need help: bleeding clutch
10-12-2007, 10:59 AM
#2
The bleeder is located right about a flat spot above the clutch feed line. It's right behind the cat/ heatshield\
On to the bleeding the system
One of the more difficult things about a T56 is accessing the bleeder screw. You cannot see it without a mirror, so you must rely on feel. If you are beneath the car and you are looking at the transmission where the master cylinder line connects to the slave cylinder, reach straight upward. At the very top of the transmission you will feel a hex-shaped rod about two inches in length. That is the bleeder screw, which comes directly from the slave cylinder.
To bleed the system, you will need a 7/16th” socket, thin-walled, in ¼ drive. It would behoove you to use a few swivels and extensions. I also highly recommend taping the socket to the extension/swivel/etc. If for some reason you drop the socket, it will end up at the bottom of the bellhousing and you will have a hell of a time fishing it out.
If you plan to bleed traditionally, you will need two people. One under the car opening and tightening the bleeder screw, and another in the car operating the pedal.
If you are not squeamish about cutting into your car, you can make traditional bleeding a one man job. Underneath the car, do your best to put a dent in the transmission tunnel, straight across from the bleeder screw, with a punch. Get into the car and pull back the carpet around the pedals, and cut a small ‘access square’ so that you can also fold back the plastic, foam-lined piece beneath the carpet. Under that you will find the dent you made. With a 1” holesaw, cut a small part of the tunnel out. Now, with a 7/16” socket and a few extensions, you can reach the bleeder while being in the car! From here you can operate the pedal with your hand and use your other hand to tighten/loosen the screw. When you are done, simply put a piece of duct tape over the hole and recover with the carpet. It does not introduce any more noise into the cabinet.
Here is what the hole looks like (I had to drill mine a couple times to get it right
Different options for bleeding the system
Your best bet for learning how to bleed would be to search this forum. People have posted many different ways of removing air from the system, from using a traditional way, a Mity vac , etc. If you want to do it traditionally (whether by yourself or with help) it is very simple. The reservoir needs to be full of fluid the whole time, otherwise you will just continue to introduce more air into the system. With the bleeder closed, push the pedal to the floor. Open the bleeder (fluid and air will come out). Close the bleeder, release the pedal, bring it all the way back up. This process gets repeated until you have a firm clutch pedal. Don’t panic – it can take up to 30 minutes to get it bled correctly.
The fluid that dribbles out will end up in the bottom of the bellhousing, and it will seep out that rectangular hole in the bottom and take care of itself. If you would like, you can spray some brake cleaner into the cavity to speed the process along.
A thank you goes out to keliente for the clutch bleeding section. So might recognize it for the manual trans faq thread. I borrowed it from her so thank you keliente.
//thread
10-12-2007, 11:10 AM
#3
Good info there. I gotta bleed mine some more today as we just installed the LS7 last night. My pedal is pretty close to the floor and kind of reluctant to go into 1st gear. I think you're better off using the 2 man method. I plan to lift the car, pump the clutch 5-10 times and hold it while my tech friend bleeds it underneath keeping an eye on the master level.
10-12-2007, 11:14 AM
#4
Good info there. I gotta bleed mine some more today as we just installed the LS7 last night. My pedal is pretty close to the floor and kind of reluctant to go into 1st gear. I think you're better off using the 2 man method. I plan to lift the car, pump the clutch 5-10 times and hold it while my tech friend bleeds it underneath keeping an eye on the master level.
