R56 brake bleeding

[k-huevo]

To remove the slave "pipe", pull retainer clip back with a screwdriver.


Place blade of screw driver between collet and slave feed neck, turn sideways to leverage collet upwards. It is easy to crack the collet, don't use brute force to remove.


After pulling pipe from slave neck, be sure rubber grommet/O-ring is attached to its end.


If not, use a right angle pick or bent end of a paper clip to pull grommet from feed neck.




Press grommet back on the pipe and make sure if fits over the retainer lip.

Bleed the slave once before compressing the plunger, err on the side of caution this time, stop compressing before the boot is completely collapsed. Photo below is not fully compressed.


More than a few ounces of fluid may need to flow before the main air void passes.

[mini_racer]

Thanks for the tips K, I will definitely keep them in mind for the new slave install.

However, measuring from my pic the amount of plunger depression is almost exactly what you are showing in the tip picture, so I am still not sure exactly what I need to do differently. Ah well, maybe it was just time for my old slave to go, I dunno.

Thanks Again..............

[kimberlein]

Originally Posted by mini_racer

...
However, measuring from my pic the amount of plunger depression is almost exactly what you are showing in the tip picture, so I am still not sure exactly what I need to do differently...

It looks to me like the end of the rubber boot in your picture (left side of your picture) is concave, but in Senor Huevo's picture it's still convex (right side of his picture). Yes?

I am sorry I led you into this hell by making you bleed your clutch slave.

But hey, what am I doing participating in the jack of this R56 thread toward R53-ism?!

[mini_racer]

Originally Posted by kimberlein

It looks to me like the end of the rubber boot in your picture (left side of your picture) is concave, but in Senor Huevo's picture it's still convex (right side of his picture). Yes?
Yes, it does look like that, but only because I had the boot dislodged from the end-piece of the plunger. Once I pulled the boot all that way back on the end piece, it looks the same. The critical dimension it the plunger depression length, and that is the same regardless of the boot location.

I am sorry I led you into this hell by making you bleed your clutch slave.
No worries, you win some and then not so much on others.


But hey, what am I doing participating in the jack of this R56 thread toward R53-ism?!

Oh come on, does this really qualify as a jack? This aspect of first gen to second is almost exactly the same. Certainly, all that been written applies to both.

[kimberlein]

Originally Posted by mini_racer

Oh come on, does this really qualify as a jack? This aspect of first gen to second is almost exactly the same. Certainly, all that been written applies to both.

Yes, it all applies to both. But since we can't drink beer using text, I just made that joke to lighten our moods. Oh wait! We can drink beer here!

[mini_racer]

I want beer too.............

Oh and a working clutch, yeah beer and a clutch, that will make me happy, at least for a little while.

[BThayer23]

Originally Posted by mini_racer

Thanks for that.
Were you able to determine anything you may have done that it did not like? I did pick up a replacement today, but I do not really know what I am going to do differently to be successful with this one.

Yeah, when you try to jam it into a BMW bleed tool and the piston slips out and goes sideways, it doesn't like that.

Mine's still not right. I'm going to try to bleed it again sometime with a wood block a la agranger's method. (see library)

[mini_racer]

I am finally at the end of my Clutch Slave odyssey, OK it was really yesterday, but close enough.

A few points to make:
1. My original slave was actually bad. At first glance under the boot it was slightly damp. After the various bleeds, some gravity, some with up to 14psi, it was wet. I mean now it was dripping wet under the boot.

2. Shout out to K-huevo with his advice on bleeding methods. Keith suggested to jiggle the pedal to possibly dislodge any trapped bubbles, and that proved very useful for me with the new slave installed. So, the clutch pedal did not feel good until I jiggled the pedal, this really made a difference. Thanks Keith

3. I utilized a different fancy special tool that worked great for me. Just go ahead and mount the slave to the tranny, and just wedge a small block of 1/2" plywood between the clutch lever arm and the plunger. Nice and simple.

I slid a putty knife in there first.
Then the 2" X 6" block of 1/2" plywood, a smaller piece of 1/2" plywood would work as well.


The putty knife can come out or you can leave it for the bleed, it does not matter.