The easiest way to bleed the clutch is to use a vacuum pump to pull the fluid and air out of the system while keeping the clutch fluid reservoir topped off. If you use a clear tube it can be easy to see when all the air has exited the system. To keep things clean you should attach a tube to the nipple on the bleeder valve. To remove the air from your clutch system you need to push or pull the air down through the fluid line to the bleeder valve on the slave cylinder. If the slave cylinder does not travel as far as it should, your clutch will not fully disengage making it difficult to shift your transmission, especially into 1 st gear from a stop. This compressing air bubble will absorb much of the fluid being sent from the master cylinder to the slave cylinder keeping the slave cylinder from actuating as far as it should, or even at all. If there is air in the system, that air bubble can compress. The pressure of this fluid will cause the slave cylinder to activate, pushing your clutch fork and disengaging your clutch. As you press the clutch pedal, the master cylinder forces hydraulic fluid, in this case brake fluid, down through the line into the slave cylinder. This procedure is called “bleeding” your clutch system by most mechanics and is important because air in a hydraulic system will cause it to malfunction. If you have replaced the clutch slave or master cylinder, the lines, or simply changed the fluid, you need to do an adequate job removing the air from the system before your clutch will work properly. New cars use hydraulic clutch systems because they are much simpler to install, take up less space and do not require adjustment as your clutch wears down. If you drive a classic car or truck you may have a mechanical clutch meaning it operates by a system of levers, pivot points and connecting rods to translate the movement of the clutch pedal into movement of your clutch pressure plate releasing the clutch. In most cases, it may even use brake fluid as its working fluid. The clutch system in your vehicle most likely works very similarly to your brake system.

Saturn ion slave cylinder replacement