Thanks a lot for all your help folks. Definitely didn't suck air thru the top, as I have a special bottle you just fill and park on top of the reservoir, and stays full. Level is an inch above the clutch line (by the 'min' mark), which is beyond me why it doesn't come out from the bottom.
Anyway, the problem with doing this like a normal bleed job (pump, open valve, drain, close valve, release pedal) is you can only turn the damn valve 1/16 of a turn at a time; no space, so that method is the only one that can't be used reliably.
To make matters worse, the stupid plastic valve needs to be opened like 1-1/2 turns out before nothing comes out, making the job much harder. That's why I thought it had a check-valve built into it, since most bleed valves are wide open with 1/4 turn. I already confirmed it's NOT a check-valve, so you guys know. You just need to open it quite a bit. Next time I won't have any issues with vacuum, but now I don't think it's going to work. And it'd probably be the same thing with pressure, so will head to the store and buy a reverse bleeder, to force the air the way it wants to go. A pressure bleeder would be my last option, but hope don't have to use it.
My plan of attack is to drain the reservoir with vacuum (which will be the 'min' line), then reverse bleed the system, and again bleed with vacuum. Pedal should be hard as a rock by then
. Man, I've never had so much trouble with a bleed job than now, even when doing my 11-valve servo brake bleed on my BMW bike. It certainly feel and sounds like I sucked air from the reservoir, but didn't
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Hey gang, if I have to go the pressure bleeder route, I have a compressor, so does anybody know where to buy the appropriate cap with the air-hose adapter? There's no need for extra fluid. Thanks again for all your help. Once I get this issue sorted out, I can take the car for a spin and comment on the RP tranny and diff behavior. Take care.