Just replaced master cylinder kit on an 82 model and cant get it to work am i doing something obvious wrong ?

Jamie, are you losing any fluid from the clutch master cylinder? By small resistance I presume you mean the pedal feels soft?

If you're losing fluid from the master cylinder you have an obvious leak somewhere and air is getting into the system.

Most leaks occur from the clutch SLAVE cylinder as it does all the work .. If there's no leak from the clutch slave cylinder, suspect the seals inside. It's like a bicycle pump ..the seal inside wears and it won't pump..

You may be able to get an overhaul kit. I'm in the UK .. but here's an Ebay link for a slave cylinder overhaul kit just to show you what it looks like:
FORD CORTINA MK2 CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER REPAIR KIT SP2085
Here's a link to show you what the slave cylinder itself may look like (it may NOT be for your vehicle..)
CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER FORD FIESTA ESCORT
It's easier and quicker to fit a new slave cylinder than it is to strip down and replace seals with a kit. Be aware, after overhauling or replacing a slave cylinder you have to bleed it - remove the air.

The easiest way of doing this is to make sure the reservoir is fill of fluid, crawl underneath the car with a spanner/wrench, place a rag over the bleed point and get somebody to pump the pedal a couple of times while you undo then tighten the bleed nut.

If it's not the slave cylinder at fault- then it's the master cylinder. Master cylinders also have a 'piston' and rubber seals which wear/perish.
However, it's more than likely that it's the slave cylinder at fault

when locked try to relieve the brake line pressure by opening the bleeder on the wheel that is locked. if that unlocks the wheel then replace the hose for that wheel. if all wheels are locked then relieve the pressure at the master cylinder if that unlocked the wheels then you will need the flush out all the brake fluid with new clean Dot 4 fluid. and replace all the rubber in the brake system. the fluid was contaminated and caused the rubber parts the the brake system to swell. this would include the master cylinder, rubber hoses, wheel cylinder kits, calipers kits, ABS pump module.any part that has brake fluid in it. if you know that the wrong fluid has be put into the brake fluid .you may want to check with your car insurance company it may be covered .

This is unusual as I ride a 1994 model and have yet to have to rebuild the master cylinders. But, if they are leaking, it's time for a rebuild. You can buy the rebuild kits either through Harley or aftermarket. Simply disassemble the master cylinders, lightly hone the bores with a flex hone, and install the new kit. Make sure you use the correct type of brake fluid and do not mix different types of fluid. This may be what is wrong with your master cylinders now, mixed brake fluid. If it looks like someone blew their nose in your master cylinders, that's what happened. In this case, once you get the master cylinders rebuilt, you need the bleed the system throughly to clean out the calipers and hose as well.

Good Luck
Steve

when the brake pedal went to the floor, most likely the cup in the master cylinder went bad.. as long as you cant find any external leaks, replace the master cylinder.

Loosen the bolt going into the master cylinder just enough to allow brake fluid to come out when you pump the lever. Retighten the master cylinder bolt. Once you have the master cylinder bled the rest of the system will be easy.

Did you bleed the master cylinder before you put it in the vehicle?This usually makes it easier to bleed the entire brake system if this is done before you install the master cylinder.Other wise all you have done is put air in the brake system.The master cylinder kit usually comes with a bleeder kit.This is for bench bleeding the master.Hope this helps.Good luck.

REMOVING
Removing the master cylinder is really simple, only requiring a few steps. Keep in mind that brake fluid will eat the paint of the car. So use a plastic or vinyl type fender cover to protect the vehicle's paint. Brake fluid is water soluble so if you should get some on the paint, wash it off with plenty of water as quickly as possible.

1. Using a siphon, an old turkey baster works great, empty the master cylinder reservoir and dispose of the old brake fluid in the proper manner.
2. Disconnect the wire connector for the brake fluid level and/or brake pressure-warning switch, if your vehicle is so equipped.
3. Disconnect the brake lines from the master cylinder with a line wrench. A line wrench is specially designed to remove and install hydraluic fittings without rounding them off.
4. Remove the master cylinder mounting nuts, then the master cylinder.
5. On non-power brake vehicles, disconnect the master cylinder linkage from the brake pedal underneath the dash.
6. On models with separate fluid reservoirs, remove the reservoir.

REPLACING
Before installing the new master cylinder on the vehicle, it must first be bled using a specialized bleeder kit. The master-cylinder bleeder kit comes with tubing, clips and multiple adapters. Most new or rebuilt master cylinders come with a bleeder kit for that particular master cylinder.

1. Begin by removing the cap.
2. Follow the directions that come with the kit to select the suitable adapters, and then connect the adapters and tubes to the ports on the cylinder. The other ends of the tube extend down into the master cylinder, and are held in place by a plastic clip. Figure 2.
3. With the bleeder kit installed, fill the master cylinder about halfway with new brake fluid. Use a large screwdriver to depress the valve assembly inside the master cylinder. If you do not have a vise you can mount the master cylinder on the vacuum brake booster and bleed the master cylinder.
4. Small bubbles will appear in the fluid. Continue working the valve assembly until no more bubbles appear. This indicates that the cylinder has been thoroughly bled.Reverse the removal procedure to install the master cylinder, noting the following Refer to your service manual for any Master Cylinder Push Rod Adjustment procedures if your vehicle requires it.Bleed brakes as described under Brake Bleeding.Operate the brakes several times and check for external hydraulic leaks.This is fairly straightforward job. Replacing a master cylinder should take you about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the make and model of car. If you are rebuilding the master cylinder, add about another hour or so.

There are seals in the master cylinder that may be bad.

Try bench bleeding the master (there are cheap tubing kits for this) and see if fluid comes out of the ports. If no fluid after bench bleeding, replaced the master cylinder (usually come with a cheap bleeder kit anyway)

If you are leaking fluid from the clutch master cylinder then you have air in the system. You could try and bleed the air out of the clutch slave cylinder to get the gears but it would not last. The only way is to replace the defective master cylinder, replace all of the fluid and bleed out the air through the slave cylinder.

It is probably brake fluid from a bad master cylinder gasket . This can be fixed with a master cylinder kit. Do you have problems with your breaks ? If it is a standard tranny instead of automatic it could be fuild from the clutch. Check the fluid levels for any or both cylinders.