Clutch pedal woes

Howdy!
First off, I have a 86 2dr Chief with the V6-5sp package 186,xxx miles. Well, like all of them the clutch master was leaking so I replaced it. I'll deal with the electrical problems when I can get the thing to move again. The slave cyl was leaking too, so I rebuilt that too. I bled the system like it says in the Haynes and the FSM. Seemed pretty normal til I put it all back together again. The pedal was rock hard, and still no clutch action. Took the whole thing down and re did it. I thought maybe it was a problem in the clutch itself, but when I was bleeding it again I had the same problem come up. Bled all the bubbles out, had the slave cylinder compressed like it says to, had pretty good pedal, then gave it one more pump and it got hard as a rock. So I am ruling out a problem with the clutch itself. What am I doing wrong? If I loosen the bleed screw I get a couple of pumps, then the pedal gets rock hard again like the master is siezing. I am in a really tight spot since this is my daily driver.
Thanks
Theo

Would the pedal pushrod be binding on anything? That's all I can think of at the moment - or, perhaps, an internal cylinder fault. You rebuilt both cylinders yourself, or did you replace the master and rebuild the slave (just checking?)

If you rebuilt the master yourself, I'd think you may have missed something. Most "reman" hydraulics you buy are actually new (product liability reasons - they make enough either way, but by using new parts in "reman" boxes they don't have to worry about a faulty reman) which is why I'd like to be sure.

Check and make sure you don't have an obstruction of some sort in the master cylinder, and that the pushrod isn't binding up on its way thru the firewall - bleeding may be helping by reducing reisistance, until it binds up again.

Also, check to make sure that the hose isn't faulty - it's possible that a poorly-made hose, when terminated, ends up with a "flapper" that acts as a one-way valve, and the fluid going into the slave can't get back out. Bleeding it reduces the pressure within the slave, and allows a couple pumps until it "goes solid." Come to think of it - check for this first. You can pull the hose and try to blow through it both ways to check for this - or try to push fluid through it in both directions.

5-90

I bought a reman master and rebuilt the slave myself. Might have missed something. Replaced the master because 1) it was leaking on the fuse block and 2) the pushrod stuck in the "all the way out" position. Kinda seemed like the stroke on the way out was too long.
read the part about checking the hose and whacked myself on the forehead. I have had that problem with the brakes on many of my old VWs, and Working at Gates, I get to screw around with hoses all day! it didn't even occur to me to check that! Thanks!

I checked for binding of the rod going in and out of the firewall, and it is good. It took quite a while to flush all the gunk out of the slave, so the line is probably clean. It says in the books that the pushrod stroke may need to be ajusted. Didn't say how though. Where is the ajustment?
Thanks again!
Theo

Sounds like the Slave pushrod is not making it into the pocket on the Clutch fork.

Check that.

But if the fork being out of position was the problem, would I get the same condition when the slave was unattached and compressed?

inthestix said:

But if the fork being out of position was the problem, would I get the same condition when the slave was unattached and compressed?

Click to expand...

You sure would because there is nothing to retract the slave.
When every things right the piston pushes the cluch fork and when you take you foot off the pedal, the fork pushes it back.