how do i bleed the clutch fluid to replace with new fluid

[agarcia]

i am a weekend racer. i want to replace my clutch fluid for high heat fluid anyone know how to do this i have the manitnace manual and it doesent say how ?

[evildky]

cluthc fluid doesn't normally get hot but it's your time and money, unless you are running silicoln brake fluid you can just pump the system low and start adding the new stuf till you've flushed all the old out, if you get a silicoln based fluid a pressure bleeder with air only will help you evacuate the system completely before adding the new stuff

if you plan to track the car brack fluid and PS fluid are much mroe common prolems, also a baffeled oil pan is hihgly recomended

[HeavyDuty]

cluthc fluid doesn't normally get hot but it's your time and money,

This car has a brake/clutch system...house? shielding the brake and clutch masters from the engine heat. The only area that's inherently weak on the clutch system is the flexible line that is covered with a heat shielding that goes from the hard line terminus to the clutch operating cylinder.

If you want to change that line on account of age, get a new one (stock or aftermarket) then go to the CL(?) section of your factory service manual and you would follow the instructions for replacing a operating cylinder. It will include bleeding instructions.

[agarcia]

when im on the track after a day of hard driveing my clutch peddle is sluggish and not verry responsive. if its not fluid over heat then what do u guys think it is? can u tell me more about this rubber line located in the system?

[HeavyDuty]

when im on the track after a day of hard driveing my clutch peddle is sluggish and not verry responsive. if its not fluid over heat then what do u guys think it is? can u tell me more about this rubber line located in the system?

I don't see what year your 350 is, but on an 03, look under the car on the driver's side and you'll see the operating cylinder mounted to the bellhousing. The line connected to it has a silver reflective covering on it and goes from the operating cylinder to the hard line from the master. When these lines get old and tired, they flex, (or balloon(?) outwards instead of pushing the full pressure through to the slave. Does that make sense?

(The reason I asked about the year is that the newer ones have a hydraulic throwout bearing and not a clutch slave, etc. I don't know what the flex line system looks like on the newer models.)

That silver covering is to protect it from the heat, but I've had two of them fail, one on a 97 Pathfinder and another on a 03 350Z. The exhaust does cook that line and it can get...spongy. When I removed the one on the 03 I gently bent it into a "U" shape and the silver heat shield and the outer flex shield split in two. I bet some aftermarket company makes a braided stainless line which would help, but I'd still wrap a heatshield on that one too.

On both apps, they were bone stock at the time. You haven't lived until that line bursts while you're in a hell storm with three kids in carseats and the truck starts moving while your foot is still holding the clutch in.


Modified by HeavyDuty at 12:58 PM 7/27/2009

[evildky]

when im on the track after a day of hard driveing my clutch peddle is sluggish and not verry responsive. if its not fluid over heat then what do u guys think it is? can u tell me more about this rubber line located in the system?

probably the trans itse;f getitng hot, upgrade to a race proven full synthetic like redline, royal purple etc

[HeavyDuty]

probably the trans itse;f getitng hot, upgrade to a race proven full synthetic like redline, royal purple etc

To me, full synthetic throughout are a 'given', thought they would have been for the OP as well.

I run Mobil1 in my lawnmower.

[agarcia]

my car is a 2006... and im gonna check out those lines ur the second person who said i should change them im also gonna swap my brake lines foe SS lines. i do run full syntec on all my fluids so i hope the lines help plus the heat sheild..