Bleeding a Clutch by Blocking the Slave Cylinder

Blocking a clutch slave cylinder allows the clutch master cylinder to actually start flushing from the master cylinder down to bleed a clutch hydraulic system. This can only work with external slave cylinders that can safely and effectively be blocked. For instruction bulletins and additional videos by our part number go to www.clutchtechsupport.com

[@pt007ful]

I have honda 2007 si, replace CMC & slave. For a week I'm trying to bleed this system.I listen to other KZbinrs from gavity draining , vacuum pump & pedal pumping to no prevail. These guys at Perfectionclutch got it right, within 10 mins I had it done. Clutch system working. Hats Off gentlemen, thank you

[@morrissongroundworks4920]

Did you sort this? Sounds like air locked slave? That’s what I think is up with mine

[@rsauder]

This vid rocks. If you can't bleed your MC or SC no matter how hard you try and the clutch pedal still goes to the floor...bleeding the Slave by blocking it in a C-clamp is the solution! This saved me from super frustration! Thank you!

[@scotthowe6282]

Thanks for taking the time to demonstrate this technique. I was having a really difficult time getting the air out of a new system. This did the trick!

[@AhnkoCheeOutdoors]

This (C-clamp & socket) worked great for me on my 2003 Nissan Frontier truck when bleeding a newly installed slave cylinder. Before I found this video I was having great difficulty getting the trapped air out of the slave cylinder. Thank you!

[@TheMCRstudios]

1998 Isuzu Amigo: Bleeding the way stated in the book, it was just like you said, tiny burps. After 30 minutes and probably 300 pumps of the clutch, still no pressure. Followed your directions, clamped it, and got immediate pressure. Unclamped it, bolted it back and, and it bleed correctly. Took maybe 10 minutes to complete. YOU SAVED THE DAY!

[@reubenoptland4149]

What a fantastic video, confirmed that this works on a Toyota supra. Before doing this the slave just kept making a loud clicking noise until I clamped it and got a nice flush. Thankyou

[@roblord7610]

I discovered this method years go by trial and error. I was never quite sure why it actually worked, but you've explained it - thanks

[@user-lq8tl5ge4r]

Have been trying to get my truck back on the road for awhile now. Have tried a number of ways with minimal results at best. This was the last effort before taking the transmission out and replacing the slave. Its a 94 F150 with 5.8. Four wheel drive. Five speed. Thank you. This was a life saver. Well at least alot of time and busted knuckles anyway. Thanks again.

[@2124LATERZA]

Very Awesome technique Gary!! neat tricks for certain type slave cylinders.

[@ejaokay]

Used a Dewalt clamp on the slave cylinder on the my Toyota pickup to bleed the clutch system. Worked great and have good pressure in the system now! Great method!

[@je2fe2]

Fantastic! after hours of bleeding the clutch with usual methods I still had air in the line / soft pedal low engagement. With this method and 1 1/2 press of the pedal I got a pea sized bubble out, now have a firm pedal with very little play and mid point engagement. Thanks Perfection Hytest.

[@Elswalbe]

that note about the VW fork stop trick should come in very handy! Can't find any other mention about that online, but I found pictures of the inside of the hole. Good little tip!

[@DoyleFM]

What an innovative & interesting idea! Just replaced my clutch master cylinder & have been cussing it for the last 20 minutes. It's too cold & dark to continue tonight but I'm gonna see if I can set up a block on mine. Thanks for the info!

[@Petplace123]

This technique worked well on my Acura Integra ...all else had failed up to this point. Thanks for the informative video

[@robbieraychannel]

I haven't even tried it yet but I know it's going to work tomorrow morning because of your great explanation. Thanks in advance. Rob......

[@Newtire]

What a simple idea! Love it. Thanks for posting this.

[@MrCamaroz28ss]

Thanks gary the bleeding process worked really good!! 👍👌

[@tigerseye73]

I simply install a hose from the bleed screw to a suitable electric vacuum pump source with a collection jar and adjust for light vacuum. Keep the master full to prevent air intrusion. It will easily draw all air and new fluid through the lines and slave cyl. in a few seconds. No helper needed. Works for brake bleeding too.

