How often should clutch fluid be replaced?

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televascular

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The factory clutch fluid for my car is Honda DOT3 brake fluid, and it's got 53,000 miles on it (2 1/2 years). My clutch feels the same as the day I bought the car, so water/air in the system has no effect on pedal feel as far as I can tell.

So I suppose my only concern is the eventual rust from water content. How often does it need to be bled and replaced? I'd like to drag out the intervals as long as I safely can because the battery and airbox need to be removed to reach the hoses... what a pain.

Thanks for your input.
 
This is a good question. My 1999 Jeep likely has the original clutch and original fluid, and I'm willing to bet the fluid could stand to be replaced.
 
i bled my clutch and it felt stiffer and shifted nicer.
i think you should bleed the brakes or clutch every 3 years or when you feel it being spongy.
 
I rarely see cars with manual transmissions, so I'm not sure about how long the fluid can be left alone.

I remember in 2001 or 2002, I was helping a friend with his 1986 Nissan Z car. The slave cylinder was leaking fluid on the ground, so he bought a new one and bled the system. Odds are the fluid was ignored until the slave cylinder died.

In 2007, a 1994 Mazda Miata came in the shop for a stalling engine. It turned out that both master and slave cylinders were worn out, so I installed the new parts and bled the system. Again, the factory fluid was probably never changed.

Just flush it with some premium brake fluid when the car is getting other stuff done to it, and don't think about flushing again it for a while. That would be my advice.

The other advice I have heard is that when replacing a clutch, always replace the hydraulics if the system makes reaching the slave cylinder a pain. That way it doesn't leak on the new clutch and ruin it.
 
Euro cars often recommend brake (and thus really clutch too) fluid replacement at 12 or 24 month intervals. Obviously there is good engineering reason behind it.

Whether for practical purposes, particularly here in the US, it makes much of a difference is always an argument.

Ive found that every 2 years is more than enough - you start to see a difference in terms of discoloration/contamination in the fluid, i.e. something is getting in, but its not significant to the point that it is obvious that there was a lot of bad stuff in there. I'd think that Bulli's advice would be about the same - two years looked good, three years is most certainly OK. I'd not go further though...

JMH
 
Brake feel and clutch fell definitely changes as the fluid ages and absorbs contaminants and moisture. It is very gradual though and you won't notice the difference until the fluids are completely flushed.
I would flush the clutch system together with the brake system, this way you are performing two maintenance items at once.
Besides, bleeding the clutch is much easier than brakes, as there is only one bleed screw, and in most cars you can access the bleeder from the engine compartment, therefore no need to jack up your car.
 
As per my original post, bleeding the clutch fluid in my vehicle is difficult. It is far easier to jack the car and access the bleeder screws.

I guess I should just stop complaining and flush the clutch, huh?
 
I'm ashamed to admit but my original clutch fluid was just changed after 12 years this past fall. I had the dealer flush the brake fluid reguarly and always asked them to do the clutch also but they said no it's not necessary. I found a real good indy shop and he put new rear brakes and cylinders on and flushed the brakes AND CLUTCH! Gotta admit I don't notice any difference in the clutch operation. But I feel it's gotta be better for the clutch to have new fluid in the system. I hear that Ford's brake fluid is of high quality. Maybe that's why the clutch operation didn't deteriorate even after 12 years.

Whimsey
 
How long are you keeping the car?

Into the ground: every 2-4 years; depending on your anality

0-5 years: don't worry about it - it won't affect your ownership
 
Brake fluid loves water soaks it up like a sponge.

Years ago I replaced one of the clutch actuators on my 85 Toyota truck and the there was a boat load of rust in one of the cylinders that was replaced. Rust came from water in the brake fluid.

The clutch and brake fluid on this truck need to be replaced again.
 
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
i would just do it with any brake fluid flush. on my car, the clutch fluid resivoir is part of the brake master cylinder.

What does it take to flush the clutch? Can I use a brake fluid flush kit?
 
Change it every 2-4 yrs, just as you should do with brakes. Brake fluid's additive package is severly depeleted after 4 yrs. Bleed on a day with very little humidity.

I prefer to bleed out the factory fill (brake and clutch) after one year, refill with Valvoline DOT 3,4 and bleed that out every every 2-3 yrs.
 
Last edited:
Yes.

And if you don't have one, you can ask a friend to press the pedal while you open and shut the bleeder screw, just like with the brake system.

I will also agree with the other posters that Valvoline DOT4 is an excellent choice of fluid. Pennzoil DOT4 is also very good stuff. Both are light years ahead of most factory DOT3 fluids.
 
Originally Posted By: datsago
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
i would just do it with any brake fluid flush. on my car, the clutch fluid resivoir is part of the brake master cylinder.

What does it take to flush the clutch? Can I use a brake fluid flush kit?


depends on the car. you need to read the proper procedure for your vehicle, usually in the FSM.
 
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