Technical Bleeding clutch

[Deckchair5]

I have a feeling that my clutch hydraulics could do with a bleed or fluid replacement at least. Clutch is fine but bite point moves down a bit the more I use the clutch in a traffic jam and sometimes it goes so far down that reverse grates on selection unless I get the pedal right the way up to start with and give it a good shove down then it's fine

Anyway, got everything ready for a quick bleed and whooa, just what kind of bleed nipple is that on the slave cylinder? Haven't seen nipples like that before! Do I need a special tool? Do I have to force fluid in from down below going in the back way or can I still do it conventional missionary method?

 

[Deckchair5]

No one bled a Stilo clutch before? Well maybe that's a good sign that the slave cylinder doesn't leak so much as the Bravos. How about techies? Is there a special bleed adapter required for the clutch slave cylinder? Does it have to be back bled?

 

[Deckchair5]

Bump
Any helpful technies know what is needed to bleed the clutch slave cylinder? It's a weird frail looking plastic thing that I haven't seen the like of before

 

[Big Black Stilo]

would bleeding the clutch help solve my little issue?

It sometimes grinds going into third- more on high revs but sometimes at quite low ones to.

 

[Deckchair5]

It depends where your clutch bite point is. Mine's a little on the low side and if you stay with your clutch down the bite goes a lower still which shouldn't happen. If I have a car mat in the car then I can't even get reverse gear without it crunching. Might be air in the system, that's why I'd like to bleed the clutch hydraulics, as hydraulic clutches are not adjustable.

Staggering that no one's had to change a clutch slave or master cylinder and no one seems to know anything about how to bleed the clutch slave cylinder bleed nipple. It's made of plastic and it doesn't look like there's any chance of loosening it to let fluid out like normal bleed nipples as far as I can see (which is not very far) below the battery tray)

Do no techies have any idea what adapter is needed to bleed the slave cylinder?

 

[Big Black Stilo]

Doesnt look as though they do!

My bite is right near the top, where its been on most other cars I have driven (not at the top, about 3/4 up)

Sometimes doesnt like going into reverse but the third thing is bugging me to bits.

Once had to have a Daewoo Matiz and it was brand new, needless to say before 100 miles were on the clock 3rd started to grind going in (much worse than mine is as the stilo you can rev-time into 3rd-this you couldnt), so I reported to the company, who asked me to bring it back. on the way there I lost 3rd alltogether then 5th went! The AA man cometh!

 

[Deckchair5]

"My bite is right near the top, where its been on most other cars I have driven (not at the top, about 3/4 up)"
Well that's good news for me. I should have asked that before. Mine bites about 1/4 to 1/3 off the ground. Thought it wasn't right.

Re your gear 3 crunching, if your clutch is dragging or not disengaging properly then reverse will usually crunch big time. Doesn't sound like you have that. Some cars wear in with time. My Bravo clunked horribly when going into gear 1 when new but it gradually got better and is still on the same box now at 107K miles, sweet as a nut

Most cars don't select well if the gearbox is cold- tolerances and all that- but they should be fine afterwards if the road speed is in the ball court. Abuse through time- heavy handedness-forcing gear in rather than allowing gear in-over using gears to slow down takes its toll on the cogs.

Not suggesting you do that BBS. Mines a 2nd user and you never know what the car's been used for before you. Then there are just bad/ weak boxes. Mine clicks when going into 3 but that I'm putting down to the clutch not disengaging fully.

 

[NumanR]

Sorry guys been rather busy and didnt see this thread.

Ok bleeding the clutch, easy peasy

Plastic slave cylinders have no nipples!!!! Just a point to put your pipe on. They are bled by removing the clip that holds the pipe in, just lift it up and then slowly pull the pipe out a little, this unblocks the bleed pipe outlet and you bleed the clutch in the normal way except instead of closing the bleed nipple as usual you push the pipe back in and then raise the pedal.

Little strange at first but easy when you get into the rythm.

NumanR

 

[Deckchair5]

Brill! Sounds easy. I'll give it a try tomorrow

Many thanks NumanR

 

[Big Black Stilo]

so would bleeding the clutch sort out my crunchy third?

