when bleeding clutch, fluid shoots out the top...?

[Jeffrimerman]

I have clutch drag so I'm just bleeding to try to eliminate it. When I take the cover off the master cylinder and pull the lever, fluid shoots out the top. I'm thinking this shouldn't be the case. But please tell me if that is normal. When I bled the brakes it didn't do that. On all the cars I've done it doesn't do that. Maybe my master cylinder is going bad and that's why I can't eliminate the drag?

 

[ZackDaniels]

That shouldn't be the case. Bleeding should be done from the slave and its dedicated bleeder valve. Fluid shouldn't be shooting out anywhere else.

If you're loosening the master to bleed it then that's another matter... don't do that

Turn the bars a bit so that the reservoir is above the master and air bubbles don't get all hung up in it. Once you have good pressure and don't see bubbles coming up in the reservoir anymore then level the bars and top off the fluid.

 

[Jeffrimerman]

Sorry, I should have said I'm bleeding the hydraulic clutch system. I only took the cover off to add fluid so no air gets in. I'm bleeding at the slave cylinder nipple.

So you're saying I shouldn't have fluid spraying out the top...ok. I googled and found someone with this issue in a car and people said it was normal. I wonder if I need to rebuild the master.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

Mines always done this very slightly, it's when you first pull the lever in the first tiny bit of travel. Pull it quick or rapidly and a small little jet will shoot up out of the little hole where fluid enters into the pressure side of the piston.
Its only in the first little bit of travel because after that the piston blocks that little hole, if it does this through the entire range of travel then the master prolly is bad.

You can test this for "bleed back" by pulling the lever all the way in and tie wrapping it down, wait a while, then hold the lever down, cut the tie wrap and slowly release the lever judging how much pressure there is pushing against the lever.

If it is still holding pressure after an hour or two then you master is fine, if it's not then the clutch spring is pushing the fluid around the piston and back into the reservoir and the master is bad.

If you think about how the piston gets its fluid onto the pressure side it's normal.
When your bleeding just Pull the lever gently and slowly so that little jet of fluid doesn't break the surface of the level in the reservoir.

You won't see this on a car because of the size of the reservoir and it's distance from the master's piston I think.

Oh, speed bleeder valves are the grade A shitz!!

 

[Jeffrimerman]

Ok I get it. Yeah mine does it also only on the first millimeter or so of travel, but it shoots like 10 inches, but after then it doesn't. I think I see a slight hump in the fluid after though, but I'll check that again to see and I'll give your technique a try. Thanks Rusty McNeil. Do your friends call you Rusty Nail?=)

 

[Fire-medic]

I think everyone who works on their bikes will tell you the same thing-a 'jet' of fluid is normal, at the first bit of travel. If you pull hard & fast, a 'big, high' jet. If you pull slowly, a 'low' jet. Wipe that spillage up! Repaint time if you miss it. I use a terrycloth towel, white, under the master cyl so I can see any spillage.

Make sure you keep the reservoir over 1/2 full, if you don't and cock the handlebars so the reservoir interior return port is uncovered by fluid, you will introduce air into the system. Then you will have to bleed it.

I used to use a Mityvac to bleed the slave cyl until I started to use a 60 ml syringe & a short length of clear tubing to reverse-flush the system, pushing fluid into the slave & then filling the handlebar reservoir (which already has some fluid in it). It's been discussed numerous times on-here. It seems to work better to get the air out, as you are pushing the air up towards the top of the sealed system, instead of trying to 'flush-down' the air bubbles, by pulling the fluid from the top down as-in the traditional use of the Mityvac, where it's attached to the slave bleed screw.

 

[Sonoran6]

The master on my Honda did the same thing, 1st bike curiosity I took off the master cover and wondered what would happen if I squeezed the clutch handle, squirted fluid strait up in the air. I quickly put the cover back on and quit messing with shit I had no clue about LOL

 

[dannymax]

Jeff....does the fluid shoot up if you pull the lever slowly or only when you give it a quick squeeze?

When doing conventional bleeding you don't have to do a 'full lever squeeze' everytime to build pressure....bring the master piston past the tiny hole (that Rusty mentioned) and then work the lever.

 

[swrsmik]

I did a slave on my max and couldn't get it pumped back up so I used a trigger style oil can with the flexible spout & a piece of hose a pumped it up from bottom.worked great!had I knew of this forum then I could have saved hours of stress.yes you can shoot some out the master cylinder.when I bleed normally(brakes etc)i find it better to do a slow pump with bleeder open & close when down.doing it slow seems to push air out faster.just my thought,others my differ.

 

[Jeffrimerman]

ok thanks everyone. If I barely tap it seems to squirt pretty good, but maybe that's a sign of a healthy master. If I go super slow then it's ok, but I needs to be really really slow. It easily shoots a foot in the air without much speed on the pull. After that initial travel then it doesn't do that so it much be fine. I'll have to look for a syringe and do the injection from the slave idea

 

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I've seen a little burp in the fluid but nothing as severe as your describing. I've always had good luck using a mighty vac followed by the traditional pump n dump then I wire tie the lever to the grip overnight.

 

[m-cman]

Oh, speed bleeder valves are the grade A shitz!!

I have these now and they make it easy to bleed the brakes and clutch. Have Mity-Vac also but no longer use since getting speed-bleeders.