Clutch slave cylinder bleeding

[Dezdon]

HI,
The master cylinder for my hydraulic clutch was found completly empty. And I have no clutch pedal.
The truck has been sitting for two years and the guy I bought the truck from, I suspect he never opened the hood to check on things.
I tried to fill the clutch master cylinder resivior and bleed the clutch slave with it mounted to the truck. (with someone pressing the clutch pedal up and down while I was under the truck) I got lots of air out of it, and the slave cylinder moves a little bit, but not the full travel it needs to to disengage the clutch system. But I still have no pedal. I suspect I still have some air trapped in the slave cylinder.
I was reading in my "Haynes" repair manual about bleeding the clutch slave, it says to remove the slave cylinder from the truck and tip at a 45 degree angle so the bleeder valve is at the highest point. No problem, BUT, isnt the slave cylinder going to blow apart under pressure with nothing to hold it together when I press down the pedal?
I know a brake wheel cylinder will come apart if you bleed it when its not attched to the shoe to limit the piston travel.
Anyone ever run into this?
I dont see a leak at this point in the system. I know, that fluid had to go somewhere over the two years it sat, but who knows how long it took it to go empty while it was being driven)
I know the clutch master is good, as I have great pressure at the bleeder valve at the clutch slave and I know the clutch slave is good as I can see it move a little when the clutch is engaged and disengaged.
thanks,
-Dez