I am trying to bleed the clutch system on my 1994 Ford Ranger 4.0L. I have replaced the clutch master cylinder, slave cylinder and clutch itself. Im just writing this wondering if there is some special way of bleeding the clutch system. I would sure appreciate any kind of help that I can get!!! THANKS,
Scott

 

I know this will sound like a pain, but it works. Take the master cylinder, fluid reservoir and hydraulic line that connects to the slave cylinder out of the truck as a unit and fully connected. It helps to remove the LH inner fender liner to get the whole thing out and isn't too much of job (or at least loosen the rear half of it). Set the master cylinder up on a bench UPSIDE DOWN. I used a Black and Decker Workmate to hold mine. Where the hydraulic line hooks into the master cylinder, an air bubble will form and cannot get out when the assembly is on the truck. Fill the reservoir to the top with new fluid. Compress the master cylinder piston while holding the slave cylinder connector open over some sort of catch can. As the piston bottoms out, hold it there and then close the slave cylinder connector. Expand the master cylinder piston out fully and it should draw fluid in from the reservoir. Repeat this a few times. You'll know when the air is out when you can't compress the master cylinder piston at all (maybe just a skosh) with the slave cylinder connector closed. Make sure to keep the fluid reservoir full at all times or you will draw air into the system. I think this procedure is on a TSB from Ford, but I don't remember exactly. I had the same problem on my '93 3.0 and this worked perfectly. Hope this helps you.

 

Thanks Ill try that....Boy has it been a pain in the butt!

 

I agree...I do not know why Ford designed the clutch hydraulics the way they did. With the angle the master cylinder sits, air get's in the back of it, and it is near to impossible to get the air out of the system. Another way I've heard of bleading the system is to remove the c-clip in the back of the master cylinder (while mounted to the firewall), and slightly break the system open, letting the air out of the back of the master cylinder.....

 

Glad to help, please let us know how it turns out.

 

Well what we ended up doing was we lifted the the back of the truck way in the air and bled the system as you would normally and it seemed to of worked. Im in the market for a king ranch as we speak and Im ready to kiss the whole CLUTCH thing away for good. Im over it. I enjoyed my lil ranger for quite some time but it seems to of slipped off into the pain in the butt category as I broke 230,000 miles on it . Thanks yall