Has Anyone Flushed Their Hydraulic Clutch System?

[MDO]

I'm not there yet, but I didn't have a clue how to flush the brake fluid out of the hydraulic clutch.

I researched it by watching a video on Fix My Hog. They are putting together a video on every item on the maintenance checklist for the M8.

It's a little more involved than flushing/bleeding brakes, as you have to remove a false cover on the right side of the engine & on the touring model they were working on, they had to remove the exhaust heat shields to get the cover off & access the bleed valve.

2 items I learned were that the clutch system seemed to get dirtier than the brake system & unlike the brake system, were the fluid level in the master cylinder goes down as the brake pads wear, in the clutch system, the fluid level rises, so that is something to be aware of & keep an eye on, as it could lead to an over pressurization situation.

[ultrafxr]

Have not done this service but I verified what you said per the 2018 Service Manual. Manual says you must loosen the entire exhaust system in order to move it enough to access the screws on the outer clutch cover. Sure hope that's not necessary. Removing the heat shields is no biggie but dropping the exhaust is more involved.

[MDO]

Have not done this service but I verified what you said per the 2018 Service Manual. Manual says you must loosen the entire exhaust system in order to move it enough to access the screws on the outer clutch cover. Sure hope that's not necessary. Removing the heat shields is no biggie but dropping the exhaust is more involved.

The video I saw showed them doing the job by just removing the 2 heat shields & that gave them enough room to get the cover off, just barely.

I have not had a chance to look at my Freewheeler yet to see if the set-up is the same, clearance wise.

[Jack Klarich]

Scroll down to see the side cover and actuator with bleeder

[ultrafxr]

The video I saw showed they doing the job by just removing the 2 heat shields & that gave them enough room to get the cover off, just barely.

I have not had a chance to look at my Freewheeler yet to see if the set-up is the same, clearance wise.

It has been my experience that H-D sometimes goes a bit overboard with instructions for access. Case in point: to remove the upper shock absorber bolt H-D says to pull the trike body. You can easily get to it with the wheel removed as per DK's instructions and Kevin's advice when I installed their 14" shock / lift kit. Sure hope that is the case with this also.

[Jack Klarich]

2 items I learned were that the clutch system seemed to get dirtier than the brake system & unlike the brake system, were the fluid level in the master cylinder goes down as the brake pads wear, in the clutch system, the fluid level rises, so that is something to be aware of & keep an eye on, as it could lead to an over pressurization situation.

The above statement by Fix a Hog or Whomever is NOT 100 per cent right

1 If the fluid is @ proper level with NO leaks in the system, The fluid displacement to the slave cylinder will return to the master cylinder to the correct level ( as the clutch plates wear the fluid will have to push farther to dis engage the clutches) this is normal with no adjustment on this type of clutch ( with clutch wear the fluid may drop a bit)

2 The fluid IMO should NOT get as dirty as the brake fluid There are less wear parts on the hydraulic clutch ( the main reason brake fluid turns darker is the slight wear of the internal rubber seals, and the inner walls of STEEL lines. These are JMO

[MDO]

Thanks Jack. With the fluid on the 2017 bike they did at 20,000 miles, the fluid they bled from the hydraulic clutch was in rough shape, visually, compared to the brake system fluid that came out during the brake bleed.

That was just an observation on my part.

I want to thank you for your contributions here. I enjoy the talks & discussions we all have here & encourage all to participate.

We are much smarter together than we are alone.

[Jack Klarich]

Thanks Jack. With the fluid on the 2017 bike they did at 20,000 miles, the fluid they bled from the hydraulic clutch was in rough shape, visually, compared to the brake system fluid that came out during the brake bleed.

That was just an observation on my part.

I want to thank you for your contributions here. I enjoy the talks & discussions we all have here & encourage all to participate.

We are much smarter together than we are alone.

Thanks Michael

Just my opinions from working on cars, trucks and bikes ALL my life( I am certified in brakes and hydraulics systems among a few)

And I have the scars and broken back to prove it

#1 reason I ride a trike now and aint lookin back

When we share info we become a bigger and better place to visit

[Sidecarbill]

I wonder if its because the clutch master always travels a full stroke, and the brake master is a very short stroke. Brakes don't travel far before they reach maximum pressure.

[Jack Klarich]

I wonder if its because the clutch master always travels a full stroke, and the brake master is a very short stroke. Brakes don't travel far before they reach maximum pressure.

That makes some sense

Hydraulics will build pressures according to diameter size, fluid capacity and stroke