[s-cars] Bleeding hydraulic clutch line - possible mistake? (long)

[Dave Ellis]

O.k.  Thanks!  Good to know.
-Dave

Sean Douglas wrote:
> Dave:
> 
> Sounds like you are OK. The gooey black sludge is a sign that the slave
> cylinder has never been bled.
> 
> I ran into the exact problem, when I replaced my clutch master, couldn't
> get any fluid to flow from the slave bleeder with my Motive pressure
> bleeder until I pressed the clutch pedal - then it stuck to the floor as
> you described. I managed to pull the pedal back up and bled some more.
> Everything seems to be functioning allright.
> 
> Sean
> 
> 
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com 
>>[mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Dave Ellis
>>Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2005 3:15 PM
>>To: S-Car-List at Audifans.Com
>>Subject: [s-cars] Bleeding hydraulic clutch line - possible 
>>mistake? (long)
>>
>>
>>
>>So I decided to bleed the brake fluid on all four corners as 
>>well as the 
>>hydraulic clutch lines on both my Audis today.  It's been two years 
>>since I last did the A4 and this was the first time for my '93 S4.
>>
>>So I pull out my Motive bleeder and three litres of Pentosin, 
>>and go at 
>>it.  The A4 went smoothly (even bleeding the clutch line is 
>>easy on it), 
>>and then I moved on to the S4.
>>
>>I've owned the S4 for two years, and just did the brakes last month. 
>>The original owner had the brakes done at the local Audi dealer just 
>>before I purchased it, and so I figured the brake fluid would 
>>have been 
>>flushed at the same time.  Apparently I was very wrong in 
>>this supposition.
>>
>>The rear passenger and front driver's side lines yielded dark brown 
>>fluid with a worrying amount of small particulate matter.  
>>The other two 
>>callipers/lines were not too bad, though the brake fluid was 
>>noticeably 
>>dark.  When it came to bleeding the clutch line, I ran into problems.
>>
>>First off, I'd just like to say what a @$%&^&! pain in the 
>>a$$ it is to 
>>bleed the hydraulic clutch line on the UrS4.  Getting a 
>>wrench up to the 
>>bleed nipple and then finding room to manouver it is quite a 
>>challenge. 
>>  The A4 crowd keep complaining about how hard it is to bleed 
>>the clutch 
>>line on that car, but it's dead easy compared to the S4!
>>
>>When I did finally manage to get a line over the bleed nipple for the 
>>clutch from below and loosen the screw, no fluid at all 
>>flowed.  So with 
>>my wife helping from above, she raised the pressure first 
>>from 5psi to 
>>10psi, and then finally to 15psi on the Motive bleeder.  
>>Still no fluid 
>>flowed.  Loosened the bleed nipple more (there went some more 
>>skin from 
>>my knuckles), but still no fluid.  Hmmm...
>>
>>I ask my wife to press the clutch pedal, and I hear a loud 
>>*snap*.  Uh 
>>oh.  My wife tells me the clutch pedal was stuck, and when 
>>she pressed 
>>harder it suddenly dropped to the floor.  But at least now fluid is 
>>flowing out of the bleed nipple.
>>
>>I don't think from the look of the fluid that came out the 
>>clutch line 
>>had ever been bled.  What came out was black sludge full of mud and 
>>other unsavoury goo that had little resemblance to any brake 
>>fluid I'd 
>>every seen before.  As I watched the mess make it's way down 
>>the drain 
>>tube I couldn't help but think I should have noticed some 
>>problem with 
>>the clutch pedal feel with fluid in this condition, but never did.
>>
>>Eventually once the fluid was running clear I closed 
>>everything back up 
>>and went to move the car off the ramps I had it up on.  I get 
>>into the 
>>car and find the clutch pedal on the floor.  Not good.
>>
>>I raised the pedal back up by hand against some resistance, 
>>and was then 
>>able to pump it up and down a few times until it felt 
>>"normal" again.  A 
>>quick drive around the block and everything seems good.  
>>Brake feel is 
>>nice and solid (better than before), and clutch engagement is 
>>now *much* 
>>improved (and very different) than I ever recall it being before (go 
>>figure)!
>>
>>So to end this saga with a question, have I damaged either of 
>>the clutch 
>>cylinders?  Is it normal for no fluid to flow until the 
>>clutch pedal is 
>>depressed when bleeding the clutch line?  Any comments or insight is 
>>welcome.
>>
>>Slightly worried,
>>-Dave
>>
>>
>>
>>
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> 
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