Bled the brakes today...

[nakman]

Was surprised at how dirty looking the old fluid was. And early tests indicate an improvement in braking, I'll take it out for a spin later once the kid gets up. Definitely a better use of the afternoon than watching the game, KOA in the garage seems to more cover it.

Comments welcome on the technique...

 

[nakman]

I put about 1/3 the jug through the RR, then did the next two until the fluid looked clear. Finished with the RF and pumped the rest of the jug through it. I maybe should have done RF ahead of LF but bfd, imo.

Now that I've got the technique down, I'm try my luck with the Scout next weekend. (unless it's snowing.. )

 

[Hulk]

Wow, you've got drilled and slotted rotors on your Scout, too!

 

[Shark Bait]

Nice! I need to do mine, too.

 

[subzali]

Looks good Tim! I didn't know they made hoses with the nut on them - that looks cleaner than trying to loosen the bleeder and have the hose go down into a pot! My dad likes KOA better too usually for games.

 

[nakman]

Nothing that fancy, it's just a piece of fish tank tubing... shove it over the end of the thing that's already on there.

 

[corsair23]

Tried to bleed mine today...Did a complete flush (old stuff was dark but not near as dark as Nakman's) of the system with the exception of the PS rear...Couldn't get the damn bleeder to open and started to round off the nut, and that is with using a flare wrench

Tried to use my fancy Motive brake bleeder but none of the adapter fit onto the fluid resevoir....So I resorted to using my Motive vacuum dealyo. All these cool toys that really don't work...

Mostly new fluid now but the brakes go to the floor - Just when I was feeling good about getting new rotors on and the new pads and flushing the system...

I've given up and I'm just going to limp it over to Brakes Plus or somewhere and have them professionally bled and also have them replace the PS rear bleeder. I know when to admit I've been beat


Hey Tim, were you able to bleed your brakes the old fashioned way by yourself??

 

[nakman]

...were you able to bleed your brakes the old fashioned way by yourself??

Yeah, the hose in the jar of old fluid makes it so you don't suck in air between pumps. Also I used a deep 6-point socket to get the bleeders free...

want to bring yours up this week? Soak that bleeder, it'll come off. then ask around I'm sure someone's got a spare, didn't ROD just get a new caliper?

 

[corsair23]

Yeah, the hose in the jar of old fluid makes it so you don't suck in air between pumps. Also I used a deep 6-point socket to get the bleeders free...

want to bring yours up this week? Soak that bleeder, it'll come off. then ask around I'm sure someone's got a spare, didn't ROD just get a new caliper?

Hmmm...didn't think about trying a socket - I soaked the bleeder but still no dice.

As for bringing the rig up, I wouldn't trust driving the vehicle too far, not even sure about making it the few miles to Brakes Plus as just getting it to stop on the sloped driveway was a challenge

Maybe I'll give it one more shot some night this week using the 'ol manual pump it technique. This was my first time doing this so no surprise it didn't work as planned

Oh, and BTW....working on a non-lifted 80 sort of sucks. No room under the rig. I can sit under my rear with the tire removed. I can barely slid under the 's rig. Note to self: lose some weight in the middle section

 

[Red_Chili]

Interesting... I've gotten my Motive Power pressure bleeder to fit almost anything. Even my tiny clutch master - with a block of wood and some body english.

 

[corsair23]

Interesting... I've gotten my Motive Power pressure bleeder to fit almost anything. Even my tiny clutch master - with a block of wood and some body english.

Bill, I discovered after some cussing and then searching the internet that in fact my bleeder didn't come with the "hardware" (or tool kit as Motive calls it) to attach the various adapters to the reservoir - it of course should have been in there. I had tried to use some zip ties to hold the adapter down but all that accomplished was getting brake fluid everywhere.

HOWEVER, kudos to Motive as they are sending me out the missing parts free of charge, despite the fact that I bought the unit over 5 months ago! No questions asked other than what my mailing address was to send the parts to

So, Motive Products gets a big high-five in my book.

 

[corsair23]

OK...

Probably a stupid question, but when you bleed the brakes does it matter whether the reservoir cap is on or off? The FSM doesn't state anything (IIRC) on this other than keeping the reservoir filled. In all the threads I've read I don't recall seeing any specific mention on this.