It never used to do it-started in last few months and hasnt got worse. Whats confusing is it doesnt do it all the time and it doesnt do it when you time the rev and change without clutch (I dont do this at all usually but I am good at it)

When engine not running goes in 3rd ok without clutch (the knackered matiz wouldnt even do that)

got my mate to drive it (he drives about 3 times more cars than me in a year) and he has been drvin 13 years and he said never felt anything like it but seems wierd.

any ideas?

 

[T14086]

Plastic slave cylinders have no nipples!!!! Just a point to put your pipe on. They are bled by removing the clip that holds the pipe in, just lift it up and then slowly pull the pipe out a little, this unblocks the bleed pipe outlet and you bleed the clutch in the normal way except instead of closing the bleed nipple as usual you push the pipe back in and then raise the pedal.NumanR

Then shout the apprentice to clean up the mess on the floor

 

[Big Black Stilo]

What d'ya reckon about my crunchy 3rd T14086?

 

[gscalzo]

Hey - sorry for hi-jacking the thread, but I wondered if I might jump in with a (somewhat) similar query (since we're on the subject)!

I've begun to notice (in my 2-month-new-to-me 2002 1.2 Active) that when releasing the clutch gradually (i.e. when moving off) it creaks to high heaven... The action is still smooth, and it only happens with a gradual movement of the pedal (both in and out), but the noise is scarily loud (and very embarrassing)...!

It definitely sounds like the pedal (or where-ever it's attached to) creaking - i.e. not farther down in the bowels of the transmission, and I'm concerned (joking aside, it sounds like the floorboards from a dodgy Dracula film)...!!!

Any suggestions? Is there a joint/connection/hinge I can get greased...?

Cheers...

 

[Deckchair5]

You'll probably find the over feet panel is rubbing badly against the pedal so pull it off. Mine was, it even stopped the pedal raising properly. Once you've got it off then leave it off, you'll have more room for your feet and you can hear your indicators too!

Other than that the pedal might need some some lub but you'll need to take that panel off to do that anyway

 

[T14086]

Hey - sorry for hi-jacking the thread, but I wondered if I might jump in with a (somewhat) similar query (since we're on the subject)!

I've begun to notice (in my 2-month-new-to-me 2002 1.2 Active) that when releasing the clutch gradually (i.e. when moving off) it creaks to high heaven... The action is still smooth, and it only happens with a gradual movement of the pedal (both in and out), but the noise is scarily loud (and very embarrassing)...!

It definitely sounds like the pedal (or where-ever it's attached to) creaking - i.e. not farther down in the bowels of the transmission, and I'm concerned (joking aside, it sounds like the floorboards from a dodgy Dracula film)...!!!

Any suggestions? Is there a joint/connection/hinge I can get greased...?

Cheers...

You have to lubricate the spring at the pedal first if that fails the plastic 'cup holder thing ' (you can see it fitted to rear of clutch pedal)has most probably broke....git to change as you have to disconnect the slave cylinder to make it easier (I have done this without disconnecting slave cylinder but wasn't pretty to watch...big pry bar etc!) which brings us back to the original subject...bleeding the clutch

Big Black Stilo...best get dealer to look as been quite a few 'crunching' complaints recently but no real known problems as far as i'm aware.

 

[wotnowarninglight]

gscalso - if your creaking is accompanied by weighing up of clutch pedal (getting harder to push down / more resistance required to bring back up & engage smoothly) FIAT replaced the clutch spring mechanisim on me clutch pedal under year 3 of the warranty! Left the bags from the bits in door pocket one was the spring & other a pivot pin or somat similar!?! 14 K odd on... its coming back, think I too will try Deckchairs suggestion of lube as they used to say when I were in overalls 'nice and greasy slips in easy...'

 

[Nello]

Guys - just got a Used Stilo for the wife - jumping into that from my 156 the clutch pedal seems a little heavy? Mind you no more so than her previous Brava? Then again the Alfa is ultra light and beautifully weighted but is the Stilo known to have a heavy'ish clutch?

 

[Big Black Stilo]

Not really, i found it a lot lighter than a seat ibiza or 93 rover 214, and about the same as a merc a class, corsas