Ok, so I guess I have never checked the fluid level in the past year or more... but can't say it's ever been low. Tonight I get a few block from home, go to downshift as I slow down, and as I release the clutch, I think huh... that felt odd. I get one block from home, push the clutch in again and nothing... right to the floor. I limp into the driveway and have to shut the ignition off before I drive right into the fence. So I open the hood and the little reservoir is empty.



02 F150, 4.2L V6, 5 speed manual

So I guess I'm wondering what the order of things is. Refill it? How do I bleed it? Can't find my darn Chilton repair manual since I moved, or I would look it up myself.

And how do I know it's not the slave? And which side is the slave on? Passenger side? Cuz there is a bit of oil on the driveway on that side where I regularly park. Or could it be the line?

In any case, how do I go about figuring this out?

 

You most likely blew the slave, that's a common issue with these trucks. Remove the dust cover on the inspection hole in the bottom of the bellhousing. Fill the reservoir and have someone pump the clutch pedal while you watch for fluid underneath.

The slave is internal, it's concentric with the throwout bearing. Requires transmission removal to change, and if you are going to do that you might as well do a full clutch rebuild.

 

Thanks, I will try that.

So if the clutch is pumped and I find no leak to speak of, it could have been a very slow leak, maybe? In that case could I bleed the system and maybe get by for a while? And in that case I will probably have to bleed the clutch master first, won't I? Then maybe gravity bleed it? Or the other way around?

I know it probably needs a new slave assuming that's whats leaking but I guess wishful thinking would make me hope that its a small leak and now that I'm aware of it I could watch the level of fluid more closely and add it when it gets low rather than letting it all leak out!

I don't see any oil around the master itself or under the dash.

 

The best way to bleed it is reverse bleeding. Get a pump-style oil can, fill it with fluid, prime it, connect a hose from its spout to the bleeder screw, open the screw and take the cap off the reservoir, and pump till air bubbles stop coming out the top of the reservoir.

Slaves don't just leak "a little" - when they go, they go. Been there done that - I bought my truck used and the slave blew a week after the 90 day warranty was up, with no warning. It acted exactly the same as you describe.

 

Yup, what glc states is correct. When they go, they go! Luckily for both my '99 and my '07, I haven't had the issue. Yet.

The reservoir is tiny, so all it takes is one or two presses of the clutch for a significant fluid loss, or if its real bad, it will just leak on it's own will.

If you plan on going with a clutch, stick with a Motorcraft. The other brands chatter too much. Unless you don't care.

 

Damn, that sucks. Great idea on reverse bleeding! Thanks! I will post back with the results, assuming I get that far this afternoon.

 

OK, so here is a question. (I found my Chilton repair manual and was following the directions). I took the clutch master off and tried to bench bleed it... I got fluid to come out the end of the tube, but the rod never got stiff... does that mean I did not get it bled all the way? Or is there something wrong with the master? Ive watched other videos where they show that rod getting stiff, only having like a 1/16 of movement.

 

Sounds like it is bad...

You will want your replacement to look like this:




Courtesy of JMC.

 

OK, thats the slave... I understand that.

My question above is about the clutch master cylinder. It was suggested above that I take off the dust cover inspection cover, and pump the clutch. Problem is, the clutch has no pedal... and no fluid. So step one seems to be, take off the clutch master cylinder, fill it, bleed it (and the line) then plug it back into the slave. Because until I do that, I won't be able to inspect the slave to see if its leaking. I ran it dry, if you recall.

My question had to do with pumping and priming the clutch master cylinder on the bench. I had trouble getting it to pump air and fluid out, and the push rod never got stiff at all.

This video at 12:50 shows what I was hoping to achieve. But it seems like my master cylinder would not prime.

 

Without looking at it, the slave sounds like there is something broke inside of it from what you are explaining.

Maybe someone else can chime in.

 

Put the master cylinder back on, and fill the reservoir. Lift the clutch pedal and bungee it up to the steering wheel if it won't stay up. Then reverse bleed it and see if the pedal comes back.

 

Thank you both, I will try and find the time to do that tomorrow glc, it will be a busy day I hope I will have time to do it. Hard to get much done in the evening when it gets dark so quick. Need to find that oil can and clean it out and get some hose.

I wonder if some sludge went down the tubes as it ran empty and gunked up a valve... maybe the reverse bleed will be the trick to clean it back out.

 

ok, all I succeeded in doing was really pissing myself off. Tell me this... how the hell are you supposed to get a plastic tube AND a wrench on that damn bleeder valve at the same time??? I can barely get the wrench on there the way it is, and keep knocking off the tube! AAaaaarrrrggghhh!!!!!!

Why the heck couldn't they have made the bleeder valve a little longer????

Here is something I noticed though... the bleeder valve (like in ManualF150's picture) is a little bit wiggley all the way up to the slave.... is that normal? Seems odd.

I did what you suggested and used an oil can to reverse prime the system... pumped until it came out the reservoir. Still no pedal. So I was trying to bleed it... that's when it got dark and cold and I got pissed off. Any suggestions? I think for one thing my tube is too rigid, and maybe a size too big. Its frickin in the way. I think I must need an offset wrench too.

Help me out with some tips guys. Or am I just spinning my wheels trying to bleed this thing? I am not getting any sort of leak out of the slave, if that matters. I can see it through the inspection hole.

 

All you have to do is loosen the bleeder, then slip the hose over it. Use a piece of rubber vacuum hose. When done, just pull the hose and tighten the screw.

If you still have no pedal and the slave is not leaking, something is wrong with the master cylinder or the pushrod system. However, I'd bet once you get a pedal, then you will see the slave leaking.

 

Ended up getting the clutch master and the line bled... took the line off, reverse primed it separately, then put it back on the master. Pumped it like the video showed, until no more bubbles came out. Progress! Finally had good pressure at the master cylinder. Put it on, pumped the clutch, and just like you said, brake fluid came leaking out the transmission. DAMN!

So now I have to decide if this is something I can tackle or not. A $50 part inside the transmission... that's just brilliant.

So I don't have jack stands etc... I suppose this is impossible to do on the ground, huh? Just cuz there isn't enough room to slide the transmission back, drop it, and maneuver?