Well it is a self prime system depending on what your definition of self prime is and how much of the system has air in it. For me when I changed the pump, and relocated the reservoir I didn't have to bleed it at all. If any independent tells you though that after opening up the system (of course depending on how you do it,) it doesn't need to be bled that's incorrect. There is no self bleed for this system where if you repair or break the system open some-where it will just bleed all of the air out for you. Here let me draw a conclusion based on what Ferrari did with the hydraulic system. There's a bleed valve on the bell housing, there's a bleed valve by the quick disconnect coupler, there are three bleed screws on the back of the actuator to purge air out, and there's one on the solenoid block to the left of the pressure sensor (at least it resembles one though I've never messed with it (not the pressure regulator the one to the right of that)). Additionally in the service manual there is very specific instructions for bleeding the system out. I do know that the pressure in that system is supposed to stay at 45-48 psi +/-. Additionally, the only analogy I can draw right now is a hydraulic brake system, if you depress a pedal on the brakes of the car the brakes don't necessarily stop working altogether with air in it. If you have just a little air the pedal feel is spongy before it brakes the car, a lot of air and the pedal goes to the floor. Do you get what I'm saying? When I have messed with the pump I never needed to bleed it. When I changed the clutch though, I bled the entire system. To be honest the service manual doesn't say you can bleed the system whatsoever other than with a Leonardo computer, SD2/3 or similar. But I know of two maybe more ways it can be done. Have Joe sit in the car continuously toggle 1st-neutral as you turn the bleed valves, or use a vacuum bleeder like I suggested so you don't need anyone. You could probably jump the pump in intervals as well. I cannot say for sure what you have got there. I can only suggest, when I'm asked, to present solutions I've used. My mind tells me if you pulled the banjo nut off of the pump, that would drain part of the hydraulic fluid before the banjo nut. So if you just put the pump back on, the pump is just that a pump, there isn't a pressure release, or air release on it. So lets say there was a pocket of air in there between the pump and the hydraulic system you started the pump, would it not just pump hydraulic fluid right behind the air? Now to be honest you can do whatever you want between the reservoir to the pump. You can take the reservoir off put it anywhere you want because the air will just trickle back to the reservoir as in this situation gravity feeds it to the pump. But how does the air get out of an incarcerated system when you seal it back up? Let me clarify something if you don't mind, so you told the Indy you split the system between the solenoid block and pump and he stated don't worry about it, it self primes? He could be correct I don't know, my logical might be missing something about that part of the system. I would think it would just push that air as far as it could until it cannot go anymore, possibly the solenoid block?