[@paulsisler1975]

Thanks for the input

[@seriousmustangnut]

Excellent video! That'll make the bleeding of my V8 Ranger way way easier. I was pulling the whole setup to bench bleed it in the past.

[@travis0808086613]

Thank you for taking the time to explain in easy straight forward terms. I have worked on many vehicles, never on a clutch or related. Good examples of home engineering safely minded. Thanks again-

[@mariapowell-zv7us]

Yumm

[@pilgrimhere652]

Great.I had a hard time today trying to bleed the clucth in my 1991 mazda pick up.I'll mess with it tomorrow again, this time with the advise that I just saw here.thank you

[@maglysobey]

On my 2005 Infiniti G35 I blocked the slave cylinder by wedging a large square shaft screwdriver in between the piston shaft and the clutch lever on the transmission housing. Then I opened the slave bleed screw with a clear vinyl hose attached and had a helper slowly depress the clutch pedal and it will purge air bubbles from the clutch line.

[@Tony-ow3if]

Great Advice...Thanks! I like many other Kia Sportage II owners am faced with a low biting clutch pedal...Will give this a try !! Thanks

[@Bredmirror]

Ive bled my clutch 3-4 times and there was still air in the system. Tried this method instanly worked. THANKS!

[@chadyearry1544]

Thank you just saved fathers 1990 Chevy cheyenne. Very detailed video thanks again.

[@itolokito3619]

Thank you so much my slave cylinder was messed up so I replace it and I couldn't get to bleed it but with the c clamp dude it worked right away u are a life saver thank you so much

[@hotdogs8607]

This video saved my sanity and my 350z from getting driven off a cliff

[@PIPEFITTERENGINEER]

You are completely right. Slave cylinders should be bled the same way as a brake caliper. When the caliper is mounted the pots don't extend when the pedal is depressed and all the air comes out. Thank you. Not even the factory manual says that. Now i have to go and bleed the slave cylinder the correct way.

[@torodrumer1687]

Great video! I was wondering after you’ve compressed the slave cylinder to bleed it out, how do you put it back in the transmission cam? Still compressed or you let it extend it to put it back?

[@joelescober]

Really worked on my Honda Civic slave cylinder replacement. After hours of trying to bleed with no progress, I watched this video & simply clamped the clutch lever all together with the slave cylinder in situ, & voila after two pedal strokes, job finished. Thanks for posting!

[@phatrymes]

I'm going through the same issue with my Honda Civic 2004. I'm glad this method worked for you I'm going to give it a try. Did you end up having to use a small socket?

[@joelescober]

@@phatrymes What do you mean?

[@Carlo_B]

I'm having the same issue on a Nissan Hardbody D21. Did you bleed your slave cilinder alone ?

[@homerfj1100]

A super idea. I've tried almost everything. I have a C clamp and (although I'm desperate) what you say and show makes sense to me. Thankyou.

[@homerfj1100]

perfectionclutch Thankyou for replying. The slave looks very similar to the first Civic cylinder in your demonstration. I've been weeks on this and changed both cylinders. This looks much better than my last resort.... pushing upwards with a syringe.

[@71gavinhall]

I've tried this and works very well. cheers

[@Yashar8]

Thanks for the tip, it saved me!

[@michaeltorres9575]

GREAT FUNDAMENTAL & RIGHT TO THE POINT THX

[@shaunaquin4242]

After you do this technique, when do you release the piston and install it on the car? Should the pedal be up or down when you release it? Is there a danger of putting too much fluid in the system?

[@ptrckmuir]

Great information. Thanks 👍

[@paulwisdom5383]

Over in the UK here, this is proper helpful tech advice. I'm about to take a chance on a 2007 Fiat Punto for £100, guy can't bleed a new clutch install and I was sure I could figure out the issues. These Fiats are notoriously hard for both being hard to bleed, to maintain pressure after bleeding without losing the pedal in a short while and needing a re-bleed. I suspect the advice I just got here and some creativity may well massively. I will ask, it has what is called a HYD valve fitted in the middle. I'm taking a guess this is supposed to control flow, maybe one way etc, big round thing that I suspect may be an air trap. Any advice on these or if you know of anything similar in the form of an inline device, halfway along the length of the line. Appears to be 2 bleed points, one on the master and one on the slave cylinder. I'll be replacing all O-Rings on the complete line as a matter of caution, seeing as they're pennies and could be 12 years old now. I'll be flushing the system with a quality fluid. Many thanks, Paul

[@mikew5988]

I really like this idea. My 96 Nissan pu has the same issue. Replaced both cylinders, blocked off the slave cylinder and still no pedal. I'm stumped. No signs of leakage.

