Update: I have had a rebuild kit since October '24. My lever was very slow to return, so Time to install it. As you all have read, I was bleeding from the slave, up to the M/C, but the syringe wouldn't budge. So, I emptied the M/C reservoir and pulled the piston/seal combo out. There was a "gelatinous" substance on the inside end on the piston rod. I looked down the bore, and there was lumpy crud in there. About 15 Q-Tips later, it was sparkling clean. Swabbed out the M/C reservoir too. Fairly clean there. Decided to push fresh fluid up from the slave to the M/C with the piston out. I expected it to come "rushing" thru the M/C bore, but it was just a very slow trickle. Decided to keep pushing (about 45 cc's total) thru that line, it got better and better as the crud was being pushed out the M/C bore. Finally, it was clear, new fluid. Installed the new piston/seal combo, along with the rubber boot and linkage & lever. Filled the M/C rez and slowly began to purge the air out of the bore and top of the line. With every lever pull, I got bubbles thru the bottom of the rez. Finally, after about 30-40 pulls, I had a decent clutch lever. Oddly, if I only pulled the lever (ball end) about 7mm, it would purge air out. If I pulled to the grip, it wouldn't purge any air. Big bubbles became tiny bubbles (cue: Don Ho, here.)
Anyway, I hope I don't have to bleed the clutch in 2 different systems anymore, like before. (Pushing fluid from the slave & pumping from the M/C rez down.) It seems as tho I had a blockage in my line that wouldn't move the M/C fluid as the clutch wore, but now, hopefully it'll do as designed.
This is what I had before I started disassembly. That white washer thing is an "interference" keeper instead of a circlip. It has 3 tabs every 60 degrees that push against the bore wall. Works very well, too. Replaced with a new one supplied in kit.
