Revised: I hate bleeding brakes

[Samckitt]

I have another thread titled "I hate bleeding brakes / brake bleeders": https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47342

Well this is a revision to that, I don't "hate" bleeding them, I F'ING HATE BLEEDING THEM! I worked on them for 2-3 hours today & got nowhere. I mean come on, it is a simple theory right, fill the lines with fluid & displace the air. I start with the rear right one, put a hose on the bleeder, the other end in a bottle with some fluid in it, loosen the breather & pump the brakes to push out the air. Then the left rear, right frt, left frt. No different than it was before. Now mind you I am doing this alone, is that my problem? Air in the line is getting pushed towards the caliper, but when I let off the pedal fluid is sucked up from the jar & the air is back in its original place? What a pain in my %$#@.

[rocketrod]

I am sure you have but did you bench bleed your master cylinder? Are you sure you do not have a small leak in one of your brake line connections.

[Vegas69]

It is impossible to bleed brakes by yourself unless you are gravity bleeding or using a vaccum pump. You need to pump the brakes with the bleeder shut and keep pressure on the pedal, open the bleeder, the pedal sinks to the floor, hold it there while your buddy closes the bleeder. Repeat until you have no air. Grab the neighbor, ol lady, or any other breathing human being with a foot and leg. Start at the RR and go from there. Don't run it out of fluid during the process. You are definitely sucking the air back into the calipers.

[Samckitt]

Yeah I did bench bleed the master cylinder. I figured I would have to do like Vegas said, just didn't have a helping hand at the moment. Wife hates it when I work on it, so I will have to get the neighbor.

[NOT A TA]

When I have to do them alone now I use a Mity vac.

You're not sucking air back in it's never coming out. The way you're doing it now just pushes fluid into the bottle and then sucks it back in so the air bubbles just go back and forth in the lines but never come out.

To do them alone without a vac I used to cut a length of wood the distance between the steering wheel and pedal when depressed. Open the bleeder, press the pedal, then stick the wood in then go close the bleeder. This prevents sucking air back in. Then remove the wood and go out and open the bleeder back up and repeat. If you're doing it right you'll have to keep adding fluid to the master. And don't press the pedal fast or fluid will squirt out and mess up your painted stuff.

On a few I've done ya really have to bench bleed a new master cylinder a long time the old fashioned way with 2 tubes curved back into the fluid storage sections. Then put the cover on and tilt the thing a bunch of different ways to get the trapped air to move then bench bleed some more. Then mount it and bleed the lines.

[Samckitt]

You're not sucking air back in it's never coming out. The way you're doing it now just pushes fluid into the bottle and then sucks it back in so the air bubbles just go back and forth in the lines but never come out.



That is what I was trying to saw, I guess I didn't explain it right.

[megaladon6]

on systems that got run dry and don't want to gravity bleed, i've found that if you leave the top off of the M/C and SLOWLY press the pedal about half way down, then let up SLOWLY you can get the fluid flowing nicely without sucking air in. you might have to do it a couple of times and if you step down too fast it will make one hell of a mess. i always make sure i can see the fluid when i do it. then you just let it gravity bleed.
if you still have the stock proportioning valve you probably have to push in (or is it pull out?) the pin on the front side to allow full flow to the rear.

[Samckitt]

It still has the disc/drum prop valve, but I took the guts out of it. I read somewhere to do that when putting discs on the back.

[GBodyGMachine]

Get a helper.
AND DONT PUMP THE BRAKES SCOT. All that does is make the one big air bubble into a million little bubbles.
1. Open Bleeder
2. Push Pedal To Floor
3. Drink Beer
4. When Pedal Hits The Floor, Close Bleeder
5. Release Pedal
6. Rinse and Repeat!

El Jeffe'

[Samckitt]

Get a helper.
AND DONT PUMP THE BRAKES SCOT. All that does is make the one big air bubble into a million little bubbles.
1. Open Bleeder
2. Push Pedal To Floor
3. Drink Beer
4. When Pedal Hits The Floor, Close Bleeder
5. Release Pedal
6. Rinse and Repeat!

El Jeffe'

I think I hit step 3 one too many times. LOL

I actually worked on it again today & got it to work. I used a piece of 1" dia or so steel rod cut to fit between the pedal & seat bracket. I got all done except the front left & I couldn't get the pedal down far enough to put the rod in place. So I yelled for my 6yo daughter to come out & help. She & I got the job done!

While I was working on it I though I would record it idleing for the cam idle post. So check there to hear it. :cheers:

[rocketrod]

I think I hit step 3 one too many times. LOL
That's impossible!

[Samckitt]

It is when you see 3 bleeders on one caliper!

[GBodyGMachine]

It is when you see 3 bleeders on one caliper!

Excellent:cheers:

[68sixspeed]

I use to hate bleeding, now it's only a mild annoyance... get one of these--- http://www.pfyc.com/pc/GN7013/VTSUSP/Power+Brake+Bleeder+-+GM%2C+Ford%2C+Dodge%2C+Chrysler.html

I change/flush the fluid on my vette after boiling it on track days, this makes it a piece of cake.

[stealth71]

I use to hate bleeding, now it's only a mild annoyance... get one of these--- http://www.pfyc.com/pc/GN7013/VTSUSP/Power+Brake+Bleeder+-+GM%2C+Ford%2C+Dodge%2C+Chrysler.html

I change/flush the fluid on my vette after boiling it on track days, this makes it a piece of cake.

I second that. Great for brakes and PITA T56 clutches.

[maroon88iroc]

I use to hate bleeding, now it's only a mild annoyance... get one of these--- http://www.pfyc.com/pc/GN7013/VTSUSP/Power+Brake+Bleeder+-+GM%2C+Ford%2C+Dodge%2C+Chrysler.html

I change/flush the fluid on my vette after boiling it on track days, this makes it a piece of cake.

you should be their commercial lol.

[ho428]

It is when you see 3 bleeders on one caliper!

Which one were you bleeding? :hmm:

I had a similar problem doing a brand new system. I agree, it was a PITA. Took a while and 2 big bottles of fluid with a Mity-vac to get all the air out, then I had the wife hold the pedal down for a final bleed.
Also notice lots of crud come out using the vac, since it goes into the jar I was amazed at all the little particles in a brand new system.

[68sixspeed]

you should be their commercial lol.

Maybe I should get $10 from each sale...