[@autox19]

this ROCKS! I put a honda engine in my fiat x19 and have a hydraulic to cable converter (allows my hydraulic system to puch the lever on the trans) but it puts the bleed nipple at the bottom making it almost impossible to bleed. this method alloes me to take the slave off, bleed it, then put it back in!

[@toketeng]

it just works for me...thanks god...pin bubbles in slave cylinder make less efficient disengagement of clutch

[@ArchimedeanEye]

Very interesting and great info! I fitted a braided steel slave cylinder line this afternoon to my Nissan Z car and then spent about 3 hours trying to bleed it. I see precisely what you are talking about here on my car... the slave moves in and out a little bit when the pedal is pumped, but it's as if the master does not have enough travel/volume to fill the fluid/pressure void in the line. Thus, blocking the slave cylinder is an excellent idea!! I will try this tomorrow and if that fails, maybe it's time to rebuild the master cylinder. I've had old brake master cylinders go bad before when the pedal hits the floor and the seals push past the usual travel/wear area into a ridge of hardened dirt/varnish etc... Hopefully it's not that...

[@ArchimedeanEye]

+perfectionclutch Your technique worked just perfect Gary! Took a number of pumps to get the pedal back once the slave was blocked and this time there was plenty of pressurized air bubbles and fluid when the bleed screw was opened 4 or 5 times. Thanks a million for this video, it saved me taking advice from people telling me my master and probably slave had gone bad. Cheers

[@Treezila]

+ArchimedeanEye I have a 2006 nissan 350z and I just installed the JWT clutch kit with braided steel slave cylinder line. I've been bleeding forever now...did this method work for you??

[@ArchimedeanEye]

Trevor Yong yes, it worked almost straight away... 10 pedal pumps or so

[@mb4lunch]

Lear something new every day! Thanks! Love this.

[@henrygarcia4438]

Made all the difference! Great!

[@briand7890]

Worked on my 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage. Used a 6" C-Clamp on the new cylinder.

[@davidgruen7423]

What if you open the bleeder screw on the slave cylinder, push the pedal to the floor, and close it up the release? It seems to work the same way as this.

[@gabrielkishinevski1473]

Thanks. Great video

[@TravisHeinze]

Why would Ford Focus put the "slave cylinder" inside the clutch if the "slave cylinder" was going to break a seal sooner than any other part of my clutch hydraulic system?

[@negativeindustrial]

I could use some help on bleeding the new slave cylinder and new master cylinder on a Toyota MR2 Turbo. Because it’s mid-engine, it’s got a very long hydraulic line from the front to the rear of the car. Also, the bleeder screw is not on the slave. It’s located about 6” higher on the transmission - this can’t be good for getting all of the air out. My issue is not with releasing the clutch and selecting a gear, it’s actually at startup I’ve developed an alarming chatter when I start the car that goes away fairly quickly. Am I correct in assuming the slave cylinder might be at fault? The problem started immediately after I replaced the slave cylinder.

[@dalevanmersbergen309]

It seems the same objective could be achieved by locking up any movement of downstream linkage.

[@MrCamaroz28ss]

What do you do when theres no bleeding valve like on the camaro 1996 i replace the master cilynder and dont have one now having trouble bleeding it!

[@_jovian]

I assume using a power/pressure bleeder (the type the pressurizes the actual reservoir) would have the same effect as locking the cylinder?

[@dnlmachine4287]

Just like brakes. Very informative, thank you. Now I wont use a 40HP gas dirt tamper jammed in my drivers seat to pump the clutch pedal while I frantically open and close the slave cylinder bleed screw. JK LOL. Stay gold.

[@Aluviel]

I replace transmission gear fluid 75 / 90 as require in my miata 1992, then I pulled the stick shift and add gear fluid and shift dont work. only work when the car is not running, after I start it and run the shift dont work. what is the problem does it need to be bleed or clutch problem please help

[@sdasdona]

Will this process work with a 2003 Saturn Vue? All other tubes call for some kind of vacuum process.

