Clutch bleeding Procedure

[FiestaSTdude]

If you are referring too the Brake bleeder by motive. The two rubber wafer/ washers are also different thicknesses I noticed. Use whatever one can completely seal the system the best. Also the best way to bleed the clutch I've found is on jackstands without removing the airbox. Ill bet I can bleed my clutch now in 15-20 including jacking up the car.

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Yeah, I ended up using the thicker washer. The other one didn't seal.
Stupid question, how do you open the slave cylinder bleeder? There's no spot for a wrench.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Yeah, I ended up using the thicker washer. The other one didn't seal.
Stupid question, how do you open the slave cylinder bleeder? There's no spot for a wrench.
View attachment 48859

It can be opened by hand with your fingers. Did you get the bleeder bottles? After filling the bleeder system with fluid and pressurizing it, Hook up the Bleeder bottle and just open the valve with your fingers. It only goes one way also*

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[FiestaSTdude]

It can be opened by hand with your fingers. Did you get the bleeder bottles? After filling the bleeder system with fluid and pressurizing it, Hook up the Bleeder bottle and just open the valve with your fingers. It only goes one way also*

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Thanks!
Yeah I have the bleeder bottles, I just didn't show them there.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Thanks!
Yeah I have the bleeder bottles, I just didn't show them there.

I filled my brake bleeder up with 1 large Qt of fluid. The last thing you want to do is run out of fluid while bleeding. It's just brake fluid....its cheap who cares if you have some left? Better to have some left then run out while bleeding.

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[FiestaSTdude]

I filled my brake bleeder up with 1 large Qt of fluid. The last thing you want to do is run out of fluid while bleeding. It's just brake fluid....its cheap who cares if you have some left? Better to have some left then run out while bleeding.

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Yeah, agreed.
I filled up the bleeder bottle about halfway. There were no bubbles, which I would expect because my clutch felt fine. I just wanted to flush the fluid that's been in there for the last 100k.
Also, for those doing this process, DO NOT release pressure by removing the piece that goes on the brake fluid reservoir. Unscrew the pump on the pressure bleeder to release the pressure. Don't ask me how I figured this out. Yes, I can be an idiot sometimes . . .

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Yeah, agreed.
I filled up the bleeder bottle about halfway. There were no bubbles, which I would expect because my clutch felt fine. I just wanted to flush the fluid that's been in there for the last 100k.
Also, for those doing this process, DO NOT release pressure by removing the piece that goes on the brake fluid reservoir. Unscrew the pump on the pressure bleeder to release the pressure. Don't ask me how I figured this out. Yes, I can be an idiot sometimes . . .

Noice!

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[TyphoonFiST]

Noice!

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Easy as pie....wasn't it? Like almost too easy!

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[FiestaSTdude]

Easy as pie....wasn't it? Like almost too easy!

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Yes, once I figured everything out. I would definitely be way faster doing it a second time.
Also, thank you so much for answering all my questions! Hopefully anyone doing this in the future can learn from this thread

 

[FiestaSTdude]

I bled the brakes today and it went significantly faster now that I understand how to do it.
I would recommend that you put something under the brake fluid reservoir when you disconnect the pressure bleeder because some fluid wants to spill out. Also, always release the pressure by unscrewing the pump on the top of the pressure bleeder before attempting to remove the line going to the reservoir. If you don't it will spray brake fluid out on your car.

 

[contemplative_shrimp]

Asking here since the thread is active. I just bought the Motive bleeder to do exactly this, brake lines and clutch. Do I need to press the brakes at all during brake bleed or is the Motive all that's needed?

 

[FiestaSTdude]

Asking here since the thread is active. I just bought the Motive bleeder to do exactly this, brake lines and clutch. Do I need to press the brakes at all during brake bleed or is the Motive all that's needed?

I didn't press the brakes. I bled the clutch yesterday, then did it again today because I had extra fluid, and in between I pumped the clutch a few times, but I don't think that's necessary.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Asking here since the thread is active. I just bought the Motive bleeder to do exactly this, brake lines and clutch. Do I need to press the brakes at all during brake bleed or is the Motive all that's needed?

No absolutely not*

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[FiestaSTdude]

Just went for a test drive and brake and clutch work, which is good lol. Clutch might actually feel better so maybe there was some air in there. Either way, it's good to have fresh fluid and to have figured out how to bleed brakes/clutch.

And, big thank you to typhoonfist for helping me figure this out!

 

[Mike King]

I back bled mine putting brake fluid under pressure into the bleeder after I opened it and waited until I saw fluid appear in the upper reservoir. My brake system was completely empty, and I have access to a BG pressure bleeder though.

 

[4DGC]

Please note Mike's system above was completely empty. If you have any fluid at all in your system, don't do this! This pushes all the contaminants back into the system, through the ABS pump and into your master cylinder. You want all the shit to exit out the bleeder while putting brand new fresh fluid in the important parts mentioned earlier. Put new fluid in the top and push the old contaminated garbage out the bottom. This is the way.

 

[Ford ST]

Please note Mike's system above was completely empty. If you have any fluid at all in your system, don't do this! This pushes all the contaminants back into the system, through the ABS pump and into your master cylinder. You want all the shit to exit out the bleeder while putting brand new fresh fluid in the important parts mentioned earlier. Put new fluid in the top and push the old contaminated garbage out the bottom. This is the way.

I believe he was talking about the clutch Hydraulic system. The factory service manual actually has you perform that on the hydraulic clutch system. Not saying you have to do it this way, because you don't but factory service manual pictures below.

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[MauiRoads]

I posted these questions (copied below) on another thread before I found this one. I had problems with the Motive 1108 cap. dhminer suggested that TyphoonFiST might have input.

