[T3] Hydraulics, what does pumping do?

[fess <fess-vwtype3.org@fess.org>]

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Actually I have two questions:

question 1.

When you pump your brakes, or in my case a hydraulic clutch,  what does 
that do exactly?

does more fluid flow into the system from the resovoir, which then 
flows back out later?

if it were a sealed system, then pumping wouldn't do anything.
but then you wouldn't be able to bleed it, without manually opening
a bleeder valve on both ends.

If it had one way only valves then you would "pump" up the system, and 
the slave cylinders would never return.


This all relates to my hydraulic clutch issues.  [ I've been very busy 
at work, so haven't made any progress ]

I was observing, that sometimes, when I didn't have enough throw to get 
it in gear, I could pump it and
it would go in gear.   A friend suggested that that was proof that 
there was air in the line.
but it's been well bleed.  And I don't think that extra action from 
pumping guarantees that there is air
in the line.


question 2.

does anyone have any data on how much volume can be lost per foot on a 
steel braided hydraulic line
vs. a solid hydraulic line?   One of the suggestions for my clutch 
problem was to run
a solid line, rather than the steel braided line that came with the 
kit. I'lld like to do
a rough calculation of how much this might gain in clutch travel.

--fess

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