[@williamrosenow6176]

I miss the old days. Put a foot long piece of hose on the bleeder straight up and pump the clutch pedal. Some air went up and some air went out the hose but it was quick and easy. I had a leaky slave cylinder bought a new one and was done in 15 minutes. Last manual transmission I owned but it was easy. B2000 not to complicated.

[@robertdrolet5785]

is this working for volvo 740, 1990, cause i try some ways and notting work again thanks

[@larrystinkfinger7038]

my wife was on her way to work this morning in her 08 Subaru Impreza 2.5 and after driving 4 miles into town, she started to turn into sheetz and the clutch pedal went to the floor. A couple guys at sheetz tried helping her...they 1st tried adding fluid and having her pump the clutch, when they did this the fluid ran out (onto the ground ) as fast as they put it in! so I'm thinking hole in the line between master and slave? (I wasn't there to see for myself ) or could it be a bad slave? 1st Subaru we've ever owned....we have so much snow right now it's hard to find anything. your opinion would be appreciated! thanks!

[@zevieira2803]

Today my pedal from the clutch from my new passat 2014 stay under and I couldn't do anything with it any ideas what wrong with it?

[@joeyrichmond2193]

2012 International semi truck how do you bleed the hydraulic clutch

[@MrCarlLewis]

Im confused sorry. I block off the slave cylinder and press and release And top the reservoir. Or do I press hold open the valve like normal. Thank you for the help.

[@derekwagster7110]

This method works very well.

[@musskeeterbump]

The factory service manual for my honda car emphasizes the use of a wooden block to block the slave cylinder from moving out while to pump the pedal so all the air can be completely bled from the system .

[@bronx-gr]

thanks for the idea, worked beautifully for my Civic

[@darrentylor5473]

I think this might be the best way to do mine... Been trying the buck and hold and getting nothing afterwards...didn't help that there was a hole in the line and it was letting all the fluid out...

[@mwlaursen]

I have a Nissan Froniter 2007. I tried this, it help but I still seem to have air in the system. Replaced both the Master and Slave. So I clamp the slave and slowly press the clutch pedal. It gets have down and I open the bleed value and fluid comes out and the pedal goes to the bottom. So we pull the pedal up. It seems to work for a few presses and then gets soft and the pedal does not return to the top. I then open the bleed value and have a vacuum pump on it and it bubbles out. Any thoughts?

[@pradeeppradhan479]

my clutch getting hard after 15km run. i have recently changed the clutch plate and pressure plate still the problem not cleared whats the reason you think??? what should i do. please help

[@broderp]

Why cant you just hold the clutch down, draw a vacuum on the slave bleeder valve and suck out the fluid until it's clean and bubble free? (Like you do brakes?) A piece of wood to hold the clutch pedal and all you need to do is keep the reservoir full of DOT3. What am I missing here? This method sounds overly complicated.

[@oldowl4290]

This may be pure gold. I have a mid 90's Toyota truck with a master / slave set up exactly like this and while Ive bled it many times I am still having shift issues. I don't really know what spongy feels like but I'm having hard shifting into 1st, 1st to 2nd, and reverse especially. I'm going to try this as maybe there's a small bubble somewhere causing the slave not to push as hard as it should.

[@Snailmailtrucker]

Hey Jeff...did you ever get your Toy Truck Clutch straightened out ? I got a 93 3.0 T100 5 speed 4x4 same problem ....only worse !

[@zanderman.]

@@Snailmailtrucker me too 98 t100

[@breinstendelacruz7533]

Did you guys figure the issue out , I’m having the same problem with my 86 pickup

[@davidisaac4187]

I have a 89 toyota pu 3.0 sr5 .I changed out the master and slave and now I have no pedal after bleeding 100 times.Do I try to put a clamp on the slave on or off the vehicle?

[@carlosmonsivais1879]

Should i replace master cylinder with slave cylinder too? Making sure all components new? I'm on a budget

[@moreammoplease8851]

Hi Gary, would this system work for an 09 Subaru wrx? Thanks.

