So I learned the other day that I'm supposed to be periodically changing out the Clutch fluid on my Grand Sport. I know I have not touched it since I have had the car and that is going on 2 years now.....soooo I thought I better do some service work.

The method I used is the Ranger method named after a guy named Ranger I guess. There is a bleeder screw for the service but you either have to take the intake manifold off or the torque tube and the cats off.....Really, that's all?

So necessity being the mother of invention an easy way to do the service has been worked out.

Here is where the reservoir is located on my car...




Here is the only tool you will need....I found this and had forgotten I had it so did not use the turkey baster..




I'm not the neatest guy so I put plenty of covers on everything....we are dealing with brake fluid so you do not want to get it on the paint. I'm using DOT 4 but DOT 3 will work also.




When I pulled the cap off this is what I saw....oops...it's dry in there....I don't even know how my clutch was working without any juice in it......this is what Bill is doing right now....




Nuts gotta go will finish this later....

don't wait too long!!!

I also use DOT 4 (synthetic) fluid in my clutch... Works better, I think.

I love how you have to take half the car apart to do basic maintenance...

Ok now the rest of my pics did not post to photobucket so I will continue with the thread.

Once I filled the reservoir with new DOT 4 fluid I put the cap back on and pumped the clutch peddle about 20 times.

Then I looked at the fluid again and it had turned darker so I sucked that out with the bulb being careful to not fling it all around. After filling the reservoir again I put the cap on it and pumped the clutch 20 more times and checked the fluid. It was clean so I left it alone and buttoned it all up and went for a drive. After a few days of driving I will look at it again and if dark I will change it out once more.

On the drive I was amazed that it did not take both legs to push the clutch in anymore......very nice! Works smooth as silk now....

ANY QUESTIONS.....? NO....? WELL THEN GET BACK TO WORK....

no more questions, sir.

Where did the fluid go???

Got the same problem on my new clutch system

They're suppose to be sealed

My original was on it's original fluid when it was changed out

w3ird!

Nice job, Marcus. I'm surprised to see that the fluid seemed to disappear.

Now time for brake fluid and p/s fluid as well

You gotta change the brake fluid....?

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Every 2 years/30,000 miles is one good recommendation. Due to the fact that brake fluid attracts water and becomes less effective.

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That is a good question.....I do not have any leaks that I can see on the shop floor or on the bottom side of the car itself.....I will look again on the car itself but it would be a very slow leak...it took 4 years to use up the resevoir....

Ok got the pics finally posted to photobucket....Here is the fluid I used....cost about 9 bucks.....




This is after working the clutch 20 times....





This is adding the product to the resevoir....




This is what the fluid looked like after the second 20 pumps on the clutch....this is the way I left it and will check it after I put some miles on the car....




That's all it takes to maintain the clutch fluid in your C6 or C5. It does take maintenence though as I have learned. Some folks change it out when they change oil but I believe GM says once every two years. That would also depend on how you use your car.....

I have installed clutch remote bleeders on all my LSx cars but once you find and practice with the factory bleeder it's really not that bad.


People swear by the remote bleeders, and for sure they make a clutch bleed easier, but I have had two leak. Pulling the engine to replace the bleeder is way more of a PITA than pulling the driver header and digging around underneath once every two years. I doubt I'll use another remote.

Using the factory bleeder is the best way to do it. You would have thought they would have made it a bit more convienient ...... your car looks great....

The Turkey Baster sucks! :-)

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Anybody try the Tick bleeder? I thiunk this winter I will install it on mine.

I made one custom for my 85 and it worked great,I put a speed bleeder on the end of the SS braided line and tucked it in by the firewall, all I had to do was loosen the bleeder, with the discharge end into a coffee can thru a cut lid, and pump the pedal and it would bleed nicely

That's the best way to do the job and I have heard of others doing what you have done. I may have to look into that this winter......I will need some pics from you when that happens....

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I would like to see pictures of that, as well, if you have them.

I change brake fluid every 300 miles.....on the Ford.

Waitin' on the 10,000 mile interval on the clutch,,,,,,,that'll be an even 1,010,000 on er.

I vacuum bleed everything.

My $10 vacuum bleeder has worked well but finally started to leak.

I'm going to pick up this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/brake-fluid-bleeder-92924.html

These work well and take 1/4 of the time.

Still might be a pain to keep the line on the slave bleeder though.