i know this is old stuff for you seasoned veterans, but here it is anyway.
my '84 SE with duke and 4 speed manual wasnt shifting, because the slave cylinder was leaking, the fluid was dirty, and bleeding it only helped for a couple of days. i rebuilt it about a year ago, but that apparently didnt last. so i looked at a couple of places on the internet, and found a new slave cylinder at autozone for $68. looks exactly like the original.

today the weather was nice, (65* in january?) so i popped the decklid, and R&R'ed the clutch slave cylinder, and of course had to bleed the system.
because i know i'm going to have to bleed the system, i park the car on a nearly-level part of my driveway, with the driver side a little higher. i also make sure i have a bottle of DOT-3 brake fluid handy.
first, out with the old slave. remove the left side engine cover, move the CAI duct out of the way, and there it is under the coolant hose. notice the plastic tube coming off the bleeder screw, this will come up again later.

disconnect the hydraulic line, 14mm.

next, remove the two bolts holding the slave on the bracket, 13mm.

here's the old slave and pushrod out. note the fluid leaking all over and the sludge on the pushrod. nasty.

now for the new one:
after pulling the plug from the hydraulic line fitting, apply a dab of grease to the end of the pushrod and the boot. reattach the hydraulic line and position the cylinder with pushrod. push the cylinder toward the cutch lever against the spring to align the holes, and put the bolts on.

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'84 2m4 se, a work in progress http://www.mtsu.edu/~mkr2c/fiero.htm
where's osama?

[This message has been edited by lurker (edited 01-08-2006).]

now that the new cylinder is installed, it's time to bleed it.
this is the "gravity bleed" method, and i have a special tool (patent pending) composed of a bit of clear tubing and a soda can. i take about 6" of clear tubing and stick one end on the bleeder screw, the other into the can. this serves three purposes: it catches the old fluid as it drains, it allows me to see dirt and bubbles in the fluid, and it holds fluid outside the bleeder, keeping air from getting back in.

now open the bleeder screw, 10mm.

fluid will begin to run out the bleeder, along with collected air and goop. notice the bubbles and dirt in the old fluid.

now open the front hood and find the master cylinder, next to the fender. remove the cap and the rubber seal. there's a little plastic "flying saucer"-shaped thing in there hidden by the murky fluid, dont let it go dry, or you'll be starting over with the bleeding.

go back and forth between the slave and master cylinder, watching for clean, bubble-fre fluid coming out of the slave, and keeping the master topped up. this may take several minutes, especially if the fluid has gotten really nasty.

when the fluid coming out the slave cylinder is clean with no bubbles, close the bleeder. now it's time to bleed the slave.
reach around to the clutch lever, and press it toward the slave cylinder. as you do so, open the bleeder, and press out any air trapped in the slave cylinder. close the bleeder before releasing the lever. repeat this a couple of times.
press lever, open bleeder, close bleeder, release lever.

almost done! top up the fluid one more time if needed, replace the cap and seal. remove the catchcan with its contaminated fluid, replace the CAI duct and the side cover, close decklid and hood and you're ready for a test drive. i drove mine up closer to the house so i could use the hose to wash off spilled brake fluid which is probably flammable and eats paint. works great so far!

Fantastic write-up! I really like the pictures, this goes well with Archie's Archism #4, except his write-up doesn't include the sizes needed to remove bolts and it doesn't have pictures. If I didn't already have you as a plus, you'd be getting one .

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http://members.cardomain.com/tinton

Fantastic "How To". You get a + from me.

edit: I noticed that you said DOT3 brake fluid. What is the difference between DOT3 and DOT5?
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The Steel Lady: Pix to follow........

Super Bowl XL CHAMPS!!!

[This message has been edited by Fiero1Fan (edited 03-10-2006).]

quote Originally posted by Fiero1Fan: edit: I noticed that you said DOT3 brake fluid. What is the difference between DOT3 and DOT5?

quote kslishDOT 5 Silicone won't mix with glyco-based (DOT 3 and 4) brake fluid and CAN create sludge if mixed (NOT GOOD). Basically the two fluids mix about as good as oil and water. Mixing the two can create a gelatin like goo that will eventually plug up stuff or cause the caliper pistons to stick.

http://www.xs11.com/tips/maintenance/maint1.shtml

[This message has been edited by Jake_Dragon (edited 03-10-2006).]

Lurker,
The original OEM slave cylinders on the 84's were aluminum. If you ever run accross one, snag it!! You won't be disappointed in the alum cylinder for it's durability, resistance to pitting, and looks. I wet sanded mine down, then took it to a buffing wheel with some rouge, and it came out to a mirror finish. Did the same for my dogbone.

I followed the same procedure you posted and have never had to rebleed it since-nearly 2 yrs ago, except after I changed the MC a couple of months ago. With the new MC, I found gravity bleeding will no longer work for some reason. I just used the old pedal pump method and it worked fine.

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 03-10-2006).]

Lurker if I didn't already have you rated "+" you definitely deserve one. I haven't seen that many pictures since the "hottie diaries"

I'm trying to get more disengagement on my 84 4 speed. I'm going to be replacing the clutch pedal soon. I wish I had the patience to do such a good writeup.

I had to bleed my 86 a couple of weeks ago, winter maintenance time anyhow. The method you used works, I used a tomato can and some black hose instead tho. I do a little different version, tho.

In addition, I brought home some of those blue paper towels from the local gas station and before I started bleeding, I sponged out the old dirty fluid from the reservoir, wiped it out, and replaced it with nice clean fluid. Some difference in technique, I park the car with the nose facing down hill--the back end of the car is about a foot higher than the front. Put some fluid in the can and connect one end of the hose to the bleeder and submerge the other end in the fluid. Open the bleeder and watch all the little bubbles come out. Once the bubbles have stopped, top off the reservoir, pump the brakes three or four times max, top off the reservoir, pump again, top off, and close the bleeder. My clutch is the best it's been in years. And the fluid is mostly flushed.

quote Originally posted by lurker: now that the new cylinder is installed, it's time to bleed it. this is the "gravity bleed" method, and i have a special tool (patent pending) composed of a bit of clear tubing and a soda can. i take about 6" of clear tubing and stick one end on the bleeder screw, the other into the can. this serves three purposes: it catches the old fluid as it drains, it allows me to see dirt and bubbles in the fluid, and it holds fluid outside the bleeder, keeping air from getting back in.

You're not fooling anyone, Lurk. I know a portable meth cooker when I see one!