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MG MGB Technical - Clutch master bleed solution

This coming from a guy who studied the archives and read about others methods to an end. I read about reverse bleeding, bench bleeding, and pressure bleeding. I don't own an EZ bleed or any home made contraptions to pressurize the system. Nor do I have any spare hydraulic lines lying around to cut up and use to bench bleed. Well, I successfully replaced both the master and slave cylinders on the clutch system today. Here's how I got the systems to bleed "my way".

By bench bleeding, I topped up the resevoir and submerged the tip of the new master in a pool of fresh fluid. Then I pumped it a few times and away I go. I mounted it on the car with the new slave in place with the bleeder out. I used my finger first with an assistent pumping to get the fluid running out the slave. I then bled it normally with the bleeder in and I was off running. I did not find this task as daunting as I read in the archives. Hope this help everyone out there contemplating this task. -Brian.

ps. now to figure a way to get the bottom mounting bolt on the slave!!!
Brian Johnson

Oops. I need to figure a way to get the bottom mounting bolt on the master, not the slave!! That'll be tomorrows task.
Brian Johnson

Getting the bottom mount nut back on the clutch master cylinder is not so tough once you know how.

Get a long handled box-end wrench (7"-8"), wrap a bit of 1/4" paper masking tape around the ring of
the business end, then push the nut into the wrench end. This mashes the tape, taking up any slop,
and temporarily prevents the nut from falling out end of the box-end wrench.

There's a large round punched-out hole on the master cylinder bracket on the side that is under
the brake master cylinder. Slide the wrench through this hole, pass under the brake master cylinder,
and align the nut with the tip of the bottom mounting bolt on the clutch master cylinder and hold it there gently, being careful not to push the nut off of the wrench. Twist the bottom mounting bolt by
hand until the nut engages a few threads - then torque it down.

Wrestle the wrench off of the nut.

Finis.
Daniel Wong

Brian. Five minute epoxy works well to bond the underside of the bolt head to the master cylinder. Makes it much easier to install the bolts and MC as a system. You can get a wrench into the bottom bolt by removing the rubber plug behind the dash. Les
Les Bengtson

This has me wondering. I recenetly replace the hradline on my clutch system Is there a way to prime it wihtout removing it from the car? It sounds like you stick the end you are goin to connect the hardline to into a pan of fluid so it has fluid on both sides of the valve, that primes it?? I will have to see if I can borrow the mityvac from work, sounds like it will be easier than pulling the master cyl and bench pumping it..
Larry

Hey I read Paul's tutorial about using a gunson's EEZ Bleed. what about a Mity-Vac? I have access to one that does vaccuum AND pressure. Time will tell hoe it works, but that is a upgrade option for those that already have a Silverline Mitty-Vac.
Larry Embrey

The EZ Bleed and Mity Vac sound like great tools, but I did not have either so I had to come up with a solution without them. If I was replacing master cylinders weekly (hope not!) I would go out and buy an EZ Bleed. This is a nice, cheap, quick solution that I hope helps us shade-trees out there.

I got the bottom bolt on the master by just gingerly reaching the nut around and in the hole on the side of the mounting bracket. Need small fingers I see!

Thanks for the responses. -Brian.
Brian Johnson

Les B's idea is super, and may be a perm. solution. NEXT time you have to remove it, a shot of weld or bronze to join the bolt head to the lug on the MC is very perm.
Ken R
Ken Rich

This thread was discussed between 07/04/2002 and 09/04/2002

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