Have to keep bleeding the freaking clutch!
 

Girlfriend's '99 Honda Accord - clutch started to fail (not enough travel on slave cylinder). No problem, changed the master and slave. Did a good bleed (using tubing into a jar routine.) Worked fine - girlfriend impressed http://hondaswap.com/images/smilies/cool.gif.

A couple of weeks later the problem came back http://hondaswap.com/images/smilies/mad.gif. A bleed lasts 2 or 3 weeks then slave travel falls off and I have to bleed the clutch again. Done this three times, so it looks like air is slowly getting sucked into the system somewhere. No visible fluid leaks anywhere.

Any suggestions on what to do next? Little rubber seals on the clutch line fittings? Clutch line itself? Tube to fluid reservoir?

Thanks for any help!

RE: Have to keep bleeding the freaking clutch!
 

Are there any fluid leaks? Anywhere? Don't forget to check the master cylinder piston rod comingthru interior side of firewall (soaks the carpeting).

If NO leaks, then it sounds like the master cylinder needs to be replaced.

RE: Have to keep bleeding the freaking clutch!
 

No fluid leaks - fluid in the reservoir stays up.

Already replaced both master and slave with new parts - did not change the problem of having to bleed the system every three weeks.

Seems like a very small amount of air is getting sucked into the system somewhere, but I can't think of how to diagnose this. There are small rubber seals where the hydraulic lines attach to the master and slave cylinders. Ever hear of air leaks with those? The hydraulic line also has a rubber section, perhaps a pinhole there? Also thought about the tube from the master cylinder to the fluid reservoir maybe letting some tiny air bubbles in? Perhaps the old master was bad and the new master also defective???

Thanks for your help -- and any more suggestions for how to diagnose what to change next!

RE: Have to keep bleeding the freaking clutch!
 

If there were pinholes in any ofthe lines there would be some leakingsomewhere.
Put a signature like mine below and JimBlake's and you may get a suggestion or twofrom one of our residentHonda Tech's;)(or other pro's). Many people wil not answer questions without a signature that provides your car's year, trim, engine, and transmission.
I see from your first post you have a 99 model. By that I know you have to have a 4cyl because Honda didn't make manual transmission V6's till 2003. Many knowlegable members will not answer if they have to figure out this info on their own.

RE: Have to keep bleeding the freaking clutch!
 

Well, he told us what kind of car. That's better than some people.

Care to elaborate? I thought those were flare fittings. No elastomer materials. If you put teflon tape or pipe sealant around there, that might be the problem.
edit... Oops. I just looked up a picture, and thereis some kind of seal there. Don't know much about it.

RE: Have to keep bleeding the freaking clutch!
 

Sig updated -- thanks for the heads up.

Yep, there are little rubber seals where the hydraulic lines attach to the master and slave cylinders. The lines are held with clip pins -- not threaded fittings.

Anyway, the new master cylinder came with a new seal so that was changed. However, the new slave cylinder did not, so I still have the original seal there. Maybe the slave hydraulic line seal was the problem all along? Ordered new ones today and will replace them to see if that makes the system tight...

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1999 Accord LX 4cyl 5spd