Hydraulic clutch: slave cyl. bleeding tool

[Jase007]

This is a long shot but I'll ask anyhow:

Yesterday replaced clutch master cylinder on my BMW and a few days ago replaced slave.

Bavauto.com sells this:

19238

Bavauto Clutch Slave Cylinder Bleeder Tool Instruct - PDF (http://www.bavauto.com/Assets/inst_pages/ins325.pdf)

I've replaced slave cylinders before and when doing so you only need to do a regular bleed on the slave - steps:

1. Pinch hydraulic line coming off reservoir to master
2. Fill reservoir
3. Connect motive with brake fluid (don't pressurize)
4. Dismount and disconnect old slave
5. Connect new slave (bench bleed if possible)
6. Compress piston 3 or 4 times to push air into lines (hose connection at highest point)
7. Mount slave
8. Pressurize motive
9. Attach catch can
10. Crack open - bleed as normal

This worked fine when I only replaced the slave cylinder.

My current "issue" is that I need this tool to hold the dismounted (but still connected) slave b/c complete system went dry (not brake master cylinder but to below line where reservoir feeds clutch master cylinder - b/c have to remove the hose from reservoir, through firewall to top of clutch master cylinder during repair).

The BMPDesign.com method of pumping the fluid up from the bottom slave bleeder ... did not work. :( - Could try again I suppose ...

bmpdesign.com youtube video

The tool enables you to have the slave connected and dismounted, slave piston immobilized from blowing out, slave cylinder compressed to eliminate trapped air, top of slave (where bleeder is) rotated to highest point, and then bleed as normal with motive or not. The master has no bleeder.

In case you haven't guessed ... bleeding the system on BMWs is a PITA once the whole system is opened. The only bleeder is on the slave and points horizontal in my case. When slave is mounted ... the bleeder is below the top 1/2 of the body of the slave cylinder .. thus trapping air. Other BMWs have the bleeder facing down ... so I guess I am lucky :lol:

If no one has this or something similar ... I'm going to McGuyver a tool. Have a spare slave off the car to build the tool around so I have something to compare fitment.

Thanks.

[N8N]

I dunno if this will help you or not, but I had almost the exact same problem on my fofo when the hose between the master and slave blew out one morning. I limped it down to the garage at the end of the street and said "fix," but the guy couldn't get it bled properly and neither could I. I think it was Kurt that came to the rescue with the advice, this is how I eventually got it working right again...

put car on jackstands
hook up Motive to reservoir and pump up to 10-15 PSI (don't blow out the hose to the master)
crawl under car, hook up hose to bleeder screw and arrange wrench
as quickly as possible, pump clutch pedal quickly 20-30x then immediately get under car and open bleeder screw
close screw, repump Motive, lather, rinse, repeat

first time I did this I could hear/feel a lot of air coming out of the bleeder that hadn't come out with any of the previous bleeding attempts. Clutch has been fine since (well, other than being almost worn out, but bleeding isn't going to help that)

nate

[Trak Ratt]

looks like pretty easy fab. I gots some stock if you want to try.

[Jase007]

Nate: Will try that now.

<edit> no go <end edit>

DR/TR: Just got back from Home Despot and will make one if plan A doesn't work.

<working on it>

Thanks.

[cmartin]

I've always put the new master in the vice and primed it with a screwdriver. The above tool looks nice, but I dont see how it's required.