[@jdmenthol]

Great Video Sirrrrr

[@rosemaryserna4697]

So my question is does the slave cylinder have to be bolted on

[@donaldblackson7811]

I have a 2010 Mustang I would like to learn how to bleed the clutch system it's integrated with the master cylinder.. it's a V6 5-speed how would I bleed the clutch system

[@tomdonnelly1154]

Thanks !

[@TheMikeyEnergy]

Ok I replaced the slave on this vehicle over 2 years ago and although the clutch didn't feel 100% it held until recently when the master cylinder went out.. now you do not hear much about the cylinder not leaking at all however it was still bad as in it did not hold pressure causing the peddle to hit the floor and stay there and after re bleeding the slave i got half a life shelf added to the life of the hydraulic system .. The jury is still out but hopefully I think I solved this problem for good

[@SmallMTNShredder]

So basically with the slave cylinder blocked it'll bleed more like breaks?

[@samscarlett3783]

Thanks Gary, great videos. I have a nissan with a longer route from master to slave. I cant get any decent pressure into the pedal and I suspect that there is air in the master cylinder. Will this method pump and air out of the master?

[@808k20a2]

I have a 92 civic. will be changing the clutch master cylinder and slave. after I do so, I fill up the master cylinder, pull the pin and boot from the new slave and clamp it with a c-clamp. open the bleeder on the slave, push the clutch pedal down, close the bleeder, put the clutch pedal up, repeat the process till just fluid comes out. take off the c-clamp, install the boot and pin, hook up the slave to the clutch fork and I'm done??

[@MrCryingMoon]

Hi, should I remove the rubber boot and pin before trying to block? I tried with the pin in place but it wiggles all over the place. Thanks

[@MrCryingMoon]

+perfectionclutch So this is what I am going to do. Can you tell me if am doing it right? Install new slave, remove boot and pin, use a suitable socket size to block the piston, clamp socket with g clamp, bleed as normal, then bolt the slave onto transmission.

[@sphillis5791]

I am at my wit's end. 98 Honda Accord LX, 4cyl. Honda Part number for Master Clutch is 46920-S84-A02, Slave cylinder part #46930-S84-A06. I don't know what your numbers are. Master clutch cylinder was leaking. Was original factory and replacements don't fit so I replaced the master, the assembly line (hydraulic line) and the slave. For the life of me, I can't get pressure no matter what I do to bleed that line. Both the master and the slave have inlet/outlet right next to each other. I got a lot of air out of the slave by pushing the rod but still no system pressure, that clutch pedal goes to the floor. I tried your blocking the slave method after checking that yes, pushing the rod will change the fluid level in the reservoir. I did not bench bleed the master. Is this my problem? I put newspaper under the car so I could see if there were any leaks. No leaks, but then, I am not pushing anything forcefully, just slow hand push on clutch pedal.

[@Borchard85]

Will this work on a 1995 ford escort 1.9L

[@levit1803]

I'm just curious does this work on a bmw e46 2004

[@MRBACKHAND]

what about on a 1990 miata ? normal bleed or do this?

[@russellrobinette8177]

Will this method work on a 99 Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.5l

[@Turtlefarm]

I tried bleeding the system by pushing the rod in ( unbolted from transmission) then I noticed the slave takes forever to pop back out.. is it pooched?

[@brandonsalas6552]

What about 2003 mitsubishi lancer cant get pressure to build replaced everything

[@jamesjonsy]

good talk

[@raymondvanderriet9362]

fantastic thank you

[@TehWolfGuy]

Would this work on a 1990 Chevrolet K1500? I've been trying different methods for almost a week.

[@engelsseele2]

Thank you for this information. Me and a coworker spent around 40 minutes trying to bleed the clutch system and so little came out.

[@jonkalista8700]

will this work on my 1990 Mazda b2200

[@pingpoon8394]

This is a good advice. In stead of blocking the slave cylinder push rod movement, I pinch the flex hose instead. It turns out o.k.

[@TeamAdrenalinePHX]

i just replaced the master and slave cylinders. and my pedal doesnt come all the way up. at a time i was able to get into gears even reverse. but when we bled it again and opened the bleeder (traditional way) pumped a few times, now the car wont go into gears again. do you think there is still some air?

