1996 Jeep Cherokee with AX15
My big foot got stuck under my clutch pedal. Turns out that the linkage is only meant to be pushed in, not pulled out. Snapped the plastic clevis off the (13mo old) master. I zip tied it and it was working "ok" but not great and it was shredding zip ties after a few days. Today I installed a new master cylinder. When I tried to bleed it, there was an issue. The slave doesn't have a bleed port. JeepForums told me to remove the slave, take the reservoir cap off, and pump the slave rod. No dice. I tried removing the master, lifting it higher and pumping the slave rod. Still not working.
I've got a pedal but it feels a "bit" lighter than with the zip tied master. It's just not quite releasing the clutch. I can start the car with the trans in gear and I can drive it with double clutching but I can't put it in gear at a stop with the engine running.
Any ideas for fixing this? Or do I just spring for one of the pre-bled master/slave combos? I'm supposed to be driving from CA to NC next week and this worries me a bit.
Bypass the clutch safety and start in first at every stop?
Usually with that kind of system, you just apply and release the pedal (count to 5 as you push down, count to 5 with the pedal depressed, let up, count to five before you push it down again) and the air works its way up and out.
unless it has an upside down master like a Ranger, in which case, start it in gear?
I've never owned a car with a functioning clutch safety and I don't intend to start now. Although that one time I accidentally started the jeep in 4Lo from outside of it was a bit scary.
I was pumping the pedal hard and fast. I'll go sit in the car and give it some slow love this evening and see if it likes that.
My challengers slave cylinder doesn't have a bleeder, when I removed what they call the clutch delay valve(a small rubber piece that restricts fluid flow) I just had to top the masters fluid off and as Pete said slowly pump it and hold it like 15 to 20 times. I was skeptical but it worked.
I put on some Barry White and gave it to her slow. 5 seconds in, hold for 5, then 5 out, then repeat 20 times. I didn't realize how hard it is to push it in so slow. Leg cramps! She responded well to that treatment. Still a little grr going into reverse but I could get all 5 forward gears. I'll do her again in the morning before I go to work and hopefully that will solve it.
I have been fighting with my Mazda 6 clutch for over a year. I have come to the conclusion that I need to pull off the slave cylinder and bleed it off the car before going again. I did replace the slave and I just realized that maybe the replacement is shot. Hmm...
In reply to buzzboy :
Awesome!
The general idea is you want to get fluid to the slave but you also don't want to push air down. Which of course is just about impossible 
It will probably get better as you drive it, too. Vibrations will help shake the air free.
buzzboy said:
I put on some Barry White and gave it to her slow. 5 seconds in, hold for 5, then 5 out, then repeat 20 times. I didn't realize how hard it is to push it in so slow. Leg cramps! She responded well to that treatment. Still a little grr going into reverse but I could get all 5 forward gears. I'll do her again in the morning before I go to work and hopefully that will solve it.
Yeah but how did the thing with the clutch go?
It was good for a few days. I'm 450 mi into the trip and the clutch feels bad. It's not fully disengaging still. I have a spare cap, maybe I can vacuum bleed it? It's fine on the highway but gas stations are interesting. I'm going to bleed it for a long time when I get to my hotel in Grand junction tonight. I hope that works. But I don't see any leaks.
Stop by Barney Brothers in GJ and see what they say.
