Clutch pedal snaps to floor when I try to pull it back up during bleeding
 

Hi everyone! First of all, I am a brand new member and apologize if I am posting in the wrong section at all, I've been jumping around the threads and I think I'm in the right place based on the rules I've read.

On my 94 accord ex coupe MT, I just replaced the clutch master and slave cylinders and prepared to refill/bleed the system. I hooked the clutch pedal back up, and is sucked to the floor. Even when I pull it up it immediately snaps (not falls, SNAPS) back to the floor as soon as I let go of it. I've watched a lot/read a lot of how-to's of bleeding the clutch system, as I am a novice and never attempted this before, but it seems like every case I come across the pedal remains down when you push it down and up when you pull it up. My question is, what causes the pedal to snap down when I let go after pulling it up? Any advice is helpful, thanks!

When you pull the pedal up with the system sealed and not fluid, you probably create a vacuum that pulls the pedal back down.

Open up the bleeding bolt,pull up the pedal, then see if it snaps back down.

Yeah I've tried this repeatedly and it still snaps back down. Not sure what's up.

On the 94, how difficult would it be to remove the MC and bench-bleed it? That might be the ticket.

Otherwise, how are you equipped for bleeding?

If possible, inject fluid INTO the bleed-screw of the slave cylinder. Fill from the bottom upwards so you aren't trying to push air bubbles downhill.

I've always looped a string under the pedal, and used that together with my foot. Keep the pedal under control & don't let it snap. Usually my experience is the pedal snapping UPWARDS which tends to suck air into the system.

Well, it was a fight to get the master installed in the first place, but maybe that is the way to go like you said. As far as I can tell though the system is full of fluid, unless the master isn't taking fluid properly for some reason? I've bled a lot of fluid through the system but maybe there is air trapped in the master somewhere. It's probably all operator error :confused:

I had a pedal do this on a Porsche 928. What I did was take a piece of vacuum hose and run it from the bleed screw one of the front brake calipers to the bleed screw on the clutch slave.

I had someone open both screws while I pressed on the brake pedal. The hydraulic pressure fed through the vac. line through the slave cylinder, pressurizing the clutch hydraulics from the other side. It popped the clutch pedal back up.

From there I bled both systems to make sure no air remained. It's not a guaranteed thing, but worth a try.

Well, as it turns out, my entire problem was that I did not have the clutch free-play adjustment bolt in anywhere near the position the old one was in. Once I figured this out and made the proper adjustment, the pedal was able to go beyond the point where the spring tension would suck it back down and return to its normal position. After this, I was able to do the normal bleeding procedure.

I guess this is the type of stuff you run into being new to cars (mechanically speaking anyway) and having never tried it before. Thanks everyone for the input though, I'm sure I'm going to need all the help I can get with this car!

BTW I'm hoping to post pics of both of my vehicles soon too. Not much to look at yet but I love them anyway!

:cool: