First time bleeding clutch

[hawkdad]

I finally got the clutch bleeder nipple and got to work. Using the mityvac I bought last year, took out the grub screw and went to put in the bleeder, and it wouldn't start... looked like the tip was just a wee bit too long... so... took a small file to it shortened it down and was able to get the threads started and the nipple in place...

WHOA!!! the clutch fluid was like the Mississippi river after a hard rain... full of dirty silt... ... nasty stuff... since the clutch fluid was so cruddy... should I do it again in a couple thousand miles... ???

I thought I read on one post to put the grub back in place, or just leave the bleeder in place?... I left the bleeder in. Should I have put some blue loctite on it?

I'm a paranoid son-of-a-b... so it doesn't bother me to change parts/fluids waaay early... I love my beakster (Mistress is her name) and I don't want any problems... I'm seriously thinking of doing the CycleRob slave cylinder mod with the groove/moat and drain tube... just cuz... or am I being ridiculously paranoid... ??? Maybe I'll do that when I grease the clutch splines at 25K which is 7K away...

[Johan_SA]

Hi
I bleed both the clutch and brake circuits (ABS) annually. Like you, I prefer a good clean system and it does not cost much.

[boxermania]

The clutch hydraulic system operates more frequently than the brakes and the slave cylinder is exposed to higher temperatures than the brakes due to not only by being part of the transmission case but also within inches of the catalytic converter.

That being said, brake fluid is relatively inexpensive so flush often to keep the system clean. I would not let it go past two years

[iowabeakster]

bleed screw or grub screw? Your choice...I've always put the grub back...no reason...

Although, it might be a better idea if I kept the bleeder with the tool kit under the seat.

I like the ideas about checking up on it again and the doing the drain channel.

My two cents...
If the fluid was really THAT bad, I might even replace the slave sometime soon, even if it's not leaking. I would be concerned that the seals have deteriorated some. It's not that I like the idea of wasting money either.

It's the: stranding, towing, dealer repair bill, alternate transportation, and screwing up the whole trip scenario that worries me. (see recent thread by tlwood28).

[Sunbeemer]

I also had to grind off the point of my SpeedBleeder nipple to get it started in the Clutch Filler Adapter, and the ball check valve was stuck firmly unitl I removed the clutch reservoir cover. I did not leave the SpeedBleeder in because I didn't think it threaded in far enough to make a good seal, so I replaced the grub screw. It's simple to remove it annually for bleedings...

I would check the condition of your fluid in a couple months by removing the clutch reservoir cover and take a peak. This will also let you smell it for transmission gear oil which as you know, smells bad, and is a bad to contaminant in your clutch fluid circuit.

[jfslater98]

WHOA!!! the clutch fluid was like the Mississippi river after a hard rain... full of dirty silt... ... nasty stuff... since the clutch fluid was so cruddy...

I hate to stoke the paranoia fire you have burning, but while desperately searching for evidence to expunge my GSA lust, stumbled over this

http://advwisdom.hogranch.com/Wisdom/Cl ... h.php.html

There is an inference there that you *might* have clutch slave issues. Might. Good luck, hope it's just normally dirty fluid.

Now I will go back to my mantra: "The Rockster is paid for. The Rockster is paid for..."

[CycleRob]

My clutch bleeder fitting took the place of the check valve assembly. The bleeder screws directly into the hose fitting. Red Loctite on the threads meant a 15 second licking from a propane torch flame was needed to soften it. Common sense is required as the easily flame damaged plastic hose is very close to the fitting. The flame heats the Aluminum very quickly, before it can be conducted into the plastic hose. Be ready to cool it quickly in water to kill the damaging heat after it is loosened up. Because the end fitting is made of Aluminum and the bleeder is steel, I greased the threads to subdue galling damage to the comparatively soft Aluminum threads.

These random pics should help. Pic 1, Pic 2, Pic 3, Pic 4, Pic 5

The first part of the lever's bleed squeeze must be very slow speed or the DOT4 fluid shot out the feed hole will hit the ceiling. That's normal. It can be stopped by dropping a clean razor blade over the hole. To bleed the clutch alone, clamp the lever to the bar, open and then close the bleeder, remove clamp and pump the lever to regain full pumping action. Then repeat. The important thing is that the compressed piston is all that pushes out the dirty fluid. It's replaced with clean fluid when you squeeze the lever to the bar again. And again. Repeat at least 5 times. 10 times is best.

[hawkdad]

Thanks everyone... the bike's only got 18K on it... so... I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that I can get thru this season and THEN... swap out the clutch slave cylinder and do the CycleRob moat drain pipe as well. I might as well order the slave cylinder now... but.. before I leave for the Hermann, MO Weekend I'll bleed the clutch again... just to be sure.. and if it's muddy again... I'll have it so I can replace it...

I followed everyone's recommendations.. put the grub screw back.. and the bleeder in the toolkit...

[CycleRob]

hawkdad,
My 50R had that muddy fluid too. It also had what looked like a silver paint film on the reservoir fluid's surface. That turned out to be the slave's Aluminum piston wear residue. After the tiny throwout ball bearing fails then seizes, the spinning pushrod then spins the slave piston in the slave housing, causing a lot of wear! Amazingly, the clutch lever still feels and works normally. Mine even worked for about 3 years after the first smelly Aluminum haze DOT4 fluid change. Shifting without the clutch may have prolonged the total dysfunction date.

Here is The Picture Album containing that slave failure, found out when my bike was taken apart for the clutch spline cleaning/greasing.

Another anomaly is when the clutch reservoir DOT4 fluid smells like gear oil. That means there's a degree of failure, intermittent, one-time or continuous, of the rear input shaft seal. That unknown size pool of oil is captive inside the transmission's slave cavity where it first contacts the slave piston seal and gradually seeps past it, mixing with the DOT4 inside the clutch release system. That can occur until the leaking transmission seal fills the small cavity up to the pushrod in the middle, Then it will travel thru the hollow input shaft, shared by the pushrod, until it comes out the other end, dribbling onto the clutch disc. That's really bad, in an expensive, days of downtime way.

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