after installing new clutch/slave/master have been trying every bleeding procedure (ford, bench bleed, front end up until bumper on ground, removed from firewall, different clutch movements with different bleeder operations, gravity, vacuum up and down, and every other combination possible) numerous times for over 2 months. I've read 20 posts 10 times. watched the 6 videos 10 times. they all work for 1-5 days. less and smaller bubbles each time. the bleeding may be working slowly but i quit. I've taken my fender liner off 50 times. the next time i touch it, it HAS to work. has anyone bought a pre bled master, did it work, and what brand is it?

 

I've read that they can be a PITA. The video above has been posted in other forums and seems to be the best one.
With something like this you want only the Ford master and slave cylinder.

Your vacuum bleeder should work though...
The other way is to use compressed air to push the fluid through the system.

What's probably happening in your case is that you haven't got rid of all the air in the master cylinder system.
Eventually the small air bubbles enter the slave cylinder and you lose your clutch.

And 1300 bucks, did you have a shop drop the tranny and install a slave cylinder ?

 

yea, new clutch/slave/master. I've watched this video several times. i don't understand why nothing is working. somehow invert the master (bench, front end up, out of firewall) then bleed the lines/slave. i've repeated versions of this, over and over (like trying to get a little more air out of master and then get THAT out of the lines, and then do it all again) an average of 6 days a week for over 2 months. maybe it just leaks, either way i need a new one because nothing is working.

 

If you've followed the video exactly and the clutch works for 6 days and then "doesn't", then logically air is getting in somewhere, or you're loosing fluid and air is entering the system.
Maybe the "O" ring on the bell housing coupling is damaged and letting air in, but if that were the case, you would think it would leak.
Maybe the coupling isn't seated properly ?
Is there any fluid coming from the base of the bell housing ?

 

i know right!? haha no there hasn't been ANY fluid anywhere ever. we're just scratching our heads like "it shouldn't even hold that much air/fluid..."

 

Rangers can be a pain but nothing like you are describing

If symptom is that the clutch doesn't disengage enough to get trans in 1st when stopped then there are a few other reasons for that.

You HAVE TO use a NEW self-adjusting pressure plate if you install a new clutch disc, or you HAVE TO take old self-adjusting pressure plate out and get it RESET, need hydraulic press to reset it

Self adjusting pressure plate seen here: http://cdn.nexternal.com/uuc/images/CLUTCH_LUK_SAC.jpg
See the 3 springs around the center, fully compressed springs is a reset/new pressure plate

Standard pressure plate here: http://www.rogueengineering.com/asse...ges/tradpp.jpg

Standard were used on clutch systems with External slave or adjustment
Self adjusting for internal slaves

If you use a standard pressure plate then clutch won't disengage until new clutch disc wears down quite a bit, gap between pressure plate and flywheel is to narrow

Check clutch pedal pivot point there is a bushing that can wear out and you lose full pedal travel so slave doesn't move as much


Fill up reservoir leave cap off, and rubber bladder out
Open bleeder
tap on hydraulic line
let it gravity bleed for a few minutes.

 

Thanks Ron, hope that's, but there's nothing else left to do.

 

The cheaper standard pressure plates "can" be used, but they will cause what poster describes when new clutch disc is installed.
You need absolutely FULL FULL travel in master and slave for it to work, but it doesn't stay working for long so you have to constantly re-bleed to get MAX travel until clutch disc wears down enough

Masters have a reservoir valve that is suppose to allow flow only one-way, so when you push down the pedal all the fluid should flow out to slave so it has maximum travel.
But if valve should allow even a little fluid to flow up into reservoir when clutch pedal is depressed then you loose full travel at the slave, and no leaks seen.
You can see this happening if you remove reservoir cap and cup, and have someone pump the pedal while you watch the fluid, shouldn't move at all

 

I didn't even know there was such a thing as a self adjusting clutch, although I did wonder what those coil springs were for on the pressure plate.

 

They are not all that new, can't remember when I first started seeing them, imports I think, in the '70's.
Used even with external activation that could be adjusted, they just didn't need to be adjusted any more.

With a standard pressure plate you had to adjust the external linkage when clutch started to slip in gear, people wouldn't do that or get that done right away and overheated the clutch discs shortening their life, and smelled real bad, lol.
And as clutch disc got near end of life(thin) you needed to change it, but you COULD just keep adjusting it.
And many many people would ruin their flywheels by clutch disc rivets digging into them when they kept on adjusting.
Similar to running brake pads or shoes too long, ruining rotors or drums.

Self adjusting clutch(SAC) wasn't designed to prevent that, but it does, it was designed so people didn't have to adjust the clutch themselves or pay someone to do it, so clutch disc would last longer and manual trans vehicle was more "reliable".

When there is an Internal slave there is no other choice since no external adjustment is possible.


Many people like external adjustment clutch, and carbs, and distributors, nothing wrong with that, just not a majority opinion, 95% of vehicle owners just want to drive them, don't know and don't care about whats inside.
I feel the same about a steak, don't know and don't care how it got to my super market shelf, don't want to be a butcher or a rancher, just want to EAT the steak, lol.

 

Had a TR7 and its clutch was non self adjusting, pretty sure it didn't have those springs in there.
The release bearing always rode up on the pressure plate and I can't remember if there was adjustment, but I know I never adjusted it.
The travel in the slave cylinder simply took up the slack as the clutch wore.
It had an external slave cylinder on the bell housing.

That was a horrible car, always constantly working on it _ learned allot though.

 

thank you for all the posts, i appreciate all the info. i've checked all the things listed and it's still not working. assuming it had to be seal in the master i replaced it with a pre-bled. worked great for about a week and now i've got air coming in again. does this mean the slave was poorly sealed from beginning?

 

probably just gonna undo all the mods and try and find a different truck. i've been working on it for 3 months, every day after work, and it's never worked. that or put an auto trans in. or a whole other manual trans that hopefully works, or get another nissan. i've given up and i'm pretty sure my mechanic has too.

 

well i give up. it's now been 3 months (6 total that i've been dealing with car problems in general) just gonna bleed it enough to sell it and somebody else can figure it out. goodbye ford!

 

Sorry to hear that.
There's something that's being missed, there are thousands if these trucks with manuals and even though the slave cylinder is a PITA to replace, they do work and last a long time.

I would assume the new parts are defective.
Ron said there is a master cylinder reservoir valve that allows fluid to travel in one direction.
I think this is defective out of the box.

 

Yes, probably best you sell it.

Nothing worse than having no confidence in a vehicle, had a few lemons in my day, lol

 

we just replaced the master AGAIN. its insane! the only thing left is replace slave which is also ridiculous because its inside. then what if it still doesn't work?

 

Sell it

Its not that complicated of a system, if it won't work then sell it

 

Exactly, what brand of parts are being used? I wouldn't trust anything but motorcraft in this case, if so are we sure all the lines and fittings are good? My slave cyl was replaced @78k under warranty was weak, that was over 30k and all is well.....