When I did my first attemp at bleeding the brakes I had the reservoir cap off so I could easily keep the fluid level up. Now I am wondering if that, somehow, allowed air into the system? My new bleeder should be in today or tomorrow at Burt so hopefully I'll get to this soon...

So....Reservoir cap on or off or doesn't matter

 

[Romer]

Cap off, but don't let the level drop to the bottom of the cup.

I first used the vacuum bleeder on Sarahs truck and it was a little spongy so I then did it the old fashioned two person way and it made a big difference

One person on wrench yelling In / Out while bleeding. Best to have truck on, at least I would think so to have the vacuum created by the engine present.

 

[Uncle Ben]

OK...
doesn't matter

Fixed it for your answer...

 

[corsair23]

Thanks guys - some day I'll be even more dangerous around vehicles 'cuz I'll think I know what I am doing


On a slight side note. I was reading about the speedy bleeders that supposedly make bleeding brakes a one person operation...Well, I'd say yes and no on that. Sure, you no longer need to open and close the bleeder while pumping the brakes but while you're pumping the brakes who is sitting watching for the air bubbles to cease or for the new fluid to start flowing - I guess you just pump for a while and check for new fluid and assume no more air.

Seems to me still the best method is either the two person method or the power bleeder method (if I get that to work) - pump up the power bleeder, go to the bleeder, crack open (bleeder and a beer), see new fluid and no air bubbles, close bleeder and move on to the next wheel

 

[nakman]

In my case, my only potential helper is 2 years old and he doesn't listen to directions very well. He helps best by taking a long nap.. though I do look forward to a day when he can help me turn a wrench or two.

But you put the hose on the bleeder into your old fluid, so it just can't suck in air. then you judge by the color of the stuff in the tube when you think it's clean enough. I actually didn't have the truck running.. thought about it, but didn't. I did leave the cap off though.

 

[corsair23]

...put the hose on the bleeder into your old fluid, so it just can't suck in air. then you judge by the color of the stuff in the tube when you think it's clean enough. I actually didn't have the truck running.. thought about it, but didn't. I did leave the cap off though.

That is my plan, but did you notice (not that you could see ) the fluid getting sucked back up in? Seems it would push some fluid out and then when you lifted off the brakes it would suck some back in...Obviously by the fact that you went through fluid you pumped out more than you sucked back up

I just got to thinking about the speedy bleeder claims on the one person job thing. IMO, it seems it is still a 2 person job (without a power bleeder) even with the speedy bleeders it just alleviates the need to loosen and tighten the bleeder. Seems the most important thing to be making sure you don't have is air in the lines which is hard to do by yourself . I almost bought some speedy bleeders but chose to just replace the one mucked up OEM bleeder and give my power bleeder another shot when the parts arrive.

 

[Red_Chili]

The speed bleeders can also suck in air unless you seal them somehow - which is not a 100% thing.

My Motive Power bleeder must be pretty old, it came with exactly one cap. So far, so good... I may have to make some tool additions though. Personally I love the thing as long as I occasionally check to make sure it isn't running low. Oh, and also, when I first attach it I pressurize it with NO fluid in it, just to make sure the pressure holds. If it doesn't, all I leak all over is air. Once it holds pressure, I open it up and add a quart of fluid. Repressurize, and I'm good to go.





As long as I don't fall asleep on the creeper or something...

 

[nakman]

but did you notice (not that you could see ) the fluid getting sucked back up in?

Yes, was watching especially on the DS front (where I could see it). Between pumps it sucked about 2" of old fluid up the hose, you could actually see the color difference and a line between old & new. The old fluid didn't get sucked into the caliper, just into my clear discharge hose.

 

[60wag]

Maybe I'm missing something here but I just shove a small diameter tube onto the brake bleeder and let it hang into the catch bottle. Vacuum hose vorks well. The id is small enough that the brake fluid won't drain out of the hose so it prevents air from get back into the bleeder. I crack the bleeder open just a bit - not a full turn. Push the brake pedal with your right hand while looking under the truck at the fluid squirting into the catch bottle. After 5 or 6 full pedal strokes, refill the res' and pump some more.