First and foremost this is not for a Ford, but I prefer the intellectual level of individuals here and the fact I don't need to use google to translate spanglish to english for honda tech. So please be kind lol.

The clutch pedal now sits on the floor of my daily shitter. I'm going to replace the slave and master. $45 fix over taking the tranny out.

Whats the easiest way to bleed a new system?

 

Just did that on my Ranger. I had to replace the slave. I tried bleeding it like you wold brakes but that was a no go because it had sucked air into the master. The master sits at an angle so the air sits at the top where it is impossible to get it out. I fought it for a while without success until I finally decided to give up and pull the whole thing out..from the slave to the reservoir. It took a little creative threading and unthreading but once I had it out, I just hung it up, got all the connections pointing up and gave about 4 strokes to the slave and watched the reservoir until the bubbles quit. Took about 1 minute to do. Then I put it back in. It was easier putting it back than taking it out. Worked like a charm. Bottom line, on a new system or one where air has gotten into the master...take it all the way out and bench bleed it.

 

I gravity bleed them a little first and then I pump the pedal by hand until the pedal gets hard . I do this on all makes and models . Sometimes it takes 50-60 pumps of the pedal , but eventually the pedal will get firm. if you try to bleed it like brakes , you'll pump all the fluid out real quick.

 

That's for sure. The only reason I tried that first was because that what it says on all the Ranger forums. It's a bitch trying to push air bubbles downhill.

 

Yeah I filled both the slave and master with fluid then pumped it at the slave before mounting it. Bitch to do solo. My Focus was much easier.

 

Just use a hand vacuum pump, problem solved.

You can buy them at Harbor Freight for less than $20 if you don't know anyone that has one.

I have yet to have to do all the ridiculous stuff people talk about with bleeding the clutch hydraulic systems in the 15 years I've been working on cars.

Just primer the master (if it's being replaced) on the bench, put it in the car. Let gravity pull some fluid through if the lines aren't ran all stupid, if they are; just grab a hand vacuum pump and suck all the fluid out through the slave with the pump. Keep an eye on the reservoir if it's not coming off the brake fluid reservoir b/c they are small and will empty fast vacuuming it out.

 

by the time you get out your vacuum pump and whatever else , I'll have it pumped up by hand and be out roadtesting it . To each there own , but I am a flat rate tech , I dont get paid to drag ass..

 

Honda hydraulic systems are not the easiest to bleed, they tend to mash the bubbles into foam in the system which makes it extremely hard to "hand pump" them out.

It's never taken me more than about 5 or 6 minutes to bleed the hydraulic clutch lines with the vacuum pump method...

Let us know how it turns out Graves. If you need any help doing it, I live in Clearwater as well and can give you a hand if needed.

 

It turned out to be pretty easy, minus the lack of space to work.

I removed the master and slave.

Primed the master before I installed it.

Filled the slave and hooked it up, but didn't attach it to the tranny.

Bled it from the slave first, then when the old lady got home had her pump the pedal.

Did it a few time to make sure I got all the bubbles out.

I think it's still a little mushy but could be the clutch or pressure plate.

 

if its like all the other rangers ive done, you just might it out, get under the dash with pull the c clip out of the master for the clutch, this will get all tne air out, just be fast and have someone nearby to keep the reservior filled.