SS Clutch Hose Upgrade
Discussion
Yipee! no more crunching gears and slightly easier shifting now, after replacing the dreaded red hose!
For those who have not done it yet, it is certainly a worth while upgrade. We went out on a fun run with the club last weekend and gave it heaps, no probs at all.
If your doing the upgrade yourself, we found the key was bleeding the hose properly.
Cheers
Kylie
89 Esp Turbo
For those who have not done it yet, it is certainly a worth while upgrade. We went out on a fun run with the club last weekend and gave it heaps, no probs at all.
If your doing the upgrade yourself, we found the key was bleeding the hose properly.
Cheers
Kylie
89 Esp Turbo
Hi there same method as per in this link: www.lotusespritworld.co.uk/EMaintenance/clutchhose.html
Although we jacked up the front higher than the back for better movement of the air bubbles.
After we were satisfied that the clutch had its positive feel again, we got a jar of water, put the hose (slave cylinder end)in it and bleed some of the liquid out into the water through the bleed nipple. This you can see visually any bubbles coming out.
You really need two people to do this, one person pushing on the clutch and checking fluid levels (you don't want to let the fluids run out, or you start the bleeding process over again) The other person underneath watching for clean flow of liquid coming through. You may have to adjust the clutch fork as well, like we did.
Regards
Kylie
Although we jacked up the front higher than the back for better movement of the air bubbles.
After we were satisfied that the clutch had its positive feel again, we got a jar of water, put the hose (slave cylinder end)in it and bleed some of the liquid out into the water through the bleed nipple. This you can see visually any bubbles coming out.
You really need two people to do this, one person pushing on the clutch and checking fluid levels (you don't want to let the fluids run out, or you start the bleeding process over again) The other person underneath watching for clean flow of liquid coming through. You may have to adjust the clutch fork as well, like we did.
Regards
Kylie
yes, do not use water as the fluid is very capable of picking up mositure and that is what leads to corrosion of the interior of the cylinders. Once that happens the seals are shot. It is very possible that the person on the pedal end could by accident allow the pedal to retract sucking up water into the system. The moisture that normally causes corrosion is wicked from the atmosphere so water would be bad to use. I use a small plastic hose on the bleed nipple into a jar with fluid.
One person pumps the pedal a few times and holds it 1/2 way down and the other hits the bleeder then tightens it down just before the pedal hits the floor. Repeat as many times as nessesary and keep the fluid topped up in the master. Fluid is cheap.
Calvin 90 SE
>> Edited by cnh1990 on Tuesday 17th June 14:45
One person pumps the pedal a few times and holds it 1/2 way down and the other hits the bleeder then tightens it down just before the pedal hits the floor. Repeat as many times as nessesary and keep the fluid topped up in the master. Fluid is cheap.
Calvin 90 SE
>> Edited by cnh1990 on Tuesday 17th June 14:45
AZ88Turbo said: I did the SS hose upgrade a few weeks ago and it made a little improvement (I live in Arizona and it's around 107 degrees right now so I thought the improvement would be more). I actually found more improvement when I changed the gear oil to Redline MT90, made a world of difference!
Re bleed after the car has been driven for a while, small mirco bubbles will then have a chance to merge into something that can be bled off. Check your fork adjustment.
Calvin 90 SE
AZ88Turbo said: I did the SS hose upgrade a few weeks ago and it made a little improvement (I live in Arizona and it's around 107 degrees right now so I thought the improvement would be more). I actually found more improvement when I changed the gear oil to Redline MT90, made a world of difference!
AZ88,
Two completely different animals. The MT-90 works to assist your synchros engage as it is slightly less 'slippery' than many other gear oils allowing the synchro to 'grab' sooner. This has nothing to do with the action of the clutch hydraulics.
As Calvin mentioned, there may still be air in the system, so you'll want to try bleeding the line again.
Another possibility could be your slave and/or master cylinder. Switching to the SS line will put additional stress on these as the energy which formally was lost to expanding the red hose is now acting directly upon the seals allowing some older, 'iffy' ones to start to leak where they previously could withstand the reduced pressure.
I rebuilt my master and replaced the slave (cheaper than having the old one sleeved) when I did the hose switch and I would recommend that others with a car more than 10 years old do the same. That way, each component of the system is in optimal condition.
What did the fluid look like in your master prior to when you made the switch? If it looked really dark, this is the dissolved carbon released from your deteriorating seals. Brake Fluid reacts with the natural rubber of the seals over time, Castrol LMA reacts a little slower, but reacts nonetheless. So, if bleeding doesn't do it, think about investing another $100 for a master cylinder rebuild kit and a new slave cylinder. The rebuild is easy and would take less than an afternoon. Happy Motoring! Jim'85TE
lotusguy said:
[quote] So, if bleeding doesn't do it, think about investing another $100 for a master cylinder rebuild kit and a new slave cylinder. The rebuild is easy and would take less than an afternoon. Happy Motoring! Jim'85TE
Hi Jim,
Just an FYI... I paid $59 usd for a brand new master cyl and $54 usd for a new 'aluminum' slave cyl from JAE last February when I did my SS clutch line replacement.
- Mark91SE
Mark91SE said:
[quote] So, if bleeding doesn't do it, think about investing another $100 for a master cylinder rebuild kit and a new slave cylinder. The rebuild is easy and would take less than an afternoon. Happy Motoring! Jim'85TE
Hi Jim,
Just an FYI... I paid $59 usd for a brand new master cyl and $54 usd for a new 'aluminum' slave cyl from JAE last February when I did my SS clutch line replacement.
- Mark91SE
Mark,
I was pretty close, but I was referring to a rebuild kit for the master which I believe I paid $38 for from Jeff @JAE + the new slave. Happy Motoring! Jim'85TE
Calvin said:
Re bleed after the car has been driven for a while, small mirco bubbles will then have a chance to merge into something that can be bled off. Check your fork adjustment.
Calvin 90 SE
I put a couple of hundred miles on my car after fitting the SS clutch hose and found that I was still having trouble engaging reverse without a big crunch.
I re-bled the system yesterday and was surprised at the amount of air that came out.
The gearbox is now a much happier animal.
Pat.
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