Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevisoft
I just wanna start off by saying thank you for taking time to try to help me. 
Anyway my replacement slave cylinder came in today and after setting all of it up I stepped away from using the power bleeder and did it the old fashion way with a friend. After what it seemed like it was finally not giving any issues out of nowhere the slave cylinder broke again. My friend told me it was getting harder and harder to fully press down on the clutch until kaboom.. a leak.
I spoke with a mechanic and he informed me that it had something to do with the pressure plate. Does this sound about right? |
So, I've been noodling this for a day after I read it yesterday. I've replaced a few clutches in my time, and two BMW clutches in particular, so I'm familiar with the design enough to give advice.
The E90 slave cylinder bleed screw is a bitch to get at, even when the car is on a lift. The alternative way to bleed the master cylinder is to remove it from the bell housing and use a C-clamp to hold the piston rod closed, then bleed it. Once you've bled the slave cylinder remove the clamp and reinstall it. [I tried to bleed my E90 clutch one time (after 200,000+ miles) being I had never flushed the fluid from it during a brake fluid flush. I could not get it to build pressure by the pump method, nor pulling a vacuum on it. The only bleeding procedure that worked was using a Motive (power) bleeder; a Godsend of a tool if you ask me.]
But I think there is a problem with the mechanical operation of the clutch in your car. You should not be blowing the seals of the master cylinder nor slave cylinder and the severed pin is a tell tale sign there is an mechanical issue with the clutch, and it is most likely with the pressure plate. In other words, something broke in the clutch and not in the hydraulic actuation components. An easy way to check is to remove the slave cylinder and get a short wooden dowel like 18 inches or so of a broom handle, and try to hand actuate the clutch. You should be able to push it in. At least there should be a little play in the actuation arm. If you can't feel any play or can't push the clutch in, then you'll have to remove the transmission and see what's what. But a clutch refurb kit is less than $400, so you might as well get the parts and just replace the clutch.