I just replaced the hydrolic line between the master and slave cylinder and cannot get all the air out of the line. I cannot find any info on bleeding the system. It only works when I mannually compress the slave cylinder and repeatedly pump the clutch pedal but this seems to work only temporarily. Any help is appreciated. BTW it is an 87 6.9 250 t19.

 

Can't help you on the 87 set-up.

All I can say is my 93' with the ZF5 is a real pain to bleed and the recommended way is to bench bleed the MC, slave and line as an assembly and then re-install as one unit.

I thought they still had a bleeder screw on the slave cylinder back in 87' which made bleeding a lot easier. I could be wrong.

Seb....

 

I too am not much help on that setup but the procedure on my 95 w/ the Mazda trans is to pump the pedal very quicky for 10 strokes and wait one to 3 minutes. Repeat 3 times then crack the bleeder while depressing the clutch pedal. I didn't do it but I'd suggest a clear tube run from the bleeder into a "reservoir" (1 liter soda bottle lower than the rest of the system). Crack the bleeder slightly and let it gravity bleed some before you start. Keep the master cylinder full... and the end of the tube submerged in the fluid in the reservoir.

 

thanks for the replies. I don't think there is a bleeder screw on this setup. I assumed since there was not a bleeder screw or a proceedure in the factory manual that it was self bleeding. I shouldn't make such assumptions. How do you do a "bench bleed".

 

JKENNY,,I can't recall for sure but I believe these are "non-bleedable" and if for say just your slave cylinder down on the bell housing,the tube going to it or the clutch master clyinder on the firewall is bad it is a "sealed system" and all three items need replaced. I may be wrong but on my old gasser I used to have,85 F250 xtended cab 351w granny 4 spd. I think I had the same problemo. I looked forever for a bleeder after replacing the slave clyinder only. I think i went to the ford dealer and they told me it was a sealed system. mine did'nt need bleeding after repairs but i had always done it on other vehicles.I may be wrong ,that was many years ,abspesto dust,paint fumes (before OSHA) and brain cells ago.What was we talking about? just joking! To the best of my recollection these are the facts. good luck dude ,some of the guy's on here that can give you a definite answer just taint on line yet. have patience, its supposed to be a virtue.

 

Can you get the clutch to work at all?

I have an aftermarket slave cylinder on mine, it does have a bleed screw.
I have bled it till I am blue in the face on numerous occasions and was still not happy with the way it was shifting.

Now when I change it, I work the slave by hand and get as much air out as possible.
Hopefully by then I have enough pedal to get the truck stopped if a red light catches me. If not I just turn the engine off till the light changes and start it in gear with the pedal on the floor. You may have to pull the clutch pedal up with your toe till you get part of the air out of the system because of the clutch assist spring.

The bumps and shifting help work the air up the line to the master cylinder.
You may have to refill the master cylinder a time or two while you are driving around.

I never even loosen the bleed screws on mine when I install a new slave cylinder any more, it just does not bleed the air out.

 

Like Dave said. Remember to be patient. Don't pump the pedal fast, take your time, you will foam the oil. Gravity bleeding is what I do then I pump the pedal slowly and it's fine. I have a "Ford" slave cylinder on my truck and it has a bleed screw. You don't see a small allen screw on the slave cylinder?

 

Yep... I have put MANY clutches and slaves and such in these old F series.... I have had SOOOO many that just would not bleed.... Always find that if you do the master, and slave as a pair, they will bleed up in 10 - 15 mins....

 

I replaced 3 slave cylinders [don't ask] in my 86...all had alien key bleed srews? And I bled them all thru the bleeder screw....
-bench fill and bleed first
-dissconnect clutch-crossmember adjustment to achieve a full plunge of the master cylinder
-keep depressing the m/c rod gets till it gets stiff [no snickering]
-re-attach clutch crossmember and bleed until you get proper throw

I got really good at this by the 3rd one. lol.

 

thanks for all the replies. it seems to be working fine after squeezing the slave and pumping the pedal till stiff. its shifting fine now, we'll see after it sits a few days if it'll hold. I only replaced the line because my exhaust manifold burned it in half. Also I still don't see any bleeder screw on the slave, but maybe I don't know where to look. I appreciate all of your help.

 

On top right beside the line going in.

 

To bleed clutch hold the pedal to the floor slide your foot off and let it spring back by itself, waiting about 10 seconds do it again. When I worked at a ford dealership that what we did.

gregfire

 

Hey guys I'm new here and would appreciate any help you'd care to lend. I'm having a tough time with my '96 F-350 w/5 speed. I replaced the slave cylinder last Saturday (old one ruptured / lost my clutch). Replaced it (by the book, bench bled it just like the instructions said) in the parking lot at my jobsite and drove it home. Bear in mind I never fooled with the bleeder valve. Seemed a little harder to shift than before but acted a "little" better as you drove it. The more I drove it early this week the harder it was to get in gear when it was cold. Literally almost impossible! I got fed up with this so I pulled the slave off Wednesday night to check for leaks, etc. Reinstalled it (couldn't fill it with fluid as the factory plastic band that holds the rod in was gone already ) and never got it to engage again! Had a helper pump the clutch and I'd crack the bleeder open and some fluid would come out but we never regained clutch pedal again. When you press it to the floor it just stays there. Someone said maybe I needed to bleed my clutch master cylinder. How do you do this? Also, if I disconnect the line at the slave, shouldn't fluid freely "gravity flow" as long as there is fluid in my master cylinder? I doesn't...

 

cdavisw,
Welcome to FTE and the IDI forum.

Your truck puts you in the forum above this one for most questions, but the hydraulic clutches are the same.

To get the first bit of clutch engagement I have held the pedal down, lightly tapped the clutch line to help get the air to the top. Then release ( pull up ) the pedal.
Repeat till you have enough engagement to get the truck in gear and go for a drive shifting gears a lot while driving.

I have found a bumpy secondary road is the best tool for getting the air worked out of the clutch.

Yes if you open the bleeder it will drain the master cylinder, but the air does not bleed down, it tries to go up the line.

 

what i've done in the past is open the bleeder screw and let gravity bleed for 20 min and then bled out system worked fine make sure the master stays full and keep a eye on it.