in the rubber gaiter was fluid that has leaked over the years and dried out and nobody has checked the fluid in a long time.
Will try and bleed the slave but can it be done without removing the tunnel as this will be a pain as i have fitted a radio pod underneath.
regards Mark

[Richard B]

Budget on a new slave cylinder and at least an M/C overhaul kit.

Do the job once & properly.

[Freebird]

Mark

You can bleed it without taking the tunnel cover off. The nipple should be accesable just behind the cylinder head. You might be lucky, but the chances are you will need a new one which will mean taking the cover off.

It's not that hard to do and as Richard says - best to do it properly. Even if you manage to bleed it and get the clutch to work, it could fail on a wet and windy night a long way from home. Worse still the fluid could drip onto the exhaust and catch light!

Glen.