replaced slave cylinder now i have a completely dead pedal

[Thingtwö]

replaced the slave cylinder today and when i removed the fluid line that feeds it fluid was dripping out of it and eventually stopped. i installed the new slave and now i can barely get any fluid to come through, so i disconnected the feed line and i can pull fluid from their no problem. once i did that i reconnected it to the slave and i have been bleeding since 2pm this afternoon, some fluid is coming through my vacuum bleeder but it is mostly just sucking air through and i have absolutely no pedal. i have tried pumping the pedal then releasing the bleed screw and a small amount of fluid leaks out after about thirty seconds. what gives? i should have solid fluid flow and i should have had it a long time ago.
i am using the style of vacuum bleeder that runs off of a compressor. all fittings are tight and do not leak, i have tried to bleed the slave with the bleeder screw everywhere from 1/4 turn to a full turn and i am still not getting fluid flow....could the FTE slave i bought from bav be bad?

thanks,
Matt

[Ian Bowers]

I replaced a slave cylinder on a G260 and it wouldn't push any fluid, I ended up having to replace the master cylinder as well.

[Thingtwö]

I replaced a slave cylinder on a G260 and it wouldn't push any fluid, I ended up having to replace the master cylinder as well.

I was afraid of that...but I thought it was too much of a coincidence that they would fail simoutaneusly. Is there a way to test the clutch master? Or are symptoms pointing definitively towards the clutch master?

[bmwguy325is]

Did you reuse the plastic nipple thing for the hose?
More often than not you need new on or i leaks air.

[Thingtwö]

Did you reuse the plastic nipple thing for the hose?
More often than not you need new on or i leaks air.

What plastic nipple thing? There is a rubber stopper on the end if the slave pushrod and one on the bleeder and there is a plastic cap that covers the whole where the fluid line comes in, which you have to removed to bolt the line back up. All fittings on the bleeder/hoses are air tight (bleeder holds vacuum with the hose on the end of the bleed screw and the screw tightened down)

Edit:
All slave hardware is new and came on the new slave cylinder, only reused parts are the fluid line and nuts to bolt it to bell housing.

[Doughnut]

Bench bleed before installing the master cylinder and slave.

[bmwguy325is]

What plastic nipple thing? There is a rubber stopper on the end if the slave pushrod and one on the bleeder and there is a plastic cap that covers the whole where the fluid line comes in, which you have to removed to bolt the line back up. All fittings on the bleeder/hoses are air tight (bleeder holds vacuum with the hose on the end of the bleed screw and the screw tightened down)

Edit:
All slave hardware is new and came on the new slave cylinder, only reused parts are the fluid line and nuts to bolt it to bell housing.

Shit sorry I meant master. As with the guy above bench bleed. so now what you need is to viloent ly pump the pedal and bleed it.

[Lee Harvey]

Did you reuse the plastic nipple thing for the hose?
More often than not you need new on or i leaks air.

That is beyond idiotic. The nipple on the bleed valve is a dust cover. It physically seals via compression when you seat the bleed screw fully.

Regardless, I got it handled for him. The clutch master cylinder, and subsequently slave cylinder, pull hydraulic fluid from a port that is mounted far forwards and up high in the brake master fluid reservoir, and as such is easily deprived of fluid if the vehicle is lifted from one side only, or the front only. You can do it with just the drivers front lifted, you just need someone holding a secondary reservoir of brake fluid above the master to the point it is basically overflowing.

Also, once from reaches the bleed valve on the slave, one need only have the brake master cylinder reservoir topped off, close the bleed valve, and fully depress the slave cylinder piston and slowly release it if not bolted to the trans, or push the ped to the floor and slowly return it, and the system will self bleed fully in this manner.

Hopefully this information will be found via search and help the next poor soul whose slave fails and he ends up replacing the clutch master and parts grenading whatever else to get hydraulic pressure going.

Either way, Thingtwö is alive and well again. Now if only Thingöne were all buttoned back up... still planning to hold off til the new year to unveil it for its 25th anniversary though currently.