2001 Ranger 2.3 L
New clutch and slave...How to bleed...I have to pump the clutch to get it into gear..
Fellow that put it in is clueless...

Charlie

 

So I could type it all out for you but this video covers it all

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HgNTDGwcjZc

 

Fantastic info....Charlie

 

Just went to U-Tube and watched this video.
Got the idea now to gravity bleed and hope I get enough clutch movement to move the vehicle.

WTF FORD why such a PITA !

I guess this is called “Planned Work Load" for the local shops, unless you have a shop, easy access to tools and a helper, it won’t be easy to get this done !

 

Its really not that hard. Just seems worse than it really is. Getting the master bled you just got to get the angle out of it. The slave you just gravity bleed after you do the master.

 

When I had my slave go and I had a "mechanic" replace it and the clutch, he fudged it up bad. It took a weekend and 3 people to try and bleed it. It wouldn't go because the "mechanic" didn't use the centreline tools.

I brought it to a trans shop and had to buy a new clutch kit. However, it was done proper.

Op it can be done, don't get me wrong but I'd save yourself some headache and have a pro do it.

 

It's not that difficult, I went through this same nightmare in my old 92 f150 & got it working by myself. You basically have to pump the living hell out of it. Pump the pedal (slow, allowing time for trapped air to escape into the system & consequently up & out via reservoir) like 25-30 times, hold pedal down & bleed as usual. Repeat this process like a million times until you get your pedal back. This process really does take a long time so keep at it. I tried the gravity feed method before with zero results. I read somewhere about using some sort of pump/grease fitting set up and forcing fluid into the system through the slave essentially filling it from the bottom up eliminating the need to bleed as the air gets pushed out by the rising fluid. Of course none of this will help you if you didn't bench bleed the master, a necessary step before installing ANY new master, prefilled or not.

 

If you do this in a ranger the first time you touch that pedal all the air from the slave will go up into the master and you have to start all over.

You need to bench bleed the master then gravity feed about 3 reservoirs through the slave. You should then have pedal and sufficient travel of the slave of that point. You cant really cut corners on this.

 

I dunno what the line from the master cylinder looks like on the f150 but I can speak about the m5 in the Rangers. All the bends and angles make it awkward. I can agree with Chris on this one.

The reason mine wouldn't bleed properly is because the first "mechanic" I mentioned didn't install my clutch on centreline properly. When i picked it up he said he couldn't get it to bleed properly and I eventually had to go to the second guy as I had two burn marks on my clutch.

 

Ok cool that's a nice little bit of knowledge to tuck away there. Like I said I did this on my old F150 & fortunately haven't been there on my Ranger yet so it's good to know beforehand my suggested method won't work & the proper way to do it. Still it doesn't seem too hard to accomplish. Thanks for the heads up guys!

 

I tried to gravity bleed it but nothing comes out of the bleed screw. I have to pump it up before any fluid comes out. What could be causing it to not gravity bleed ? Has a new clutch pressure plate slave and master cylinder but still not having luck on getting a good pedal

 

It won't gravity bleed, the line runs up hill in too many places where air gets trapped.
Air also gets trapped in the master cylinder and because the way the system is designed, it won't gravity bleed.
The videos here will have you bench bleed the master cylinder first and once the air is gone from that system, then you may gravity bleed the slave cylinder _ allot of bother.
That's why Ford put that quick disconnect coupling at the slave cylinder.

Before going to all that work I would either use a vacuum pump on the slave cylinder bleed nipple to simply pull the fluid through, or if you have a compressor, use that to push the fluid through the system.
There are kits that you can get that will allow you to attach the compressor hose to the fluid reservoir.

I used a vacuum pump on my 68 Jaguar to bleed the clutch and works well there.
It has allot of up hill line routing where air gets trapped.
It took a while to pull enough fluid through, but it does work.

 

Thanks.... This is great stuff, because I am going to replace the clutch and hydraulic CLYs every 70 K miles.....ALSO remember the heater By pass every 50K or you will be on the road somewhere. Twice happened to me....Use Motocraft...Charlie

 

 

I have a 1998 ford ranger and tried bleeding the air out of the clutch with a compressor hooked up to the bleeder screw but did not work. However I only had a 2 gallon compressor with a 2.4 cfm. Will a larger compressor be more effective. Thought also about jacking up the front and using larger compressor.

 

That makes no sense what you're doing.
If you hook up a compressor to the bleed screw, that would push air into the system, not remove it.

A hand held vacuum pump/bleeder at the bleed screw is what you want.

A compressor is used to force fluid through the system at the reservoir _ there are adapter kits for this.
One has to be carful to keep the reservoir full with this method.

 

Take the system out of the truck and bleed per the video on this site !

PITA... yes... but you will end up the best results !

I took mine for a clutch replacement, had to return it three time before they got it right. I showed them the video and wham-bam, they said they should have done it that way !

 

I've asked this before...
How was it done at the factory on the assembly line ?
I can't see them going to all this work with two guys just to bleed the clutch system.
It takes way to long.

 

The way it's done is basically the same as the video I posted. BUT after you get the air out of the master cylinder get yourself a clear hose that fits on the bleed screw TIGHT and run it to an empty break fluid bottle. You will need 2 people. DO NOT AT ANY POINT DEPRESS THE CLUTCH PEDDLE. Have 1 person fill the reservoir as another opens the bleeder (After it's all connected). You'll see any remaining air being forced out with gravity. Keep reservoir full as it drains and MAKE SURE IT NEVER GETS EMPTY. Use 1 bottle of break fluid and close the bleeder when reservoir is at its normal fill line. (This is why you need 2 people, I tried to do it alone and totally emptied the line having to do it all over again)

This is how I did it and it's been fine ever since.

 

Thanks for that, but can you see Ford doing all of that on the assembly line ?

They must have a faster way of bleeding the system _ and that's what I would like know.

Not that I need to bleed my system...

I think Ford has a machine that forces the fluid into the system from the reservoir and it simply pushes through the system until fluid comes out the bleed nipple.
It's also quite possible that the machine hooks up to the bleed nipple.
So all the assembly worker has to do is attach one end to the reservoir opening, and a "catch" line from the opened bleed nipple and push a button.
The worker would watch until solid fluid is coming out of the bleed nipple, lock it up and disconnect the machine.

The machine itself would be on some sort of over head track.

 

Remember... Ford has all of the fluid in place when the Master is installed and probably mechanically fill as you stated but the main thing to remember is the position of the Master so it releases the trapped air. If you can fill it with a pump system and get all of the air out then do it.
Their procedures and filtering has this problem all figured out !

As I said before, when I had my Clutch Replaced (Pressure Plate, throw out bearing, etc), the Shop used a pressurized system to fill the master Cylinder and hopefully get all of the air out... NOT !

Again, the angle of the Dangle... I mean the Master Cylinder is key !

From what I have seen in Videos and from talking to mechanics, it is overall easier to remove the Master Cylinder and Reservoir... watch the video !

Trying to reinvent something that works is usually asking for trouble.

 

I wasn't suggesting to change a proven method that works for the DIY mechanic.
I was just curios as to how Ford did it at the factory.
I have watched the video, a number of times.

 

Hey, didn't mean to call you out !

Just talking here, and as you stating an opinion.

But you do appear to be apprehensive about removing the Master and Reservoir.

Good Luck in what ever process you choose to follow !