I see that this thread answered my question about pressure: Use 15 lbs.

Here's all of my other comments/questions from the other thread:
................................................................................................................................................................
My 1108 cap is so tight going on, I'm concerned about damaging the reservoir neck. I put a spacer/block between the bottom of the reservoir and the reservoir mount on top of the strut tower, so that I wasn't bending the reservoir downward when pressing the cap on. I also put a little clean brake fluid on the rubber seal and on the top of the reservoir neck, so the cap would rotate easier going on.

Does your 1108 cap "click in" to the small detents in the cap grooves at the end of the grooves, like the OEM cap does?

Did you have any fitment issues?

Maybe my 1108 cap leaked at the tubing/cap fitting because the clamp was not installed tightly enough. I'll crimp it a little more and see if that takes care of the leaking.
...................................................................................................................................................................
ALSO: After installing braided brake lines and flushing the system (clean fluid and no bubbles at all 4 corners) I still have what feels to me like a soft, inconsistent pedal. I'm on OEM pads. I've done a hard run, and will re-bleed for any more air in the system.

I see threads here (and everywhere else) with conflicting information about whether you have to "cycle" the ABS to get all air out of the brake system when bleeding. I understand that the ABS system could get air in it, but I don't understand how that could give a soft pedal when you are not braking hard enough to activate the ABS.

I've also read that if I repeatedly activate ABS by braking hard on a slippery surface, that will pass enough new fluid through the ABS and force out any air. But I don't understand how activating the system would pass new fluid THROUGH the system. It's not a close loop, with fluid circulating, right? It makes more sense to me that you could only flush the ABS by "opening" or cycling it when you've pressurized the reservoir and opened a bleeder?

As always, thank you all for sharing you knowledge!!

 

[Ford ST]

I posted these questions (copied below) on another thread before I found this one. I had problems with the Motive 1108 cap. dhminer suggested that TyphoonFiST might have input.

I see that this thread answered my question about pressure: Use 15 lbs.

Here's all of my other comments/questions from the other thread:
................................................................................................................................................................
My 1108 cap is so tight going on, I'm concerned about damaging the reservoir neck. I put a spacer/block between the bottom of the reservoir and the reservoir mount on top of the strut tower, so that I wasn't bending the reservoir downward when pressing the cap on. I also put a little clean brake fluid on the rubber seal and on the top of the reservoir neck, so the cap would rotate easier going on.

Does your 1108 cap "click in" to the small detents in the cap grooves at the end of the grooves, like the OEM cap does?

Did you have any fitment issues?

Maybe my 1108 cap leaked at the tubing/cap fitting because the clamp was not installed tightly enough. I'll crimp it a little more and see if that takes care of the leaking.
...................................................................................................................................................................
ALSO: After installing braided brake lines and flushing the system (clean fluid and no bubbles at all 4 corners) I still have what feels to me like a soft, inconsistent pedal. I'm on OEM pads. I've done a hard run, and will re-bleed for any more air in the system.

I see threads here (and everywhere else) with conflicting information about whether you have to "cycle" the ABS to get all air out of the brake system when bleeding. I understand that the ABS system could get air in it, but I don't understand how that could give a soft pedal when you are not braking hard enough to activate the ABS.

I've also read that if I repeatedly activate ABS by braking hard on a slippery surface, that will pass enough new fluid through the ABS and force out any air. But I don't understand how activating the system would pass new fluid THROUGH the system. It's not a close loop, with fluid circulating, right? It makes more sense to me that you could only flush the ABS by "opening" or cycling it when you've pressurized the reservoir and opened a bleeder?

As always, thank you all for sharing you knowledge!!

Air in the ABS system will absolutely give you a soft pedal. The brake fluid goes through the ABS pump before it goes to your calibers. When you do a ABS bleed with a scan tool what you are doing is activating the ABS pump. Getting the valves to open and close. The only way to do that without a scan tool is by activating the ABS system while driving. And yes it can help. Trust what others have been through and done to solve their problem.

With that said I don't know what you did when you replaced the brake lines. Did you allow all the brake fluid to drain out of the master cylinder? if so you definitely got a significant amount of air in the system.

Hopefully others can also give some advice.

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[M-Sport fan]

Between the exorbitant asking price$ I am getting for even just the labor to swap them out (the Ford 'book' inexplicably calls for HOURS of labor to do this, on TOP OF the labor of a full brake/clutch flushing), and the problems some have after the swap with the brakes being mushier than the factory lines (and therefore TOTALLY defeating their sole purpose!), I may just pass on the stainless lines I already have and take my chances with leaving the the factory lines connected, as they be currently.

(Before anyone suggests that I do this myself, and save the dealer/private shop gouging of $350.00++ let's just say that is currently IMPOSSIBLE where I am residing, and the local cops always patrol all of the empty abandoned lots around here as well, and there are NO/ZERO/ZILCH 'DIY' type garages around here either, like everywhere else. )

How long should they generally last?? (I am guessing that their outer cover is now made of a somewhat durable EPDM compound, correct?

 

[Ford ST]

Between the exorbitant asking price$ I am getting for even just the labor to swap them out (the Ford 'book' inexplicably calls for HOURS of labor to do this, on TOP OF the labor of a full brake/clutch flushing), and the problems some have after the swap with the brakes being mushier than the factory lines, I may just pass on the stainless lines I already have and take my chances with leaving the the factory lines connected, as they be currently.

How long should they generally last?? (I am guessing that their outer cover is now made of a somewhat durable EPDM compound, correct?

I have worked on cars with 30 year old rubber brake lines. Don't worry about it.

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