One man brake bleeding

[Porter]

A friend of mine just told me about this new product, what I like is they come in SS too.

http://www.speedbleeder.com/ TARGET=_blank>http://www.speedbleeder.com/

Essentially a replacement bleeder valve. Available for many apllications.

[Mike #19861]

 Great idea. It simplifies bleeding.

 But, I have a good self bleeding method as well. With the help of Mr. Gravity. Fill the master, leave the lid loose, and crack the bleeder screws, starting with the one farthest away from the master. And just wait. Soon, fresh fluid will make its way to the wheel and push out the air through the open bleeder. Do this one wheel at a time, and keep an eye on the fluid level in the master cylinder.

 Before you close the bleeder, tap the wheel cylinder or caliper to dislodge any trapped air. I have used this as my main method for years, and most often it works well. Occasionally, you will have to solicite a volunteer to aid, but I always do this first.

 It works particularly well if you have just replaced a front line, flex hose or caliper or wheel cylinder that does not require the bleeding of the whole system.

  Mike

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Thanks Porter,

That unit is really going to save a lot of partners from the odious task of pressing the pedal all day while the mechanical partner bleeds each corner of the vehicle.

But, I do have a problem with the item in such that what stops the air entering the system via the outside thread?

Okay, when you loosen the bleeder so that the ball valve comes into operation, you go round to press the pedal a few times to remove the air from the pipes, there is nothing to stop any air from returning via the thread of the bleeder itself.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

P.S.  I was careful not to mention anything sexist incase there were more people out there like Denise who would put her husband into the cabin to "Pump Fluid"

[Mike #19861]

 Bruce, I would expect you would have a problem with the gavity part too.

Since, being on the bottom of the world, and have to cling to the earth so that you do not fall off, the fluid would tend to fall out of the top of the reservoir before it gets to the wheels. Because of this, I expect you have to cling to the traditional methods.

  Mike

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Gday Mike,

The good part about living here, we can claw our way to the top, whereas you northerners, once you get to the top, can easily fall back down.   And, the Northerners that come to visit, usually go back home as they cant stand the sudden change , and cant believe that life here is so surreal.   You know, Gods Country.

Oh, plus, as you know, smoke rises, well, we dont have a polution problem down here, just a loss of the Ozone layer.

And, I had to build my own brake bleeding system to allow for the reverse gravity.

What I constructed was a pressure bleeder where I pressurise the resevoir of the M/C with 10 psi of air from the compressor, and then I can bleed each wheel, knowing full well that all air is being expended.   The only thing that I have to do is keep an eye on the fluid level in the M/C and top it up occasionally.   Works a treat.   And, keeps the missus happy.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[John Washburn]

Porter,

Are you aware of the KISS principle? In the old days it was "Keep It Simple Stupid". Today the corporate jerks have made it better. Screw em.

Anyway, do what I do. Go to swap meets and find some nice old pressure bleeders. Ive got 4 of them (one for Dot 4 and one for silicone fluid, and two spares) total cost was probably $20.00.

The problem is finding the correct adapter for the master cylinder you have. For folks like you, Porter, who have these new cars, it should be no problem...... I bet I have the right adapter.

The old pressure bleeders are small and hang from the hood, I can send a picture so that you can, with a seeing eye dog, find these at your local swap meet.

Your Friend

John Washburn
CLC #1067
Elizabeth, Colorado

[Robt.Vonheck via a drenched SanDiego Calif.]

Porter:    -Yep, gotem on my ol71/MB-Berlina(540k-replicar); and seem to work without a hitch, as the Vette-chassis Disk-brakes are very much a "do it right, or else" -sort of braking-sys.;  -plus, pulled-off all of the sissy/Pwr.assist-junk so that it is strictly a safer manual/foot-powered Brake-sys. as God intended it should be...   ~Bob vH

[Porter]

There you go again John, picking on us young ignoramus shadetree type Cadillac aficionados (age 49) with our "new" ( 66 & 67) Cadillacs.

Any time I can pull some low tech advice out of an old timer like you I feel like I have accomplished something.

Please forward the picture of the old time brake bleeding device.

At least I have kept my antique breaker point distributor, I have had my tach/dwell meter for at least 30 years, like an old friend with many great memories.

Many thanks, and keep sharing.

