solo brake bleeding

[west]

anyone ever tried these?do they work well. thanks.
http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?N=115+303318

[AA-slingshot]

those work great......better than trying to get the wife to help you. 

[PinkE]

Darn, I've been replaced...I used to love that job..."Pump it up"..."hold it, push it down SLOWLY"..."Is it down?"  "Yeah"..."Do it again"..."Is it down?" "YEAH" over and over "Got any kinda pedal yet?"..."YEAH" (thank god)...

[AA-slingshot]

yeah...you've been replaced by a $4.00 part.

[PinkE]

Finally....

[ucdcrush]

Over on moparts a lot of people were saying recently that they just 'gravity' bleed the brakes, keep the master cylinder full, open up the bleeders and let mother nature do the work.

[Crazy68Dart]

Over on moparts a lot of people were saying recently that they just 'gravity' bleed the brakes, keep the master cylinder full, open up the bleeders and let mother nature do the work.

This way works as good as any, but takes a little time.  I gravity bleed now, where as I used to have a second person to work the pedal.  You can damage the master cylinder working the pedal to bleed the brakes.  I also have a pressurized bleeder, which works great, but I only have it setup for one type of cylinder.  Honestly, gravity is easy, hassle free, and I find it to be less of a mess.

[Xwaynestaticx03]

itll get past the valves and reg. fine, it works well. in my experience though, gravity bleeding will get you 95% there. id just do a pump or so in each bleeder after and youll be good to go...

[69 GTS Clonvertible]

When I added fluid to my brake system on my Dart, I bought an oil can that you can pump with your hand, filled it with brake fluid, had the master cylinder lines removed from the master cylinder and took a hose and a bottle and connected it up to the mstr lines and then went to the farthest brake bleader from the master which would be the passenger rear wheel, put a clear hose onto the bleeder and attach to the filled oil can pump. open the bleeder valve and proceed to fill the lines with fluid making sure you have a tight seal.....when fluid starts to pour into the bottle at the master, continue untill you see no bubbles in the clear plastic hose at the master...... then stop pumping and tighten the bleeder valve. continue this to the next farthest bleeder from the master, and so on. when finished connect the master lines to the master cylinder and fill the master up with fluid. this method insures that you remove all the air bubbles from the lines because you are forcing them to go up, such as air would do. Also try and find a hand pump bottle or can that is semi air tight, in otherwords when you pump the handle it does not put air into the system, that is why I used an old style oil can pump.

[Brad4406]

It works, I've seen bike shops do it for years.  They just take a small diameter piece of clear hose, attach it to the oil pump can and the other end to the bleeder, open the bleeder and start pumping.  You'll start seeing the bubbles in the resevoir, or master cylinder on a car, and then just fluid shortly after that.  I'm sure it can't be much different for cars.  Don't tell my wife though, I still get her to help me because I'm too cheap to even spend $4. 

[Brad4406]

I've never seen it done with any lines disconnected.  I can't get the shortcut at the top to open for me so I don't know what that tool looks like, but the oil can thing works as long as it's a closed system other than the open bleeder with the oil pump can attached to it.

[71 demon child]

I gravity bleed.never had a problem.

[Capt Jack]

I never bleed.  brakes are for sissys.






(kidding.  I need some of those valves)

[69 GTS Clonvertible]

yea but with the lines disconnected there will be some air in there when you hook it back up

When I added fluid to my system, I rebuilt the master and preprimed it with fluid, you can do it with the master hooked to the lines, but remember to check the master every so often or you'll end up with a big mess of fluid on the floor, that's the reason for the clear hose and the bottle you can hang the bottle from the ceiling or hood like an IV (ivy) bottle in the hospital, but unstead of fluid dripping from it, the fluid is being pushed up the line into the bottle. you can actually see the fluid from the bleeder your doing at the time. Just make sure you get at least 3 to 4 foot of clear hose and cut in half to use for both ends.

