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Re: Bleeding Clutch Cylinders

To: Rick Brown <mgrick@mgcars.org.uk>
Subject: Re: Bleeding Clutch Cylinders
From: Rocky Frisco <rock@rocky-frisco.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 18:49:59 -0500
Rick Brown wrote:
> 
> Someone suggested jacking up the right side of the car and then bleeding
> it - don't remember if this was for an A or a B or both.  Haven't had to try
> it yet so don't know if it works or not.

My own personal methods of bleeding the brakes when they refuse to
cooperate:

1. Go around and tap on everything brake related, to jar bubbles
loose.
   
2. Make sure all of the bleeder screws will loosen okay and that
there is a visible amount of fluid released from each when you
loosen them slightly. If not, remove those that are clogged and
clear the bleed hole with a piece of wire or small drill-bit.

3. Use the method of bleeding where you press a medium length of
clear plastic tubing onto the bleed nipple and put the other end
under the surface of a small amount of brake fluid in an old bottle.
Pump the brake, nice slow full strokes, until there are no visible
bubbles coming through the tubing. Don't run the master cylinder
dry; keep it at least half full.

4. It's worthwhile to do this for all four wheels, then tap
everything with the small hammer again: calipers, drum backing
plates, lines, junctions, switch housing, master cylinder, etc.

5. Assuming that by this time there is nothing in the system but
new, clean fluid (don't do this next step unless the fluid is
clean), I then run a looooong piece of the tubing from each bleed
nipple in turn into the master cylinder reservoir and then
continually pump the brake pedal and watch the plastic tubing for
particulate contaminants (if they appear, I take the end of the tube
out of the reservoir and direct the contaminant into a waste fluid
bottle; same thing for any discoloration. Since there is no
necessity to keep the MC reservoir full, you can really circulate
the fluid; the bubbles will float to the top of the reservoir and
therefore be removed from the circuit. Once there are no more tiny
bubbles in the line (wow, sounds like a song title there), close off
the bleeder screw.

Once all four wheels have been done, then I apply pressure onto the
brake pedal, using a piece of wood as a prop or something similar
and then leave it overnight.

So far this has always worked for me.

CAVEAT:  Drum brakes should be adjusted *before* doing this
procedure.

-Rock  http://www.rocky-frisco.com
-- 
Red Dirt Rangers (Rocky on piano): http://www.reddirtrangers.com
JJ Cale Live (w/Rocky): http://www.rocky-frisco.com/calelive.htm
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