bleeding brakes

B

big daddy

New member
any suggestions for doing it single handed?



i.e: speed bleeders, vacuum pumps, pressure pumps, etc..



Anyone have any problems with leaving those speed bleeders on? Are pressure + vacuum pumps a better bet since they can be used on multiple cars? Any suggestions on the type/brand?



tnx
 
speedbleeder.com



speedbleeders are replacements and I've had no problems with them on my motorcycle. If you go the bleeder route, get the hose & bag while you're at it. Keeps everything clean and easy for proper disposal.





edit: the mityvac isn't super pricey, doh. Some ppl have some problems with the vacuum pump, though (air bubbles).
 
you can get a 1 man bleader kit at most auto stores - works fine just takes time since you need to keep stopping and filling the resivour to avoid bubbles
 
When I got my new brakes, I couldn't get the speed bleeders to thread properly (I think I got the wrong ones), but after doing the two person coordinated effort job, I would say speed bleeders are the way to go. Good luck with it.
 
oh yeah, keep your OEM bleeders in case you want to put in new brake lines. Speedbleeders don't work on a dry line, so you need to use the OEM bleeder to fill the line ~90% and then swap in the speedbleeders.
 
gnahc79 said:
oh yeah, keep your OEM bleeders in case you want to put in new brake lines. Speedbleeders don't work on a dry line, so you need to use the OEM bleeder to fill the line ~90% and then swap in the speedbleeders.
Click to expand...



Oh, great point. Makes sense. Thanks.:up
 
I have a general question on bleeding while we're at it.

I bleed the brakes by myself by opening the bleed screw with a clear tube on it funneled and submerged into a bottle with a small amount of clean brake fluid already in it. I keep the bleed screw open the entire time.

I then alternate between pumping the pedal and filling the MC.



It seems to work fine, although the manual says to push the pedal down and hold it there and close the bleeder after say 10 pumps or so.

My theory is however, even if the bleed valve sucks a small amount of fluid back up, it's still just brake fluid, not air. Any comments?

Again, I assume since my fluid runs clear at the end with no visible bubbles, my method is ok.

It's just weird to me that no one else recommends this because to me, it's like $1 to buy the tube and have a small plastic bottle, and it's really easy too.
 
http://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm This looks like it might work. General Question: I think it is recommended to tighten the screw after several pumps, to avoid air entering the system. There IS a slight "Air Gap" between the bleeder screw threads and the wheel cylinder/caliper tapped hole, once it is loosened. Wrapping the BS with teflon tape, or a small dab of silicone grease, will seal the gap if you're bleeding the system with the brake pedal. IMO. "Power" bleeding is the way to go IF the master cylinder is clean and has clean fluid in it,(Don't want to flush dirt INTO the system from the master cylinder). I have "Back-flushed" , starting at the farthest wheel from the MC, with a mity-vac, then power bleeding, to complete the job, with excellent results.
 
wifehatescar said:
I have a general question on bleeding while we're at it.

I bleed the brakes by myself by opening the bleed screw with a clear tube on it funneled and submerged into a bottle with a small amount of clean brake fluid already in it. I keep the bleed screw open the entire time.

I then alternate between pumping the pedal and filling the MC.



It seems to work fine, although the manual says to push the pedal down and hold it there and close the bleeder after say 10 pumps or so.

My theory is however, even if the bleed valve sucks a small amount of fluid back up, it's still just brake fluid, not air. Any comments?

Again, I assume since my fluid runs clear at the end with no visible bubbles, my method is ok.

It's just weird to me that no one else recommends this because to me, it's like $1 to buy the tube and have a small plastic bottle, and it's really easy too.
Click to expand...



I've heard of ppl doing this too, it makes sense to me:

- do the pump, close, pump close thing until fluid fills the hose and goes into the bottle.

- keep the bleeder open pump away



I might try it out this week when I put in my Galfer steel lines.



rek, I thought the bleeder screw needs to be tightened after each pump :nixweiss
 
"It seems to work fine, although the manual says to push the pedal down and hold it there and close the bleeder after say 10 pumps or so. " gnahc79, the "Several pumps" i referred to was part of the "Manual" method of bleeding brakes: Pump up the brake pedal "Several Times", loosen bleeder screw as pedal is pushed to the bottom, tighten bleeder screw when pedal is at the bottom. The chance for air to enter the System is greater if the the brake pedal is pumped when the bleeder screw is open.
 
I have done the "pump the pedal" method, Mityvac method, but now use this set-up.



I have since added a vacuum gauge from my first plastic Mityvac pump so I know how much vacuum I am pulling. Pump was $25 from Ebay, garden sprayer was $7 at Home Depot, and stopper and tubing was another $5 or so. Much easier on the hands than the Mityvac pump!
 

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wifehatescar said:
I have a general question on bleeding while we're at it.

I bleed the brakes by myself by opening the bleed screw with a clear tube on it funneled and submerged into a bottle with a small amount of clean brake fluid already in it. I keep the bleed screw open the entire time.

I then alternate between pumping the pedal and filling the MC.



It seems to work fine, although the manual says to push the pedal down and hold it there and close the bleeder after say 10 pumps or so.

My theory is however, even if the bleed valve sucks a small amount of fluid back up, it's still just brake fluid, not air. Any comments?

Again, I assume since my fluid runs clear at the end with no visible bubbles, my method is ok.

It's just weird to me that no one else recommends this because to me, it's like $1 to buy the tube and have a small plastic bottle, and it's really easy too.
Click to expand...





that is how this device works.
 
how does that device prevent air from going past the bleeder threads back into the caliper? or does it not?
 
Me and a buddy installed Galfer lines this morning on my bike. Filling the dry lines with only the OEM bleeders was a bit of a pain. Everything was a cinch once the speedbleeders were swapped back. The biggest problem was that I didn't tighten the banjo bolts enough, so air was trickling in for 30 min. before I realized what was happening :wall



My buddy runs a retail motorcycle store and he said that I should dispose an opened bottle of brake fluid after a month or so. I found out from bimmerworld to keep the bottle in a ziploc bag, they suggest 4 months normally and less if the car is used for racing/track.
 
wifehatescar said:
...My theory is however, even if the bleed valve sucks a small amount of fluid back up, it's still just brake fluid, not air. Any comments?

Again, I assume since my fluid runs clear at the end with no visible bubbles, my method is ok.

...
Click to expand...

My variation on this is I use plastic peanut butter jars. They hold a lot of old fluid. If it gets full I leave the tube connected and unscrew the full one and screw on an empty one. At the bleeder I spread wheel bearing grease around the loosened threads. Air won't leak past that. I have along enough tube to set the jar where I can see it while I pump the brake by hand and look under the car so I can see if the fluid is running clear.
 
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