Clutch Pedal Feel After Bleeding

[smackboy1]

Sorry about this long a$$ post but I'm confused (plus I'm a lawyer so it's my job to take something simple and screw it all up)

I bled my brakes and clutch fluid with ATE Super Blue for the first time and I think the clutch pedal feels weird, but I can't tell if the change is real or if it's all in my head.

First off, I'm not entirely sure I bled the clutch line correctly. I used Loren's directions using a long bar to hold the pedal down:

" 1. Push the clutch pedal in by hand (very slowly) and use a long piece of wood to hold the pedal down. I wedged the other end (of the wood) between the seat and door frame -- with plenty of soft padding to avoid scratches. A second option is to have a 2nd person sit in the car and keep the clutch pedal FULLY depressed.

2. Open the clutch bleeder valve until clear, bubble free brake fluid emerges (at least 30 seconds according to Porsche). Remove the wood. Then, pump the pedal again very slowly by hand for a further 60 seconds. After pressing the pedal down fully about 10 to 15 times, leave the pedal in its normal position. After allowing a fill time of 90 seconds, check that no more air bubbles appear at the bleeder valve (use a collecting bottle with a transparent hose). Then close the bleeder valve. Wipe off the area and replace the rubber protective cap over the bleed screw.

3. You may notice that the clutch pedal does not return... so carefully pull it up (slowly) to it's normal position. Then depress it (slowly) a few (at lease 5) times. In a few cycles the feel should return."

In step 2 I opened the bleeder and bled a bunch of air. I wait until the draining fluid turns blue. I remove the bar, cycle the pedal 10-15 times, continue draining fluid for 90 seconds, check for bubbles, then close the bleeder valve. I opened the bleeder valve once at the beginning and left it open and fluid draining throughout the procedure and then closed the valve once at the end. After I was done the clutch pedal did not need to be pulled up or cycled to get the springiness back. Is that the correct procedure or did I goof?

So I'm driving around and it feels like the overall clutch pedal action is lighter and less stiff at the bottom. I also notice that the clutch pedal seems to have a little more pop at the end as I'm lifting my foot off it. I'm not talking about the engine take up point, that seems to be the same as before, about 1/3 up from the floor. The clutch feels like it has 2 stages of "springiness", the top 1" is light and springy, and the rest of the way to the bottom there is a little more resistance. After bleeding there seems to be a more pronounced difference between the 2 stages and that last 1" seems to feel extra springy and light. The car drives and shifts fine. Is bleeding the clutch supposed to change the feel or is it all in my head?

[wvicary]

If your just flushing the fluid you shouldn't have any air in the system. I have read of people holding the clutch pedal to the floor while flushing the system but I have never done this... I just open the bleeder valve, turn on the power bleeder and closed the valve when the fluid runs clear. Always keep a close eye on the fluid level in the master cylinder as you don't want to introduce air into the system.

After all is said and done I've not noticed anything different in pedal feel or engagement points. Maybe rebleed the system and see if that changes anything. Not sure if the way I do it is right or wrong but it's always worked.