Advice GL-4 GL-5 Fluid for Manual Transmission
An update. I have some trouble.
I was flushing the clutch. I figure I was doing it correctly.
I had my wife press on the clutch pedal just when I open the
bleed spigot Then when she gets to the bottom, I tighten it closed.
She would then return the pedal to up, and we would repeat.
I had a clear hose connected to the spigot.
There was always air spitting through.
Ok, but first. When I did the first pedal depression, it would not come up.
(recall that happened once a month ago as when I was getting it out of
long storage, then the pedal staying down problem went away).
She would have to pull it up by hand. If I did not loose the bleed screw,
the pedal would go down and then up on its own.
So, I kept bleeding it, and adding fluid. pumped many many times, it was
spitting some air bubbles every time.
I would stop and check it the pedal would come up and it would, but only if I
did not have the bleed valve open during the pedal depression.
then something happened. The pedal lost all feel of resistance and just goes
doen and stays there, you pull it up and it springs up but it feels like there
is no more hyrdolic fluid or 100% air in the line.
Did I mess up with the way I bled the line? I was checking the reservoir and it was always within 1.5" of the top. Maybe the master cylinder broke?
I am now thinking of changing both master and slave cylinder. Not sure how hard it is, getting at the slave cylinder seems easy enough. not sure about the master cylinder. Any advice?
Jan
I was flushing the clutch. I figure I was doing it correctly.
I had my wife press on the clutch pedal just when I open the
bleed spigot Then when she gets to the bottom, I tighten it closed.
She would then return the pedal to up, and we would repeat.
I had a clear hose connected to the spigot.
There was always air spitting through.
Ok, but first. When I did the first pedal depression, it would not come up.
(recall that happened once a month ago as when I was getting it out of
long storage, then the pedal staying down problem went away).
She would have to pull it up by hand. If I did not loose the bleed screw,
the pedal would go down and then up on its own.
So, I kept bleeding it, and adding fluid. pumped many many times, it was
spitting some air bubbles every time.
I would stop and check it the pedal would come up and it would, but only if I
did not have the bleed valve open during the pedal depression.
then something happened. The pedal lost all feel of resistance and just goes
doen and stays there, you pull it up and it springs up but it feels like there
is no more hyrdolic fluid or 100% air in the line.
Did I mess up with the way I bled the line? I was checking the reservoir and it was always within 1.5" of the top. Maybe the master cylinder broke?
I am now thinking of changing both master and slave cylinder. Not sure how hard it is, getting at the slave cylinder seems easy enough. not sure about the master cylinder. Any advice?
Jan
"Rusty" ' 80 528i 5 speed manual, 285k miles,
'98 528i Automatic, 120K miles...no name.
'98 528i Automatic, 120K miles...no name.
I am suspecting first that I did not bleed things well and made it worse.
Just before things went very bad and the pedal lost all feeling of resistance
(pushing fluid), I heard a spraying sound when the pedal was being depressed,
kind of like oil was going past a lot of air. This sounded like it was coming from
around the master cylinder. It is late here, I will wait until tomorrow, see
if there is leaking fluid anywhere.
I saw this video on youtube, maybe I should try what the guy says
(pressing the oil in from below).
Then, yes, I will change the slave cylinder as it looks easy and also
it is old.
Just before things went very bad and the pedal lost all feeling of resistance
(pushing fluid), I heard a spraying sound when the pedal was being depressed,
kind of like oil was going past a lot of air. This sounded like it was coming from
around the master cylinder. It is late here, I will wait until tomorrow, see
if there is leaking fluid anywhere.
I saw this video on youtube, maybe I should try what the guy says
(pressing the oil in from below).
Then, yes, I will change the slave cylinder as it looks easy and also
it is old.
"Rusty" ' 80 528i 5 speed manual, 285k miles,
'98 528i Automatic, 120K miles...no name.
'98 528i Automatic, 120K miles...no name.
Clutches do not bleed like brakes unfortunately.
When you press on the brakes, you are building pressure, he pads make contact and stop. You keep pushing, open the bleed screw, and now you are pressing fluid out.
On a clutch, when you press, you are pushing on the pressure plate which moves all the way through the clutch travel. You do not have near as much fluid pressure coming out.
Since I purchased a pressure bleeder 15 years ago, bleeding hydraulic fluid has been a breeze. Short of using one, here are some suggestions.
Gravity bleed. Yes, it works. Just open the bleed screw connected to a short hose in a catch can, add fluid in the reservoir ABOVE the clutch line and let it drip until you get nice clean fluid out. If you do not get any fluid out with the bleed screw open, take it out, clean it and clean the orifice in the clutch slave. Use a thin wire. Fluid should flow steadily out.
Doing a manual bleed, ask your wife to pump the clutch multiple times between each bleed screw opening. Then, with the pedal to the floor and holding, crack the bleed screw for 3 seconds and close. Press and release the clutch pedal 3 or four times, them press and hold, and open the bleed screw again. Make sure your reservoir is filled above the clutch line.
Are you using DOT 4 fluid?
The clutch slave is a pain because of its location. Unlike brake masters that fail because of bleeding them, clutch hydraulics do not suffer the same way. They travel through their cylinders every time the clutch is applied. Brakes don't.
Keep us posted.
