So me and my dad bought a 1986 ford ranger xlt 4x2 2.9l v6 as my first truck and it came with a blown auto trans. We bought a manual 5 speed for it, we put it all together and the clutch wont bleed it looks like it keeps sucking air back into the line. The original line broke and we couldn't find a new one so we used the old valve and attached a clear line to it we replaced the seals more than once we replaced the new master cylinder with another new one and the old slave with a new one but it looks like air keeps getting sucked back into it. If anyone has any advice i would really appreciate it. I dont want to get rid of the truck because its really clean for its age, it has 56,000 original miles and the v6 starts right up and sounds good for its age to. We are just at a loss for what to do

 

I would source a new line, that clear line (I presume the pressure line between the master and slave) will probably not hold the proper pressure that the clutch hydraulics have and in turn, burst. I assume its not a higher pressure hydro line. Correct me if I am wrong.

All the plastic ranger clutch master cylinders suffer from a poor design. Due to the angle of the master cylinder it often times traps air in it and can never be fully bled. My trick that I've used and always gotten proper results requires two people.

I first remove the master from the body of the truck. Leave it connected. I then turn the master upside down. A second guy will be under the truck, manning the bleeder. This next part can get messy.

Have you (or your buddy) crack the bleeder open. THEN with the master still turned upside down, push the pedal rod into the master. This could potentially cause you some resistance, so brace it against the frame, your leg, the ground, whatever. When you do this, its going to spray brake fluid out, and because it may come out unexpectedly (vs the typical "push pedal crack bleeder" procedure) be wary of overspray. This method gets me every time. So if you can, try to be gentle until you get the feel of the strength needed to push the rod in. It will have some force, but if you hulk it your buddy is getting a bath. Make sure the reservoir and feed line is still above the master, this is imperative.

Once you have pushed that rod down as much as you can, shut the bleeder completely, and then release the rod. Fill the reservoir, and do this again. This method should only require 2-3 pumps MAX on a fully sealed system.

Keep in mind that you should not pump the pedal a lot when you still "feel air" in the lines. This only causes the air and fluid to cavitate, and in doing so, creates "more" air bubbles to remove because they have split into smaller bubbles throughout the system. Once its "bled" a few times, install it in the truck and try it out.

This "reverse" bleeding procedure is how I've bled almost every brake and clutch system I've ever worked on. Its typically much more controlled, and not nearly as messy.

 

Too bad the truck he's referring to is a 1986 and doesn't utilize the 98+ style of master cylinder.

 

This is the master cyl that comes up for an 86-97. Unless I am missing something, I presumed that this unit had the same problem as the late versions, being mounted at a 45 degree angle to the firewall.

 

It does, I misread your suggestion and thought you were telling him to remove the master from the pedal assembly. In 86 they mounted to the firewall. The bleeding process is the same.

 

Yeah would do it the same way I do mine now, pull it out from the truck, leave it hooked up to the slave, and flip over and bleed. Then bolt it back to the firewall, assuming it mounts to the outside of the firewall in the engine bay and not the inside.

But then again I cant bench bleed my MC either, so I'm just used to doing the whole system at once and not trying to do it in steps.