Clutch won't disengage after fluid replacement

Discussion in '5th Generation 1998-2001' started by Motographer, Mar 25, 2013.

  1. Motographer

    Motographer New Member

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    I decided to take the plunge and replace my brake and clutch fluid this weekend, and came out with a bit of a problem. The brakes actually went pretty smoothly, with the help of a friend, I was actually able to do both ends without the use of a vacuum bleeder, as mine wasn't holding pressure (Harbor Freight FTL). The clutch, however, didn't go as smoothly. I don't think the fluid had ever been changed in over 20k of riding, and when I opened the reservoir, there was a ton of gunk in the fluid, as well as some crystallized on the rubber diaphraghm. I cleaned off the diaphragm, blotted out as much fluid as I could from the reservoir, and replaced/bled the fluid conventionally until it came through without any bubbles. After closing it up, my clutch lever pulls in with almost no effort, and the clutch won't disengage at all. I left the bike overnight with the lever zip-tied to the bar with no change, so now I'm worried that I might have pulled something through the line and jammed the slave cylinder. Is that even possible, or am I just dealing with a lot of air in the system that needs to be bled out again? Thanks!
     
  2. KizerSosay

    KizerSosay New Member

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    I had the exact same thing happen...exact. I think it has something to do with when you reinstall the slave and the piston gets pushed all the way in by the clutch rod. All I did is pull the slave off again and pump it while holding it in my hand. I used my thumb to put pressure on the piston and I could feel resistance in the lever (careful not to pump the piston all the way out) and reinstalled it making sure the rod went onto the hole in the piston without pushing the piston all the way in. Bleed to get air out. Bingo. Firm clutch.

    Note: I did not use a vac bleeder. I did it by hand. Pretty simple job.
     
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2013
  3. Valentino Robbie

    Valentino Robbie New Member

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    I to had the exact same problem. There a few things on the net due to it being a common problem if the slave cylinder taken off I think.
    I just kept bleeding...and bleeding...and bleeding. A full litre of fluid later it suddenly started working perfect! I got all the air out before, or so I thought. After a good hour or so of bleeding a couple more bubbles emerged and was good to go.

    Don't think there is a particular way to do it. Just take the slave off, make sure it in tight with the piston in place all good and tight and bleed away. Maybe taking the slave off means you need to bleed it again. Not too sure on that one.

    Hope you get it working.
     
  4. Meierznutz

    Meierznutz New Member

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    Actually there is a big section of the Chilton's manual devoted to bleeding the brakes and clutch for these bikes. I understand the brakes as there are two systems linked and crossed all over the place, but the clutch should be straight forward.
    I am big into Miatas too. They have a horrible time with bleeding the clutch because the hose out of the master raises up about 4" before crossing the engine bay and dropping to the slave. In the end I purchased a Motive presure bleeder that forces fluid into the master. Now when you open the bleeder it pushes fluid and air out. Leave it open until you get clear fluid with no bubbles and you are done. I would say that the same thing could be done for our bikes if you were to grab a spare lid and drill/tap it for a fitting. Using one of those big turkey baster sized suringes you could then do the same thing without all the squeezing. Just a thought....good luck.
     
  5. uberchuckie

    uberchuckie New Member

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    Did you turn the handle bars all the way to the right? I tried to bleed the clutch on my 6th gen VFR with the bars straight and it didn't work so well. Once I turned the bars full right lock, more air bubbles came out when I pumped the clutch lever and it worked fine after that.
     
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