96 Ranger Clutch issue...HELP!

[jmabarone 880]

Since it isn't a racecar, I figured I would post here.  

 

Here is where my truck stands:  in the carport in my wife's spot on jack stands.  She's not pleased with my lack of progress and is saying bad words like "take it to a mechanic"...

 

Truck has ~250k miles.  Spring in clutch disc broke.  No damage to flywheel or pressure plate.  Replaced the disc and the slave cylinder since I had the transmission down.  I bled the clutch using the "hose from the bleeder to the M/C reservoir" method because there are several loops and high spots in the Ranger system.  Pedal would go to the floor except for the last ~1" of travel and clutch would not release. 

 

Next, I pulled the M/C and bench bled it and had a firm pedal prior to hooking it up to the slave cylinder.  I bled the system again using the above method.  No change to travel and clutch engagement.  I also tried gravity bleeding after a good bench bleed on the M/C and it made no difference.  I had my wife work the pedal so I could try manually bleeding and it also made no difference.  

 

Next, I pulled the transmission to check 2 things.  I thought I might have put the clutch disc on backwards.  Checked that and it was installed correctly.  Then, I put the old slave cylinder back on because it was working and I thought I may have just gotten a bad part.  When I put it back together, I bench bled the M/C again and had a good firm pedal before connecting to the slave cylinder.  Again, exact same issues.  

So tell me what I am missing...  I would rather not just throw a new M/C at it but that's the only other thing I have to yet to replace.  As a last resort, I am going to try to manually bleed it again to see if that makes a difference but I really don't expect any different results.  

[wvumtnbkr 7,560]

These things are notoriously hard to bleed.

 

Usually vacuum or pressure bleeding is required in my experience. 

[Team Infiniti 15,567]

+1 for notoriously difficult

 

You have a couple of options:

1) Give up on all common sense you know about bleeding brakes.

2) The easiest if you pull transmission again, purchase a master and slave already assembled and pre-bled

 

2) as stated above, Pressure/vacuum bleed

 

3) If you get any peddle at all while trying to bleed, stop right there, lock the bleeder down and pump like mad 100 or so strokes, Walk away and do it again the next day

 

4) In desperation, I’ve seen people succeed doing homebrew reverse pressure bleed...from the front brakes... Bleed the front brakes until they run clean, Get a length of clear tubing that fits snuggly over the left left front brake bleeder, attach it to the slave cylinder bleeder, purge as much Air as possible From the clear tube then open the slave cylinder and force brake fluid from the left front caliper backwards up the clutch system, do not touch the clutch pedal. Once you get it starting to work Refer to #3

good luck

 

[Justin9 1,588]

On 10/11/2020 at 8:54 AM, Team Infiniti said:

 

2) The easiest if you pull transmission again, purchase a master and slave already assembled and pre-bled

 

 

Ed is spot on...   the clutch setup in a 4th gen LT1 f-body (camaro or firebird) is the same and after I messed up 3 sets of slave and masters cylinders, I found you could buy a setup turnkey and that's what I did and it is money well spent...