[@TeamAdrenalinePHX]

+perfectionclutch 97 Mitsubishi eclipse gst 2.0 turbo

[@Dannymclovin]

Really helpful and seems like it will work for me but do you only press the pedal once or do you do this multiple times

[@kyledupont7711]

I'm trying to bleed the clutch on my Audi a6, its much like described in the video, I have tried gravity, pressure pumped through the bleeder, negative pressure through the bleeder, traditionally method, and its not working. the pedal is soft until near the floor then too stiff to even go to the floor. anybody got some input? do the symptoms point to any bad part of the system? I'm quite sure doing this method will run the risk of cracking the slave cylinder due to the fact that its plastic. It's also nearly impossible to work this method because it's so hard to get to the slave cylinder which is on top of the transmission. also I tried running a line from the bleeder screw into the reservoir and pumping the s*** out of the pedal, didn't work either I'm at the end of my rope here.

[@kyledupont7711]

+perfectionclutch its a 2000 a6 2.7t 6 speed manual, I spent the day bleeding the clutch including removing the slave and clapping it which gives me full pedal, the slave however is easy to push the piston in after doing so with some hydraulic resistance and springs back out instantly. I hear a squish sound as the piston is pushed back in the last bit...

[@TheShamwari]

THANKS I did have some experience with this problem when, a few years back I fitted a new slave cylinder to my 1967 Toyota Carinaa now I am fitting a new master cylinder. One "hell ova job," as one must remove a part of the dash board to get at the linkage and remove two nuts which hold the master cylinder to the firewall. Fortunately althouogh 87 yrs old I am not overweight so removing the driverers seat allows me to lie on my back ! I can not see any other way to do the job, I recon a garage would charge for a min of twwo hours , the new master cylinder was £130.

[@TheMrToyMan]

Hello. I have replaced the master and slave in my 89 4Runner. When I did the block bleed I put a socket into the system to keep the plunger in the slave pinned back. I think I ran too deep of a socket. So I set the volume of brake fluid in the system too low. Is there a way to increase the volume of fluid without re-block bleeding?

[@TheMrToyMan]

+perfectionclutch Thanks for your response, Gary. The slave is on the passenger side of the vehicle so it has 60" of flexible hydraulic line feeding it. After the I had installed everything I took the slave back off the truck and kept the master cylinder installed. I dropped the slave to the ground on the drivers side and made sure I had a consistent rise to the hose. I then cycled the slave cylinder and did get a lot of air out of it as well as a lot of turbulence in the fluid. The clevis was loose too. I started to get half a pedal of pressure then it went soft. Looks like I blew the seal in the master cylinder, so it's off to get another one this afternoon. Seems like I over worked it, but not really sure how...

[@TheMrToyMan]

+perfectionclutch Yes, this is proper config hosing. Designed specifically for 4runner clutches. I will try again. This weekend. I have never had such a problem bleeding a clutch or brake system...

[@danielle6553]

Will this work on a 1999 Audi A4?

[@salsinger9985]

i have nissan maxima 2002 and i changed the master and slave cylinder .. but after a day my clutch start slipping .. i released the bleed screw and i found the system has over pressure ! and the pedal was heavy .. after relassing the pressure pedal become soft and noce and no more slipping of the clutch .. next day it did the same heavy and slipping ... every time i release the bleed i can see the slave cylinder rod go back and it actually was pushing the clutch ! i don't know if my mechanic installed it wrong before it well get air in the system and he advice to change both master and slave cylinder .... its been a week now and every day i have to do the bleeding .. or relasing ! any advice or diagnoses ?

[@salsinger9985]

yes its been adjusted and i loosed it to the end ... one mechanic made the postion of the pedal too high and i tried to lower it by the screw of the release sensor of cruse control ... my question is the slave actuator have adjustment .. and why when it build pressure the pedal is too heavy to push .. i well check mc pushrod again and verify its loosed all the way

[@billmartin7081]

can air cause a hard clutch pedal?

[@wimoosterhof28]

thanx, this helped a lot. problem solved

[@LUISRAMOS-sc2zs]

So I was trying to purge my clutch cylinder and I guess I don't know what I was doing because I removes the plug where you bledd it and now my clutch paddle is all the way down and now I don't know what to Do? Can you help? Thank you..

[@DavidRamirez-fe5dd]

You introduced air into the line all purging must be done at the end/bottom of the line at the slave cylinder.