[73swinger]

The way I've done it in the past is to connect a small plastic tube onto the bleeder screws and run it (as short as possible) into a jar filled half way with brake fluid. You have to make sure the hose stays below the fluid in the jar, then you crack open one bleeder screw at a time (starting with the furthest) and pump the brake s a few times. this will force the bubbles out rather quickly into the jar and when you let off the pedal, the hose sucks fluid back up. I usually put a decent amount through each screw, making sure not to let the master go dry. when the bubbles stop, tighten the bleeder and move on to the next wheel.

I've never had a problem doing this by myself, and it's worked every time

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[pandamarie]

I hook up a clear plastic tube on my bleeders and make a loop that goes up about 8 inches held with some tape, crack the bleeder open and push the pedal down slowly 3 or 4 times and hold it for about 5 seconds each time before letting up, the air will go to the top of the tube and the fluid will run back into the system get out and tighten up the bleeder and move to the next wheel, has never failed me yet.

[74swinger]

The way I've done it in the past is to connect a small plastic tube onto the bleeder screws and run it (as short as possible) into a jar filled half way with brake fluid. You have to make sure the hose stays below the fluid in the jar, then you crack open one bleeder screw at a time (starting with the furthest) and pump the brake s a few times. this will force the bubbles out rather quickly into the jar and when you let off the pedal, the hose sucks fluid back up. I usually put a decent amount through each screw, making sure not to let the master go dry. when the bubbles stop, tighten the bleeder and move on to the next wheel.

I've never had a problem doing this by myself, and it's worked every time

 

.....doing it this way for years on jap craps to motor homes.  Never a problem just make sure all the fluid in the system is clean.  Mixing dirty and clean fluid makes clean really dirty   .

Someone there to watch for the lack of bubbles really helps also......."oh sweetie, can you get on all fours and put your head down while I pump...."   

[69 GTS Clonvertible]

All of the suggestions above will work but, I've tried everyone of them and the easiest is having them bleed with a machine by a certified mechanic but thats costly, but i've found that this is the next easiest way, so you don't have to keep saying "OK pump the pedal 3 times honey".........."all right hold it"..........."deer?? why is the brake pedal going all the way to the floor??"..........."never mind just do what I tell you to do ok, HONEY!!!!!.
Here's some instructions and a diagram for those who like colors.

[268darts]

A mechanic friend of mine uses a bug sprayer half full of brake fluid. He has a MC cap with a fitting connected to the sprayer. Pump it up and you have a pressurized bleeding system.

[urchinhead]

So, Pandamarie and 74Swinger - do you take the line and wire/tie it up above the wheel housing? I was thinking of trying this by tying a long clear tube up to a garage stool. People never want to help me bleed my brakes, and I can't say I blame them.

[73swinger]

keep that tube as short as possible, just long enough to reach the floor from the bleeder screws. remember you are trying to push the bubbles out of the lines. when you let off the pedal fluid will be drawn into your lines through the plastic tube. if the tube is too long, the bubbles will just move down the tube, then back up it. pretty neat looking but probably won't help your brakes any

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[74swinger]

keep that tube as short as possible, just long enough to reach the floor from the bleeder screws. remember you are trying to push the bubbles out of the lines. when you let off the pedal fluid will be drawn into your lines through the plastic tube. if the tube is too long, the bubbles will just move down the tube, then back up it. pretty neat looking but probably won't help your brakes any

 []{}The tube short and straight down (more or less) into the bottle.  Don't kink the tube.  No need to wire anything up.  Do only one corner at a time, and test it when you are done.  Worst case, you waste a pint of brake fluid doing it over again.  A tool box under the car, set the bottle/can on top of it to make the tube really short, and pump slow and steady.  No bubbles, no troubles.

[WildCat]

Bought a mini vac at Auto Zone for about $25. Works greta but don't use on anti lock brakes..........doubt any of us have them on our old cars but for those that work on the new stuff too a good reminder

Fill master cylinder with fluid, starting at bleeder farthest from master cylinder, attach hose from mini vac to bleeder, open bleeder, pump lever on mini vac.

I used it to change the brake Fluid on my Prowler and to bleed the Dart brakes and it worked great. Well worth the money and not having to ask anyone to pump the pedal, especially when changing the fluid out completely.

Just keep and eye on the master cylinder so it does not run out of fluid.