# Can i just gravity bleed my clutch if I am by myself **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** chevrolet, cavalier\ **Created:** [March 21, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-i-just-gravity-bleed-my-clutch-if-i-am-by-myself/114133 "2018-03-21T17:13:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DJ44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@DJ44](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DJ44)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-i-just-gravity-bleed-my-clutch-if-i-am-by-myself/114133/1 "2018-03-21T17:13:58Z")
If I don’t touch the clutch pedal, and just open and fill the reservoir with new clean fluid, then go down and open the bleeder at the slave and do nothing else except keep the reservoir filled …will this work or not? I have no helper and don’t want to make it more complicated than it has to be. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-i-just-gravity-bleed-my-clutch-if-i-am-by-myself/114133/2 "2018-03-21T17:19:07Z")
It should work fine. Have patience, it can take awhile. Let the fluid run until clean. If you can remove as much fluid as possible out of the reservoir before adding clean fluid, that will speed things along a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-i-just-gravity-bleed-my-clutch-if-i-am-by-myself/114133/3 "2018-03-21T21:39:55Z")
A short piece of rubber hose fitted onto the bleeder with the bleeder open about 1/2 turn should allow you to pump the pedal and bleed the system. Just be sure that you don’t empty the reservoir and keep pumping. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2018, 9:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-i-just-gravity-bleed-my-clutch-if-i-am-by-myself/114133/4 "2018-03-21T21:49:29Z")
if using @Rod_Knox advise, some more precautions might need to be taken: #1. make sure that hose (ideally - transparent one!) has a rise above the valve, so that a column of fluid can be formed there with no air bubles - as pedal is released, a small amount of fluid is drawn back, so this column will make sure you don’t get air back in the system here is an illustration to help: ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/1/16321c73f639212796ec0b18fc66b9d74c1fe60a.jpg) #2. you might use a dab of petroleum jelly on the valve threads to prevent air leakage in threads using these 2 simple “lifehacks” I can replace a brake fluid much faster than “gravity feed” method and with no helper ---
**Author:** ![DJ44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@DJ44](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DJ44)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/can-i-just-gravity-bleed-my-clutch-if-i-am-by-myself/114133/5 "2018-03-27T16:55:23Z")
Thanks for the replies. If I open it up and it doesn’t work and just sits there, why wouldn’t I just be able to use the same syringe that I plan on using to suck out the old fluid from the reservoir to push down new fluid from the hold in the bottom of the reservoir after I’ve filled it up? I haven’t got around ti it yet thanks to bad weather around here for the past week.