Bleeding the clutch Z3M Coupe

Rocket Ron

Regular Member
British Zeds
Joined
Mar 30, 2014
Points
18
Location
Manchester (UK)
Model of Z
Z3m Coupe
Hi Each Having fitted the new slave cylinder & Braided pipe I,m having great difficulty bleeding the clutch the pedal seems much lighter & it clicks once When coming back up I can just about change/ engage the gears without crunching . Any advice would be welcome REgards Rocket Ron
 

GazHyde

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M Power
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Dec 2, 2011
Points
226
Location
Berkshire
Model of Z
Z4 MR
Hi Ron,

I've created the post for you as I said I would. Hopefully someone will come along with some ideas on how to bleed the clutch properly.

As I mentioned I think the correct way is to invert the clutch cylinder as you do it, but someone like @Aceman may help!

Gary
 

Aceman

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British Zeds
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Dec 5, 2011
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Location
Wakefield
Model of Z
///M Roadster
Hi Ron,

I had problems when I tried to fit a braided hose last year which culminated in me not actually fitting it as I couldn't get the original rubber hose separated from the hard pipe without it bending the hard pipe so gave up and decided just to bleed the clutch. Anyway after running about a litre through I couldn't seem to get the pedal back to how it was before and as your experience the pedal was light and only just disengaging the clutch. In the end I gave up and downed tools and left it a few days, when I returned to have another go I found the clutch was operating as before so I suspect the air that had got trapped in the system probably in the master cylinder has risen back into the reservoir and effectively bled itself. After speaking with Deano he said he remembered the same thing happening to him a few years ago.

So maybe give it some time to rest and see if the air bleeds out on its own. Are you using a pressure bleeder as after analysing my experience I suspect I may have let the fluid in the front portion of the reservoir get too low and coupled with the car being on ramps at an inclined angle air managed to get into the master cylinder which could not escape until I lowered the the car back down level.
 

Brian H

Zorg Expert (I)
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British Zeds
Scottish Zeds
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Dec 5, 2011
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Location
Killin
Model of Z
E36/7 3.0i - E85 Z4///M
I removed the slave cylinder, compressed the piston with a g-clamp and then bled the system, once the new fluid was through released the g-clamp and re-installed the slave cylinder.
 

Aceman

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British Zeds
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Location
Wakefield
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///M Roadster
I removed the slave cylinder, compressed the piston with a g-clamp and then bled the system, once the new fluid was through released the g-clamp and re-installed the slave cylinder.
Me too but still got air in somehow, must have had the slave cylinder of half a dozen times but time was the healer in my case. ;)
 

oldcarman

Zorg Guru (V)
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Canadian Zeds
The M44 Massive
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Feb 11, 2014
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Location
Pine Falls Manitoba can.
Model of Z
1.9 M44
My manual says: refill reservoir with clean fluid.
Attach pressure brake bleeder to fluid reservoir
Connect a length of hose from clutch slave cylinder bleeder valve to a container
Open bleeder valve and allow brake fluid to expel
Slowly operate clutch pedal several times until fluid runs out clear without bubbles
Close bleeder valve

Note: if air trapped in the lines, unbolt the slave cylinder from the transmission. Push in the slave cylinder pushrod all the way in and slowly release it. This will force air in the system into the reservoir.
HTH- JIM
 

Rocket Ron

Regular Member
British Zeds
Joined
Mar 30, 2014
Points
18
Location
Manchester (UK)
Model of Z
Z3m Coupe
Hi Folks Thanks for all your advice I will try all the options next week & report back , @ the moment it is driveable (just) I di manage to change the flexible pipe but had to use pointed nose mole grips where the pipe passes through the bracket
Once again thanks to all & watch this space!
 
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