# 88 Chevy 1 ton manual tran clutch bleed



## plowcrack (Dec 18, 2009)

It started with a starter replacement, then it turned into a slave cylinder replacement (while I'm at it) and a clutch line replacement(while I'm at it). How the heck do you bleed the slave and clutch line? I got hard petal, soft petal, wife helping me, brake fluid all over me and the cat, wife pi$$ed, stil no clutch.

Anyone here got the same 88 Chevy 1 ton 3 speed manual trans? how do you bleed?


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## sweetk30 (Sep 3, 2006)

88 - up new body = long crossover bending line and major pain in the butt. the master is sloped away from the firewall just a bit and can suck air at the pickup point for fluid when it looks like there is lots of fluid still in the master. had a friend hold the master resivor up by flexing the resivor by hand and bleading this way but still takes a bit to do it. 

73 - 87 - 91 square body style but only 85-91 got hydro clutch also pain to blead but i have done it fast n easy by removing the whole master/line/slave and bleading by hand with friend on a bench and holding in dissrent ways to keep air out of the system as you blead. then just bolt back in place as 1 unit. 

i like hydro clutch but yes thay can SUCK to blead out if thay go bad and need parts swaped in .


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

plowcrack;1353914 said:


> It started with a starter replacement, then it turned into a slave cylinder replacement (while I'm at it) and a clutch line replacement(while I'm at it). How the heck do you bleed the slave and clutch line? I got hard petal, soft petal, wife helping me, brake fluid all over me and the cat, wife pi$$ed, stil no clutch.
> 
> Anyone here got the same 88 Chevy 1 ton 3 speed manual trans? how do you bleed?


LOL sorry I have no input just had to laugh about the cat and wife.


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## plowcrack (Dec 18, 2009)

Thanks for the advice there sweetk30. This has been a PITA but we got it done this morning. Got my bud to help and finally got good pedal. When I went to pull the slave for the starter replacement, I just could not trust that old hyd line that was attached to it and thats how I got so deep into this repair. (your right, you have to practically stand on your head to install that new clutch line). Heck I even went as far as to put the old slave back on (after having so much problem with the new one that I just installed). So the old slave is back on the tranny and bled properly and new slave on the shelf if somethin goes awry down the road.

Terrapro, that girl was threatening bodily harm after an hour or so of pumping the petal let me tell ya!


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## lilweeds (Aug 3, 2007)

It's more patience then anything. Cool truck, not something you see everyday. Love to see some pics!


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## plowcrack (Dec 18, 2009)

> Love to see some pics!


You want to bleed from the eye sockets?:laughing:

She's an ugly old beast! Super bare bones truck. AM only radio, spedo, fuel gauge, and a bank of idiot lights.

This truck came from Culver Military Academy (Indiana). I am the second owner and had it two years. Looks like Culver ordered this truck back in 88 specifically for plowing. No fluf, just a super basic setup with a Western Plow. When I got it two years ago it had only 68K on the odo. Tons of rust from salt spreading, but still mechanically sound.

With that low geared 3 speed manual trans, the engine is screaming at 50 mph so I don't take her over 45.


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## damian (Jan 29, 2009)

next time use a pump oil can with a hose and pump brake fluid from the slave bleed up to the master it works like a charm.


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## Banksy (Aug 31, 2005)

damian;1356011 said:


> next time use a pump oil can with a hose and pump brake fluid from the slave bleed up to the master it works like a charm.


Sounds like a cool trick.


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

I like that idea.

In my 1980 Buick, which has the clutch system from a 1994 S10, I was able to bleed my clutch by just pumping the pedal 150 times or so with the cover off - and I'm pretty sure it was actually done after 50. It sounds like a lot but it only took a few minutes. Just moving the fluid around allowed the bubbles to migrate upwards, even around turns and bends. I guess if any part of the hose is horizontal or reverses downwards then that wouldn't work, but as long as all of it is facing slightly up, it should work fine.


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