Perth-WRX.com - View Single Post

Pimpreza · #9 14-01-2008, 10:21 AM

Taken from RSLC, thank Doug - DT Rally

I know a lot of guys have trouble bleeding their Subaru clutch because the bleeder is at the lowest part of the cylinder and it's near impossible to get all the air out.
The traditional method also usually requires two people.
Reverse bleeding is easy to do on your own and will eliminate any air better than any other way I know. This is how we used to do MG's, Hillmans, Sunbeam Tigers and other brilliantly engineered British cars

Step 1/ Buy the biggest syringe the local chemist or Vet will sell you, 10 or 20cc works well.

Step 2/ use the syringe to suck all the old fluid out of the clutch reservior and wipe it clean.

Step 3/ push a short piece of 4mm clear tube (windscreen washer tube works well) onto the end of the syringe, pull it up full of brake fluid from a fresh bottle and expell any air by holding it vertically with the outlet upward. Be careful, brake fluid disolves car paint

Step 4/ put a 10mm ring spanner (never an open ender) on the slave cylinder bleeder, push the clear tubing onto the nipple, crack the bleeder 1/2 turn and slowly shoot the fluid in.

Step 5/ It is beneficial to also push the fork pushrod back into the cylinder at the same time and hold it fully in. This reduces the chance of air being trapped in the slave cylinder bore.

Step 5/ When the contents of the syringe are pushed through the system any air will bubble upwards into the reservior. It may require 2 or 3 syringe fulls to get the air all out. Just tighten the bleed screw each time you remove the syringe to recharge it. I leave the tubing connected to the screw and simply pull the syringe off the end, holding the hose end upward prevent fluid running out. When you re-connect the syringe simply draw a little fluid back from the line to capture any air introduced while it was disconnected. If you keep the syringe with the plunger upward, the bubble will float to the other end and it won't go back into the tube.

Step 6/ Top up the reservior with fresh fluid to the level mark.

Using this method it is not necessary to remove the cylinder and tilt it in any way. One person can do it easily. If you have a FMIC it's even easier to access the cylinder.