Duratec clutch bleed nipple

[Bob Shelley]

I need to change the clutch fluid on my Duratec car.The bleed nipple is very difficult to get access to and it is impossible to get a spanner on it and a tube. I have tried getting tube up the centre of a box spanner but can't get a tube that fits.

 

It occurred to me that a solution wold be an extender pipe on the nipple to raise it. Anybody know whether this would be possible and where to get one?

 

Thanks POBC

[Grim Reaper]

Don't see why not, a length of brake pipe with male fitting into the existing bleed nipple hole, female fitting on the other end with the bleed nipple in it.

Try Think Automotive.

[Andy Green]

I used a long nose 9mm (I think) socket.

Put the bleed pipe up the middle of socket.

Had to grind outside of socket flat to get spanner on.

[Guest]

I had the joy of filling the clutch today on the 2.0L Duratec. I found that the nipple was a 5/16" socket. I could not get a pipe through the socket and get the socket on the nipple. I ended up using eezibleed until the liquid was coming out of the nipple. I then quickly removed the pipe and tightened the nipple. I was wondering if that allows air back into the system but at the same time I had no choice.

 

This seems like a major flaw in the clutch system which caterham should sort out or at least provide a tool for.

here

[Guest]

Agree Andrew, I too struggled with that part of the build. Some fluid will inevitably have gone inside the housing but there isn't much you can really do about it.

 

Tom

[Bob Shelley]

Andrew, I ended up using a Gunson one way bleed tube and the pedal. The smaller piece of black tube that it comes with fitted tightly over the nipple. This meant I could loosen the nipple with a thin wall box spanner, fit the tight tube and Gunson one way. After the pedal stroke I could lightly close the nipple by rotating the tube and then remove the tube and retighten the nipple with the box spanner before raising the pedal. After a couple of iterations I had a solid pedal and it has been OK since.

 

A right faff though and it needs two people. Wanted to use my Gunson Eazibleed but the cap doesn't fit the clutch master cylinder reservoir.

 

BM me if you need any further explanantion or help.

 

The other thing this made me realise is that the slave cylinder is inside the bell housing, which means it is engine out to replace. In contrast the Duratec engine on the current Mazda MX5 has an external slave and an actuator rod which connects to the clutch through the bell housing. Good job the engine comes out easily in the Seven!!

[Guest]

Good idea to turn the tube to at least stop any more coming out before you tighten the nipple. Hopefully mine will be ok. If not I will be doing what you have done.

 

Thanks

 

Andrew

[Guest]

Shelleyb,

 

AndrewB is correct, the nut on the nipple is 5/16" and as you have experience, a challenge to fit. It is already on an extension - about 1" long down to the slave cylinder - so when you turn it bear this in mind.

 

When I recently completed my CSR175 build, I made a special tool using a cheap (a few dollars) 5/16" nut driver, by grinding a slot out of the side of the driver tube to allow the bleed tube to be attached to the nipple while the driver turned the nut. You can see a picture of this on my build blog here. The idea was initially suggested by a fellow Brit and Sevener here in California, as referenced on the blog.

 

I suggest that you initially loosen the nipple with a regular 5/16 socket, then nip it gently up, fit the bleed tube, slide the special tool over the tube, bleed as normal, then use the regular socket to re-tighten when done. I actually ended up making a second version of this tool with a much smaller slot (~1cm) since the original twisted more than I wanted. Still, once made, it will be used many times.

 

I hope this helps

 

Edited by - CA Sevener on 27 Jan 2014 06:48:20

 

Edited by - CA Sevener on 27 Jan 2014 06:53:43

[Hanns Per]

I alway unbolt the engine mounts on the frame and push the engine to the side this gives me easier access to the nipples :-)

Rgds

HP

[Grim Reaper]

Do you need something like this here

[Garry7]

From memory, for my build I drilled the centre of a 9mm socket to accept the bleed tube, undid the nipple initially using the socket drive then removed it and inserted the tube through the socket. For bleeding then undid / tightened the nipple by hand on the socket. Once finished finger tightened as tight as poss, removed tube and nipped up with socket drive. Bit of a faff but it worked fine and has lasted almost 2 years without issue

The extender idea looks great but would seem to need fitting prior to attaching the bell housing to the engine? Otherwise the nipple you were removing/replacing would fall inside the bellhousing?

[elie boone]

I have the Raceline bell hereand the slave cil ( from e-bay ) and with this set up the hexagon of the bleed nipple just sits proud of the bellhousing.

[Molecular--Bob]

Not sure, but would something like a vortex socket help in this situation. This is the Halfords version here.

[elie boone]

you need something like this