Clutch Pedal Travel

[j90xxx]

Replaced the leaking clutch slave cylinder today.
Easy job.
Not so easy to bleed the system!
Took 2 hrs and now I have a problem. cratch:
If the clutch pedal has 6 inches of travel (for example), I now have 4 inches of nothing (no resistance) and 2 inches of resistance with the bite right at the bottom. The clutch works (just about), but it is obviously not right.
Where have I gone wrong?
The clutch was fine before.

[FeuxLingo]

Sounds like you still have a lot of air in the system to me. Brakes that arent fully bled exhibit the symptoms you describe.

[j90xxx]

That's what I thought.
But bled and bled till no air visible. Then bled again. And again.
Took ages to get any pedal at all (and pedal wouldn't even return to the top without manually pulling it), just went straight to the floor.

[FeuxLingo]

That's what I thought.
But bled and bled till no air visible. Then bled again. And again.
Took ages to get any pedal at all (and pedal wouldn't even return to the top without manually pulling it), just went straight to the floor.

Unless you have a leak, or there's something wrong with the clutch master cylinder (internal leak), then it can only be air in the system.

[JohnM]

Has the slave cylinder been fitted with the bleed nipple higher than the fluid pipe, I don't know if it is possible to fit it 180 degrees out, but it does sound like air in the system and if the bleed nipple was below the pipe it might allow air to be trapped in the cylinder.
Assuming that the clutch worked OK other than leaking fluid prior to the swap then your problem has got to be something that has just been changed.
If you had similar symptoms prior to the swap than you could have problems with the clutch release arm or release bearing inside the bellhousing. I'm new to Citroens, but used to have a Land Rover that had the £10 clutch arm fail on two occasions. (engine or gearbox out)
Have you been losing clutch fluid or is there some other reason that you have diagnosed a knackered slave cylinder.

[ron]

If you can restrict the movement of the slave piston,open & close the nipple at each pump,it should clear the air.With the piston held back creating a smaller space behind it,you get a better "scouring" effect making the fluid travel faster & taking the air with it.

[j90xxx]

It was air illyme: , a lot of it!
The tiny rubber seal on the end of the hydraulic pipe where it enters the slave cylinder wasn't seated correctly, so was drawing fluid AND air.
Sometimes the simplest things catch you out? illyme:
Refitted and bled the system. It appears to be working fine now.
Thanks everyone for your replies. :thumbsup:

[andy-womble]

Fitters, I've s*it 'em !!!!

Glad you've sorted though Martin...