Bled the brakes today...

[nakman]

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.

Nope, you're not mising a thing Bruce, in fact my method above was just how you explained it to me... and worked great.

Corsair just likes to make things more difficult than they need to be

 

[corsair23]

Corsair just likes to make things more difficult than they need to be

HEY! I resemble that remark

Toolman is absolutely correct...I can turn the most simple thing into a complete cluster because in my mind it just can't really be that simple

Sort of like pumping the brake with your hand - that didn't even dawn on me so I'm trying to figure how you can pump the brake pedal with your foot while at the same time trying to see the fluid, not to mention following the FSM to close and open the bleeder at the same time.

It is probably overly apparent that I suffer from "overthinkititus"

 

[Hulk]

I've always bled brakes with a helper.

1. Loosen the bleed valve. Put small clear tube on the nipple with the other end in a jelly jar. Open the master cylinder and make sure there is plenty of fluid.

2. Tell helper: "Push the brake down slowly. Tell me when you hit bottom." Open the bleed valve. Watch fluid and bubbles.

3. Helper: "I'm down."

4. Tighten valve. Tell helper: "Lift the brake back up slowly. Tell me when you're up."

5. Helper: "I'm up."

6. Repeat until you get no bubbles. Check the master cylinder often to make sure you don't run out of fluid. Do all four corners.


Sounds like there is an easier way, but that's the way my Dad taught me to do it.

 

[corsair23]

VICTORY!!

I got the old nasty bleeder off and the new one installed and then tried to bleed the brakes by myself using my hand but you know what they say about playing with/by yourself

The brakes still felt a little mushy so when the got home I put her to work pumping the brake

Brakes feel good now. I did the bed in proceedure for the brakes and rotors and called it good. In the end I went through 2+ a little of the big bottles of brake fluid (same as in Nakman's pic) and I am convinced I have 100% fresh fluid. Went and got the mail in the truck and the missing hardware for my Motive power bleeder arrived today - I'll test it out on the LX - should only take me a week to do it now that I know what I'm doing

 

[corsair23]

6. Repeat until you get no bubbles. Check the master cylinder often to make sure you don't run out of fluid.

Do all four corners - PR, DR, PF, DF, THEN the LSP & BV last.

Fixed it for you ...Only because when I did the LSP & BV last (per the FSM) I got a good deal of air bubbles out.

Sounds like there is an easier way, but that's the way my Dad taught me to do it.

Maybe, with a power bleeder but otherwise no, this is as easy as it gets despite how hard I tried to make it complicated