2000 156 TS - new timing belt whining

[MattK]

No worries John, I found it all very interesting (and distracting re the suction comment)!
My situation is that the takeup point quite rapidly shifted to just off the floor, maybe over a day or two, and now if I start the car in neutral it is hard to get it into gear cold. If I start it in gear with the clutch in, there is sufficient clutch to allow it to start, so that's what I am doing. Being careful about shifting etc. and minimising travel until it goes in next Tuesday. Steve at Fogarty reckons it might need a bleed, or the master might have some scoring / damage on the inside meaning it doesn't release properly, or (hey great) it might be the slave. Fingers crossed. Even the plastic master cylinder is $200ish.

[bazzbazz]

Lots and lots of bubbles too, but I'm quite sure that this is because the valve leaks and allows air to get in.

Yep, that's the problem with vacuum bleeding. It will suck air through any point it gets the chance too, where with pressure bleeding it will try and force fluid and the troublesome air OUT of any hole it can find, until there is just the straight fluid from the reservoir coming through.

Instead of paying $150, you can just use a decent garden pressure sprayer and add a pressure gauge from a $15 12V air compressor from Supercheap/eBay. All you need then is to visit your local wrecker and grab a spare cap from a reservoir. You only need 15-20 psi, just enough to force the fluid through.

But some joy, while the pedal feels much the same, the quality of the shift action has improved significantly (lightened up), so at least some of the bubbles must have come from inside the system...

Take any win you can and run with it!   

[Citroënbender]

I found something for John to apply suction at the nipple with; it's on Shopping Square's website, product code P70684 and that comes with a NSFW warning. 

Bazz, did you make your own bleeder, or buy it and then think "I could have made this!"?

...like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel.

[bazzbazz]

Made my own, I have made many of my specialist tools.

[bazzbazz]

I found something for John to apply suction at the nipple with; it's on Shopping Square's website, product code P70684 and that comes with a NSFW warning. 

The question is did you buy these for your own use, or did you buy them for a friend? 

[MattK]

Clutch is still giving me grief - I need to source a master cylinder if anyone has any leads?
RHD, 2.0 TS, MY 2000 - I gather they differ from year to year, engine to engine, etc.

[bazzbazz]

This is the correct one for RHD cars -

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Alfa-Romeo-Clutch-Master-Cylinder-156/263452030134?epid=1581165237&hash=item3d56f6f4b6:g:GdYAAOSwe-FU-Cof