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Bleeding Hydraulic Clutch

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This topic contains 6 replies, has 0 voices, and was last updated by  Roy 12 years, 11 months ago.

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  • April 12, 2012 at 2:05 pm #101259

    Roy
    Member

    I need to bleed my clutch. I think the fluid is a bit old or there is air in the line. Was riding last week and the clutch started slipping constantly once the bike warmed up. No freeplay in clutch so I cracked the nipple and squeezed a bit of fluid out and all was ok to continue that ride.

    So how to bleed. Do I just take lid off reservoir and crack nipple and pump the fluid back up with a shringe from the bottom (careful to make sure of no air entrapment of course) until the fluid overflowing from the reservoir looks the proper colour. Or is there some tricks or an easier way.

    The bike is a ktm 300 exc 09 if that helps.

    Thanks.

    April 12, 2012 at 2:08 pm #219623

    Greg
    Member

    That what I would do Roy :laugh: You can also bleed it the normal way but it will take heaps longer.

    TB

    April 12, 2012 at 2:25 pm #219624

    Geoff Forshaw
    Member

    If it has air in the system the clutch will not slip., you will have no pedal (won’t release), so to speak If your clutch slips it has run out of free travel. I would be looking further at the clutch springs, bolts, plates, pressure plate, slave cylinder rod etc.

    Cheers,
    Lefty

    April 12, 2012 at 2:26 pm #219625

    Roy
    Member

    Thanks TB. I thought I had it right but just wanted to check that there wasn’t anything I had to do with the clutch lever whilst shringing it back up. I suppose trial and error would have soon taught me you can reverse bleed with the clutch lever pulled in. All’s good.

    April 12, 2012 at 2:30 pm #219626

    Roy
    Member
    Lefty wrote:
    If it has air in the system the clutch will not slip., you will have no pedal (won’t release), so to speak If your clutch slips it has run out of free travel. I would be looking further at the clutch springs, bolts, plates, pressure plate, slave cylinder rod etc.

    Cheers,
    Lefty

    Thanks Lefty. I was wondering if I should be inspecting some of those things as well. Looks like I had better take a look.

    April 12, 2012 at 4:51 pm #219627

    Greg
    Member

    Yeah Lefty is on the money, master cylinder is my bet not letting the fluid return into the reservoir thus holding pressure in the line and slave cylinder. ( Have had it before with a front brake once, small piece of crap stopping the piston going all the way back ) The pressure in the line then is the same as holding the clutch lever in. When you cracked the bleed nipple you released the pressure. Would put money on it being a hydraulic problem more so than mechanical. They only have an O ring in the slave cylinder don’t they?

    (have been wrong before but :laugh: )

    TB

    April 15, 2012 at 12:22 pm #219630

    Roy
    Member

    Looks like TB may have been on the money. Went to bleed the system on the weekend. Took the lid off the reservoir and the little valve thing wasn’t sitting in the right position. Thought this couldn’t be a good sign. Tried to reverse bleed and no go. Couldn’t push any fluid back through. I then proceeded to pull the piston etc out of the master cyclinder and when I was mucking around with the piston, first thing it did was pop out a bit more into what I assume is the proper release position. Pulled it all out anyway. Seals looked okay to the eye but the ridge that the spring pushes against had broken away in a couple of spots. So need to get a repair kit. Should I get one of those valve things in the reservoir too. What would have caused it to come out of position.

    Must say it’s a fiddly bit of gear to work on. Any tricks to getting the new stuff back together when it arrives. I’m assuming it is put in new piston then the circlip then the rubber boot and push rod thing. Didn’t do my rubber boot any favours on the removal so not looking forward to putting new one back in.

    Can’t find any youtube clips. Hopefully this means it is not as hard as I am envisaging.

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