How to Bleed a Slave Cylinder

Article provided by wikihow the wikihow manual.

The slave cylinder is part of the hydraulic clutch system in vehicles with manual transmissions. When the master cylinder or the slave cylinder starts leaking fluid, it must be replaced along with the brake fluid. Adding new fluid introduces air into the system, which creates a soft or non-existent clutch when you press the pedal. To bleed air from the hydraulic clutch system, you must release air from the slave cylinder. The following article describes the 3 ways to bleed a slave cylinder.

Steps

Bleed a Slave Cylinder Manually

1. 1
   Raise the engine end of the vehicle off the ground using jack stands to access the bleeder valve, also called the pitcock or bleed nipple.
   
   
2. 2
   Ask an assistant to sit in the vehicle and press the clutch pedal to the floorboard.
   
   
3. 3
   Slide under the vehicle and locate the slave cylinder. It is mounted inside the transmission on some vehicles and outside the transmission on others. Look at the owner’s manual of your vehicle’s make and model for help locating the slave cylinder.
   
   
4. 4
   Loosen the bleeder valve with a wrench and have a container ready to catch any brake fluid that leaks out.
   
   
5. 5
   Tighten the valve once it seems that all the air has come out.
   
   
6. 6
   Release the clutch pedal. It likely will stay on the floor and will have to be pulled up.
   
   
7. 7
   Repeat pressing the clutch down, opening the bleeder value to bleed air out and closing the valve until the clutch feels normal again.
   
   
8. 8
   Check the brake fluid level in the reservoir for the proper level and add more if necessary.

Bleed a Slave Cylinder With a Vacuum Pump

1. 1
   Obtain a hand vacuum pump at your local auto parts store.
   
   
2. 2
   Jack up the vehicle to access the bleeder valve.
   
   
3. 3
   Ask an assistant in the vehicle to press the clutch pedal to the floorboard.
   
   
4. 4
   Loosen the bleeder valve and attach the vacuum pump.
   
   
5. 5
   Pump the brake fluid into a container until it has no air bubbles.
   
   
6. 6
   Close the bleeder valve.
   
   
7. 7
   Pull the clutch pedal off the floor, drawing brake fluid into the master cylinder, and test for play in the pedal. If it feels soft, bleed more air out.
   
   
8. 8
   Check the fluid level in the reservoir for the proper level; add more if necessary.

Bleed a Slave Cylinder With a Hose

1. 1
   Get a small hose or plastic tubing from your local auto parts or fish supplies store.
   
   
2. 2
   Jack up the vehicle.
   
   
3. 3
   Attach one end of the hose to the bleeder valve and insert the other into a half-full container of new brake fluid.
   
   
4. 4
   Have an assistant press the clutch pedal to the floor, while you loosen the bleed screw on the slave cylinder. The air will flow into the container and bubble in the brake fluid, where it can’t seep back into the slave cylinder.
   
   
5. 5
   Tighten the bleed screw and then ask your assistant to let up on the clutch pedal.
   
   
6. 6
   Repeat the process until no more air bubbles bleed into the container.
   
   
7. 7
   Look at the fluid reservoir to ensure the level is correct and add more if needed.

   
   

Things You'll Need

• 2 jack stands
• Wrench
• Container
• Brake fluid
• Rags
• Hand vacuum pump
• Thin hose
• 
  

Article provided by wikihow the wikihow manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Bleed a Slave Cylinder All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.