Suction bleeder for clutch fluid?

[So Bay Vetter]

I'm going to replace the clutch fluid on my 96 LT4. Rather than removing the slave cylinder and pedal bleeding it per the manual, I was thinking of trying the suction bleeder I used to bleed my brakes. Has anyone tried this?

 

[tomtom72]

Hi, I'm a rookie to C4's so take this as just 'food for thought' because I'm not experienced enough to talk intelligently about a C4's systems. I asked at my local chevy dealer's parts dept & they told me they don't stock the clutch fluid, GM P/N 12345347. I was told about a site to go check out, zfdoc.com. I would strongly suggest going there & doing some reading. Please don't take my response to be anything but a suggestion. I'm figuring that you have a ZF 6 spd in your car like I have in my 90 Z?

I would think that using a mity-vac to suck the fluid out of the clutch master cylinder reservior only, would work & maybe if repeated over a few days you would get out most of the fluid out of the system. I was thinking of doing the same thing. You know take about 9/10ths of the reservior's fluid & cycling the pedel & sucking out more fluid. I figured after a few days you would have to have removed most of the old fluid, right? Then I went to zfdoc & did some reading & I think the process they have there is better than what I was thinking. JMHO, Tom

 

[So Bay Vetter]

Hi, I'm a rookie to C4's so take this as just 'food for thought' because I'm not experienced enough to talk intelligently about a C4's systems. I asked at my local chevy dealer's parts dept & they told me they don't stock the clutch fluid, GM P/N 12345347. I was told about a site to go check out, zfdoc.com. I would strongly suggest going there & doing some reading. Please don't take my response to be anything but a suggestion. I'm figuring that you have a ZF 6 spd in your car like I have in my 90 Z?

Tom- Yes, my tranny is the ZF-6. Thanks for the web site ref., very informative! I did find GM clutch fluid at my dealer but it was their last bottle and had been hidden in the back collecting dust (I guess most folks either don't change the clutch fluid or they use something else). It's not a very big bottle, probably just enough to re-fill the system once.

As for bleeding, my thinking was to just hook the mighty vac up to the slave bleeder screw and draw the fluid out as I did with my brakes. The dirty fluid in the resivoir I'll pull out with a turkey baster.

 

[c4cruiser]

A Miti-Vac should work fine to pull the old fluid out. There is not a lot of fluid in the clutch system so keep a close eye on the fluid level in the master reservoir. The chances are that the new fluid will become dark quickly. When I flushed the fluid in my 87, I sucked out the fluid from the master and wiped the inside walls as clean as I could pulled two fillings of the reservoir thru the slave and the new fluid still turned black within a week.

I used DOT3 brake fluid in my system. The GM fluid works well but brake fluid has close to the same properties.

 

[tomtom72]

So Bay Vetter & C4cruiser, Oh you are lucky cause my local chevy dealer says the only way I get the GM clutch fluid is I gotta take a case @ $300.00! The dealer said they just use DOT 3 or at least that what the parts guy found out for me by asking one of the service writters. That was two months ago. Now after becoming a customer there & doing the right NYC thing with the grease in the right places the parts guy, ser. writter & their senior vette tech are jazzed about a customer with a Z. Actually the senior vette tech is the only one there that remembers & has worked on a Z! He's about my age, 50ish, and he & I have come to a meeting of the minds. He told me not to use the DOT 3 brake fluid unless absolutely necessary & he directed me to zfdoc.com for proof. I had already found the site but it was heartening to talk to a senior tech that is into the 'vette head', if you know what I mean. I now have some allies close to home; it makes me feel better cause this car is one big unknown to me. Last vette I had & worked on was a 72 LT-1, that car was simple comparred to a C4!!!

Your method is the correct one, as stated by B B @ zfdoc! I haven't even gotten around to looking at my slave yet as my level is okay & holding steady & clear. The tech said to watch it & if it changes to dark the hose from the master to the slave is to be R & R'ed in the least, at worst he said do master & slave & hose & get the right fluid. Mine is not itching so I'm not going to scratch it yet! I eye it once a week. On the 90 Z's the OE slave has no bleeder that you can use cause they broke it off to fit under floor pan. The replacement slaves have bleeder in wrong position to do bleed with slave mounted, you gotta let it hang & bleed it & then bolt it in place. Ain't this fun? Rock on guys! I'm learn'in, slowly, but I'm getting there. Tom.