# 2955 Clutch Help



## Troy Farmer (Jul 31, 2011)

I was having clutch problems with my 2955 SG Cab. Sometimes I had a clutch sometimes not. If I held the clutch pedal down clutch would go away completely. I was not having to add fluid from my the reservoir on the master cyl. Talked to JD shop man and he said that would rule out slave cyl. suggested changing master cyl.

I have changed the master cylinder. I filled the reservoir, opened the bleeder and submerged it in fluid. Pumped the clutch pedal a zillion times and still getting air and now have no clutch at all.

What am I missing?


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

I put a new master cylinder on my 2955 last winter. From memory, pretty sure I mounted the new cylinder, attached a tube down to the fitting towards the bottom of the dash housing (bleed screw?), attached a funnel to the top of the hose and added the fluid there while pumping the pedal pulling the fluid backwards into the reservoir from that direction. Don't think I added directly to the reservoir itself.

Did it this way as I found a few forum posts that said do it that way to avoid air getting trapped. It worked for me and I've not had trouble since.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I wonder what evidence JD tech utilized to decide that slave cylinder wasn't faulty? Those clutch system are very,very difficult to bleed the air out. I've read somewhere on the internet about a "bleeder tool" that help shorten clutch pedal pumping time. I always wondered why mechanical clutch linkage wouldn't work on cab tractors similar to open station tractors. I guess because cab tractors have higher clutch pedal location.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I bled mine out(55 series) and added fluid, much as Trotwood did, about 3 years ago when I replaced my Master. But I did have to pump the pedal longer than I would have thought.

Regards, Mike


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## Troy Farmer (Jul 31, 2011)

Thanks guys. The tech said usually if the slave cyl. is bad it will leak fluid. I wasnt losing fluid so he said it was probably the master cyl. I will try Trotwood 2955's trick or one of those brake bleeder vac pump things. I


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

In my research the consensus was if you weren't losing significant fluid out of the reservoir, which mine wasn't, chances are slave cylinder is still ok.

I forget how many times I had to pump the pedal. Wasn't a lot though. I attributed the entire successful fix to beginners luck as I fully expected needing to call in some reinforcements.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Is there a reason why the master cylinder can't be bench bled like an automotive brake or clutch master cylinder?


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## Troy Farmer (Jul 31, 2011)

mlappin's bench bleed wins the prize. I disconnected the line to the slave cylinder and rigged up a brake line back to the res. Master cyl was full of air. Everything is working fine now. I guess Vol and Trotwood avoided this by filling from the "bottom up" through the bleeder.

Thanks again everyone.


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

Glad you got it going!


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Troy Farmer said:


> mlappin's bench bleed wins the prize. I disconnected the line to the slave cylinder and rigged up a brake line back to the res. Master cyl was full of air. Everything is working fine now. I guess Vol and Trotwood avoided this by filling from the "bottom up" through the bleeder.
> 
> Thanks again everyone.


Another trick. although it can be messy is to take a siphon gun and hook the hose to the bleeder, activate the gun and pull a vacuum on the system.


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## Troy Farmer (Jul 31, 2011)

mlappin said:


> Another trick. although it can be messy is to take a siphon gun and hook the hose to the bleeder, activate the gun and pull a vacuum on the system.


I actually did that with a vacuum pump. I pulled vacuum on the loop including the master cyl. As long as I didn't pump the pedal no air bubbles. When I pumped the pedal air bubbles came out. Thought for a while the new master cyl was sucking air some how. Disconnected the master cyl. and put the hose that hooks to the master cyl in a cup of brake fluid. and pulled vacuum on the slave cyl and lines. No air and was pulling fluid through the lines into the vacuum trap.

What surprised me was the fact I couldn't relieve all the air from the master cyl even with vacuum on the loop. As soon as I rigged up the brake line and tube back to the res. I pushed the pedal down and all kind of air came out. Then submerged the tube in the fluid in the res. and released the clutch pedal. Bingo. I hooked the slave cyl line back to the master cyl opened the bleeder and pumped the pedal a couple of times to be sure and wala.


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