Porter

[r parkinson clc 12511]

Nobody has mentioned the Mityvac pump.  I use it for easy bleeding.  It is hand operated, with a hose that fits over the bleeder valve.  You just pump it up a bit and then crack the bleeder valve.  It sucks out the bad stuff into a container.  Stop occasionally to top off the M/C and continue.  I just bled off some of the crud that has managed to accumulate in the past couple of years.  You would be surprised what comes out of a not so old system.

[Mick Harrison CLC #20844]

Ive been using this gizmo http://tinyurl.com/66o5g TARGET=_blank>http://tinyurl.com/66o5g for several years on my Miatas.  Figure you could do the same thing with a GM cap.  I need to find a spare cap and give it a try.

[Rhino 21150]

I also have a mightyvac that I got from Whitney some time in the seventies (?). Ive used it many times on Ford, GM, VW, Nissan, Toyota.

[Joe Pagnotta CLC19114]

Hey Gang,

FWIW you can check this link re One Man Systems:

http://www.zeckhausen.com/bleeding_brakes.htm TARGET=_blank>http://www.zeckhausen.com/bleeding_brakes.htm

I used the MightyVac in a pinch and found it to be just as bad as he described, but it did the job.  The brake pedal on my 76 CDV is no worse than what I remember, but a Two-Man Tweaking couldnt hurt to see if it gets any firmer. The Manual for MightyVac indicated that small bubbles (attributable to air leaking in from the threads) could be eliminated by removing them from the caliper, wrapping them with plumbers tape or similar sealant and reinstall to bleed.

[densie 20352]

  Its awful hard to get him away from his computer to do things like that.  The neighbor across the street is always volunteering, but hes getting old, and Im not sure that he can handle the physical stuff anymore.

  I like the one-man bleeder idea.  Isnt it funny how we marry men to do certain things, but we still end up using mechanical devices to do them by ourselves?


-densie

[Porter]

In this politically correct world should have read "one person brake bleeder".

In reference to Bruces comment even the standard bleeder valve will have some leakage through the threads when you crack it open for bleeding, correct me if Im wrong.

Porter

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

I have always wondered about these "one person bleeding systems" that utilise the bleeder valve to remove the air from the system without sealing the thread.

The pressure bleeding is the only safe way to go, except the old fashioned method, as the bleeder is used as it was designed.   The bottom being the plug, and the hole down the centre being the easiest method of removal of the waste product.

What do others think?

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[densie]

  Yeah, but you close the bleeder before you have your husband let go of the brake pedal.

[Porter]

Bruce,

I guess an improved design would be an actual ball valve(spring loaded for one person brake bleeding) whereas you dont have to loosen the threads, you would toss the lever to bleed the system. Of course a method of securing the lever would be required to prevent accidental leakage.

At any rate a discussion about brake bleeding methods.

The least they could is put some "neverseize" on the bleeder threads at the factory so they dont snap off when you try to crack them loose for brake bleeding.

Porter

[Mike #19861]

 Its a good system, and a sealant on the threads, like suggested, would prevent air from being sucked into the system. Never seize (the wonder drug in these salt soaked climes) would not only serve the purpose of sealing them, but also make it possible to loosen them at some point down the road when you need to bleed the brakes again.

 Or, you could remove them and replace them with conventional bleeders when the bleeding is done. Then you will have 4 nice clean bleeders for use on your next project.

  Mike

[Steven Fisher]

Bruce,

I am attempting to pressurise the master cylinder on my GMC truck but unfortunately, the cap is not a crew on, it is oblong, clips on and leaks when I add pressure.

Any advice on securing the lid to the master cylinder?

My contribution to the forum would be to pressurese a bug sprayer half filled with brake fluid and hook that up to the master cylinder. This way, you dont have to keep re-filling the resevoir and you can add a plastic tube to the inside of the male quick connector that extends down into the resevoir to the fill line. When pressure is released from the bug sprayer after the job is finished, the fluid will syphon out back down to the fill line.

Steve

[denise 20352]

> P.S. I was careful not to mention anything sexist incase there were more people out there like Denise who would put her husband into the cabin to "Pump Fluid"

   Like I could get him away from Everquest and online poker long enough to pump fluid with me?

   The funny thing is, my neighbor across the street volunteers to come over and help with stuff like that, knowing that Tony is right there in the house.  If he werent in his 80s, I would have to ask his wife if she were interested in husband swapping for a while.

   To help with the car, of course.

-densie