Clutch hydraulic blues

[dlacey]

43 minutes ago, Oldtimerfahrer said:

You mean, pull the slave and try to depress the release lever manually via the small hole? 

Sounds more complicated, but still possible, yes i mean actuate the clutch using some form of lever against the gearbox case or the body

[Oldtimerfahrer]

I suppose you could fabricate something using the pushrod and mounting face of the slave to hold it in place and then a bar to force the rod against the lever arm. Would have to think about that, since its slave housing is cast it wont take to welding too well but could use it as a template to just make the plate then figure out how to hold the rod. I was thinking that lever could be broken (unlikely but possible) or the clutch disk is stuck in a certain position on the splines of the input shaft, but it would be more like to stick in a disengaged position than in the current engaged position.

[wkohler]

The other side of the clutch fork is on a plastic pivot pin inside the bell housing.  They do fail.  Not the most common failure but it does happen. You can remove the slave cylinder and push on the fork with something that fits through the hole.  There’s also a procedure to check the stroke on the slave cylinder using a gap between the slave and the bell housing and a feeler gauge that makes a mark on the rod.  You remove the slave and measure the mark and that’s how you know how it’s working.  
 

For bleeding, I’ve had great luck reverse bleeding the clutch.  Empty the reservoir, use a “piston oiler” filled with brake fluid and a length of tubing (works well with the ones that have a metal tube versus a flexible hose on the end) and pump the fluid through the bleeder on the slave until it starts filling the reservoir.  Should have no air bubbles.  

[Oldtimerfahrer]

1 hour ago, wkohler said:

The other side of the clutch fork is on a plastic pivot pin inside the bell housing.  They do fail.  Not the most common failure but it does happen. You can remove the slave cylinder and push on the fork with something that fits through the hole.  There’s also a procedure to check the stroke on the slave cylinder using a gap between the slave and the bell housing and a feeler gauge that makes a mark on the rod.  You remove the slave and measure the mark and that’s how you know how it’s working.  
 

For bleeding, I’ve had great luck reverse bleeding the clutch.  Empty the reservoir, use a “piston oiler” filled with brake fluid and a length of tubing (works well with the ones that have a metal tube versus a flexible hose on the end) and pump the fluid through the bleeder on the slave until it starts filling the reservoir.  Should have no air bubbles.  

I see a plastic pivot pin 1511202659 on the E21 parts explosion 21/1, is that the one you are referring to? Its a black plastic pin. I will try to check whether the release arm is moving correctly when depressed.

 

For bleeding, I used a windscreen washer pump as a friend recommended,  worked great until the seals understood that they were in contact with dot4 and not washer fluid. Did bleed the system though before expiring.