Changing clutch fluid

[Civardi]

Since I am doing the diff this weekend and just got a new radiator I figured why not do the whole car. I saved this link from before I had my V.

http://www.rangeracceleration.com/Clutch_Care.html

Has anyone tried this? Fluid in mine is really dark. So if I wanted to switch from the DOT3 to the Royal Purple Synchromax does it need to be flushed or will this method work?

[benelliwang]

I've bled my C5 clutch 3 times over the years (same location on c5 & c6), and it is not as hard as that links Alternative 3 says.
1. Jack car up.
2. Drink beer.
3. Call wife.
4. Crawl under car with one wrench.
5. Open the valve with wrench.
6. Tell wife to push clutch like she wants to kick me.
7. Close valve.
8. Repeat 5 to 6 & refill reservoir until the fluid is done.
9. Drink more beer.
10. Wipe clean.
11. Lower car.
12. Buy wife jewelry for help me with car.

[PISNUOFF]

I tried that 'just keep refilling and pumping' method and it did not work for me. It really only takes 5 minutes to fully bleed the system. Ben has it right, but I used a rubber hose and didn't have to wipe anything clean. Also, no wife and I don't buy the G/F anything for helping. She just thinks it's nice to spend time with me.

[ewill3rd]

It will have to be bled, it sucks... but no real way around it.

[Bueller]

If you use the remove some, add some, remove, add and so on...why won't this work? I can understand if you remove too much and bleed in some air. Please help me understand. Thanks

[ewill3rd]

Adding fluid on top and pumping the clutch will just cause the fluid to move back and forth, it will never put the fluid on top to the bottom.
Imagine a long pipe with fluid in it, putting some on one end will hardly replace the fluid at the other.
The bleeder screw is at the bottom end, the only way to effectively remove the fluid is to open the bleeder and force the fluid through from the top by flushing it out.
There are no magical forces that rotate the fluid through a single straight pipe, it just sits there until the molecules on top press them down.
When the force is released they just move back up a little.

[trukk]

Originally Posted by ewill3rd

Adding fluid on top and pumping the clutch will just cause the fluid to move back and forth, it will never put the fluid on top to the bottom.
Imagine a long pipe with fluid in it, putting some on one end will hardly replace the fluid at the other.
The bleeder screw is at the bottom end, the only way to effectively remove the fluid is to open the bleeder and force the fluid through from the top by flushing it out.
There are no magical forces that rotate the fluid through a single straight pipe, it just sits there until the molecules on top press them down.
When the force is released they just move back up a little.

WOW is Bill talking about fluid dynamics and molecules

All you guys need to do what I do....Have Bill flush and change the clutch fluid the next time you are at Lindsay Cadillac. So much easier to stroke a check. Bleeding the clutch is a PITA.

-Chris

[Civardi]

Originally Posted by trukk

All you guys need to do what I do....Have Bill flush and change the clutch fluid the next time you are at Lindsay Cadillac. So much easier to stroke a check. Bleeding the clutch is a PITA.

-Chris

I am on the west coast or I would be there. How much of a check will I be writing to have this done?

[lollygagger8]

ewill's write up:
http://www.cadillacfaq.com/faq/answers/clutchbleed.html

just one question: where's the bleeder valve, any pics?

[lilred]

Yes inquiring minds want to know. I need to do this as well. Already have Amsoil DOT 4 brake fluid on order.

[benelliwang]

If you are truely lazy, install one of these and you can bleed the clutch from the engine bay:
http://www.thelapd.com/index.php?mai...roducts_id=194

This is great for track day people who likes to bleed all the fluids before the event.

[lollygagger8]

I'm cheap and am not going to change fluid every other day.... where's the bleeder?

[trukk]

Originally Posted by benelliwang

If you are truely lazy, install one of these and you can bleed the clutch from the engine bay:
http://www.thelapd.com/index.php?mai...roducts_id=194

This is great for track day people who likes to bleed all the fluids before the event.

Installing the remote bleeder is an absolute no brainer when you do a clutch swap, untill then, that's a lot of work to pull so much appart just to install it.

-Chris

[benelliwang]

Originally Posted by trukk

Installing the remote bleeder is an absolute no brainer when you do a clutch swap, untill then, that's a lot of work to pull so much appart just to install it.

-Chris

Yeap no brainer.

It can be easily done in corvettes though, we just pop the mid pipes and bottom cover and it is there. I can get there in 30 minutes including beer drinking. I guess it not the same with a CTS-v?

[mbiker97_old]

The bleeder is on the driver side of the trans almost touching the body tunnel at the top. It's in a awful spot. Did the same steps as listed above, but made my friend pump the clutch for me. I may have to install one of those remote bleeders since the system seems to get contaminated really quickly.