How do you change a slave cylinder in a 1990 Honda accord?

Answer 1

This is relatively simple. Park the vehicle on a level surface. Disconnect the negative lead from the battery with a 10mm open-end wrench. Remove the two bolts on the bottom of the slave cylinder with a 12mm socket wrench. Remove the hydraulic fluid line from the top of the slave cylinder with a 10mm open-end wrench. Removal is now complete. Installation depends on the replacement unit. If you purchased a rebuild kit ($10.99 at local AutoZone, 09/2008) that step is covered separately. New or remanufactured units come in one of two ways: with the piston extended, or with the piston compressed and restrained. If your new unit has the piston extended, compressing the piston and restraining it will make your installation much easier. This can be done by yourself, but is much easier with an assistant. You will need two strong zip-ties. Place the new unit on a work surface, with the piston head up. Position the first zip-tie around the body of the cylinder and on the rubber boot encasing the piston. Put the second zip-tie on the other side of the piston. Carefully compress the piston down into the cylinder body. There will be significant spring resistance, so do this carefully. When the piston is fully compressed, hold it while your assistant tightens the two zip-ties so that the piston remains fully compressed, restrained by the two zip-ties. Once this step is complete, installation is fairly simple. Put the new unit in place and tighten the two bolts with a 12mm socket wrench. Install the hydraulic fluid line from the top of the slave cylinder with a 10mm open-end wrench. The piston head should be aligned so that when you cut the zip ties, the head of the piston will seat in the cup on the release fork. Be very careful, as the piston is under significant spring tension. Installation is now complete. Now, you need to bleed the hydraulic line. This process removes air from the hydraulic line, which is critical for proper clutch function. This is very simple, but you will need an assistant. Install a clear plastic tube or hose, 2 feet long or so, onto the bleeder valve on the side of the slave cylinder body. This needs to fit tightly - not kinda snug, but tight. Fill a CLEAN glass (or clear plastic) jar halfway with approved clutch fluid. Put the other end of the hose in the jar. Remove the cap of the clutch MASTER cylinder reservoir, and pour approved clutch fluid to the proper fill line. Leave the cap off. Now you are ready for the bleeding process. Open the bleeder valve with a 9mm wrench. (A flare wrench works best here, but an open-end wrench will do.) Just open it slightly. Tell your assistant to begin SLOWLY working the clutch pedal up and down (have them do this by HAND). CAREFULLY observe the clear plastic bleeder hose to see when fluid is passing through the tube and into the jar. The hose MUST stay immersed in the fluid in the jar. Stop the bleeding process as often as needed to check the fluid level in the clutch MASTER cylinder reservoir. (Ideally, have a third person maintain the fluid level in the reservoir by carefully pouring approved clutch fluid in the clutch MASTER cylinder reservoir as needed to keep the fluid level at the FULL level line on the reservoir).

CRITICAL - there is air in the line that MUST be removed. CAREFULLY observe the clear plastic bleeder hose to see when fluid is passing through the tube WITHOUT ANY AIR BUBBLES.

Continue the bleeding process until you are absolutely sure there are no more air bubbles. Then, tighten the bleeder valve and remove the bleeder hose. Make sure the reservoir on the clutch MASTER cylinder is filled to the proper fill line. Put the cap back on the reservoir. Connect the negative lead from the battery with a 10mm open-end wrench. You are finished.