This tutorial is also available in French
➔
Clutch hydraulic system bleeding on Defender Td4
Vehicle ➔ Defender 90 Td4 2013
Difficulty ➔ Easy
Time ➔ 1 hour
Summary
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This tutorial only concerns the Defender Td4. There is another tutorial that deals with bleeding the clutch hydraulic system on Defender Td5
(➔ see the tutorial).
When you see that the brake fluid in the clutch master cylinder reservoir has lost its beautiful amber color, it is time to drain the clutch hydraulic system.
Here are the 2 reasons why we need to regularly change the brake fluid in the clutch system :
• Over time, the brake fluid loses its anti-corrosion properties. The hydraulic system is no longer protected and may rust.
• Over time, the brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air and becomes saturated with water. It then loses its effectiveness.
• Over time, the brake fluid loses its anti-corrosion properties. The hydraulic system is no longer protected and may rust.
• Over time, the brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air and becomes saturated with water. It then loses its effectiveness.
Always use new brake fluid. Never put used fluid back into the clutch master cylinder reservoir.
Brake fluid is extremely aggressive to paint. Be careful not to spill any on the bodywork. Clean any stains immediately with a cloth and water.
Used oils, brake fluids, seals and filters are hazardous waste for the environment. They must in no circumstances be thrown neither in the natural environment, nor in the sanitation network, nor in household waste. They must be deposited in a recycling center.
The Eezibleed kit
The Eezibleed kit allows you to bleed the brake or clutch hydraulic systems by yourself without pressing the pedals. No need to purchase the kit if you have a friend to help you. In this case, you can use the traditional method of bleeding when your assistant presses the brake or clutch pedal.
The Eezibleed kit is powered by compressed air from the spare wheel, which you will need to deflate beforehand to 1.4 bar maximum. For our part, we prefer to go down to 1.0 bar to avoid any risk of brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder reservoir cap.
The Eezibleed kit comes with several reservoir caps. Simply select the cap suitable for the master cylinder reservoir.
When bleeding, the master cylinder reservoir empties much more slowly because it is automatically supplied with new brake fluid by the Eezibleed bottle. It is therefore unnecessary to constantly monitor the brake fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir in order to prevent air from entering the hydraulic system. However, you should still check the Eezibleed bottle from time to time.
Required Tools
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Drain the clutch hydraulic system
Op 01
Locate where the clutch master cylinder is.
Op 02
Remove the cap from the clutch master cylinder reservoir. Unscrew by hand.
Op 03
Empty the clutch master cylinder reservoir. Use the syringe.
Clean the bottom of the reservoir. Use a clean cloth.
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Install the Eezibleed kit
Op 04
Select the Eezibleed kit cap adapted to the Defender's clutch master cylinder reservoir.
Check that it screws perfectly onto the reservoir.
Op 05
Assemble the cap on the kit hose using the seals and nut provided with the Eezibleed kit. Use the 11 mm spanner.
Do not forget to fit the seals on either side of the cap as indicated in the instructions.
Op 06
Hang the Eezibleed bottle near the clutch master cylinder. Use the hook included in the kit.
Fit the cap on the master cylinder reservoir. Screw on by hand.
Do not fill the Eezibleed bottle for now because we will first check the tightness of our installation. This check is essential because if there is a leak at the master cylinder reservoir cap, the brake fluid contained in the bottle will flow and flood the bulkhead.
Before screwing, check that the cap seal is correctly positioned.
Do not overtighten the cap on the reservoir. Screw it until you feel the seal contact the reservoir and tighten an additional 1/8th of a turn.
Op 07
Check the spare wheel pressure. Use the pressure gauge.
Deflate the wheel to reach the maximum of 1.4 bar.
Gunson, the manufacturer of the Eezibleed kit, recommends a maximum pressure of 1.4 bar. For our part, we prefer to go down to 1.0 bar to avoid any risk of brake fluid leaking from the reservoir cap.
Op 08
Connect the Eezibleed kit to the spare wheel.
Check that there are no air leaks at the master cylinder reservoir cap.
Op 09
Disconnect the Eezibleed kit from the spare wheel.
Always disconnect the spare wheel before unscrewing the master cylinder cap or the bottle cap.
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Bleed the clutch hydraulic system
Op 10
Locate where the clutch slave cylinder is.
The clutch slave cylinder is located on the LH side of the gearbox, not far from the oil filter.
Op 11
Remove the cap from the bleeder mechanism on the clutch slave cylinder. Use the flathead screwdriver.
Op 12
Fit the bleed hose (included in the Eezibleed kit) on the used brake fluid recovery tank.
Op 13
Engage the hose on the bleeder mechanism of the clutch slave cylinder. Push by hand.
Op 14
Fill the master cylinder reservoir and the Eezibleed bottle with new DOT4 brake fluid.
Hang the Eezibleed bottle again.
Screw the Eezibleed cap onto the master cylinder reservoir.
When filling, position a cloth around the reservoir to prevent brake fluid splashes on the bulkhead (1st photo).
Make sure that the bottle is almost in a vertical position. Check that the end of the plastic hose touches the bottom of the bottle (3rd photo).
Op 15
Connect the Eezibleed kit to the spare wheel again.
Op 16
Open the clutch slave cylinder bleeder valve 1/2 turn. Turn by hand.
Let the used brake fluid drain until there are no more air bubbles.
Close the bleeder valve. Turn by hand.
The bleeder valve is quite hard to operate. You can use pliers to open it but be careful, the mechanism is plastic and therefore quite fragile.
Check regularly that there is always brake fluid in the Eezibleed bottle. Add more if necessary. It is essential to prevent air from entering the clutch hydraulic system.
Op 17
Disconnect the bleed hose. Pull by hand.
Fit the cap on the bleeder mechanism.
Op 18
Disconnect the Eezibleed kit from the spare wheel.
Remove the Eezibleed kit cap. Unscrew by hand.
Before unscrewing the cap, position the bottle lower than the master cylinder and wait for the hose to empty into the bottle. This will prevent spilling the brake fluid contained in the hose on the bulkhead.
Op 19
Check the level of the clutch master cylinder reservoir. Add or remove brake fluid (DOT4) if necessary.
The fluid level to be respected is marked by a boss inside the master cylinder reservoir (see the arrow in the photo).
Op 20
Fit the clutch master cylinder reservoir cap. Screw on by hand.
When the bleeding operation is complete, always clean the Eezibleed kit elements (bottle, cap, hoses and seals) with brake cleaner. Over time, the brake fluid could attack the rubbers and plastics.
Op 21
Check that the clutch pedal is hard. Press with your foot.
Op 22
Take a road test to verify that the clutch is working perfectly.
The End