When you press on the brakes, you are building pressure, he pads make contact and stop. You keep pushing, open the bleed screw, and now you are pressing fluid out.
On a clutch, when you press, you are pushing on the pressure plate which moves all the way through the clutch travel. You do not have near as much fluid pressure coming out.
Since I purchased a pressure bleeder 15 years ago, bleeding hydraulic fluid has been a breeze. Short of using one, here are some suggestions.
Gravity bleed. Yes, it works. Just open the bleed screw connected to a short hose in a catch can, add fluid in the reservoir ABOVE the clutch line and let it drip until you get nice clean fluid out. If you do not get any fluid out with the bleed screw open, take it out, clean it and clean the orifice in the clutch slave. Use a thin wire. Fluid should flow steadily out.
Doing a manual bleed, ask your wife to pump the clutch multiple times between each bleed screw opening. Then, with the pedal to the floor and holding, crack the bleed screw for 3 seconds and close. Press and release the clutch pedal 3 or four times, them press and hold, and open the bleed screw again. Make sure your reservoir is filled above the clutch line.
Are you using DOT 4 fluid?
The clutch slave is a pain because of its location. Unlike brake masters that fail because of bleeding them, clutch hydraulics do not suffer the same way. They travel through their cylinders every time the clutch is applied. Brakes don't.
Keep us posted.
Pierre in Camarillo
76 530i (3.3), 69 2002 (M20), 74 tii, 75 2002, 79 323i, 84 733i, 84 323i (S52), 91 318is, 96 318ti (S52), 97 Z3, 01 540i, 02 330i, 02 1150RTP.
OO==00==OO
76 530i (3.3), 69 2002 (M20), 74 tii, 75 2002, 79 323i, 84 733i, 84 323i (S52), 91 318is, 96 318ti (S52), 97 Z3, 01 540i, 02 330i, 02 1150RTP.
OO==00==OO
Pierre
I bled it using the gravity method. The clutch started working again.
I now see that I did not realize how high the fluid level had to be in the reservoir. The clutch line is connected to the side. So that was my mistake
in bleeding the first time. I think the clutch is working now. Yes
I am using DOT4 fluid.
Thanks everyone.
Jan
I bled it using the gravity method. The clutch started working again.
I now see that I did not realize how high the fluid level had to be in the reservoir. The clutch line is connected to the side. So that was my mistake
in bleeding the first time. I think the clutch is working now. Yes
I am using DOT4 fluid.
Thanks everyone.
Jan
"Rusty" ' 80 528i 5 speed manual, 285k miles,
'98 528i Automatic, 120K miles...no name.
'98 528i Automatic, 120K miles...no name.
A classic mistake when bleeding the slave cyl.I now see that I did not realize how high the fluid level had to be in the reservoir.
I always fill the res. nearly to the top since you will be reducing the amount when bleeding while checking level often and yes, pressure bleeding the whole brake system is the way to go.
Second potential issue - did you get a steady stream or a light trickle. The rubber hose from the slave has a useful life and will start to swell internally collapsing and restricting fluid flow.
HTH
'80 528i
'80 528i
Lenny,
That is a good point. When I was draining the slave with gravity.
It was very slow. Sometimes not moving at all (level in reservoir not going down, fluid not coming out of drain hose) for 20 minutes.
I don't know what I did but maybe it was wiggling the drain hose or wiggling
the medal a bit back and forth, but then I got flow.I was topping up the
reservoir, seemed to flow well, then it stopped again. I waited, nothing
was flowing and so I tightened the drain plug. Saw that the clutch is working again.
I will plan on doing a better job. I should change the hose...is that a major pain to do?
Jan
That is a good point. When I was draining the slave with gravity.
It was very slow. Sometimes not moving at all (level in reservoir not going down, fluid not coming out of drain hose) for 20 minutes.
I don't know what I did but maybe it was wiggling the drain hose or wiggling
the medal a bit back and forth, but then I got flow.I was topping up the
reservoir, seemed to flow well, then it stopped again. I waited, nothing
was flowing and so I tightened the drain plug. Saw that the clutch is working again.
I will plan on doing a better job. I should change the hose...is that a major pain to do?
Jan
Lenny D. wrote:A classic mistake when bleeding the slave cyl.I now see that I did not realize how high the fluid level had to be in the reservoir.
I always fill the res. nearly to the top since you will be reducing the amount when bleeding while checking level often and yes, pressure bleeding the whole brake system is the way to go.
Second potential issue - did you get a steady stream or a light trickle. The rubber hose from the slave has a useful life and will start to swell internally collapsing and restricting fluid flow.
"Rusty" ' 80 528i 5 speed manual, 285k miles,
'98 528i Automatic, 120K miles...no name.
'98 528i Automatic, 120K miles...no name.
It is not the worst of jobs, I'd say a medium.
Not having replaced mine in many years, I forgot what's specifically involved, but it's a little cramped, and IIRC you have to work from above and below, then bleed the thing.
So it can't be too bad 'cause I forgot.
Someone else on specifics?
Not having replaced mine in many years, I forgot what's specifically involved, but it's a little cramped, and IIRC you have to work from above and below, then bleed the thing.
So it can't be too bad 'cause I forgot.
Someone else on specifics?
HTH
'80 528i
'80 528i