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Brake Bleeding Tools??

IMStuner

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 6, 2012
Messages
483
Location
MA
I have 4 cars and 2 track bikes so I like to flush entire brake system in 10 mins. I highly doubt you're flushing a car brake system in 10 minutes with the hand vac pump. I also change my bikes brake fluid a lot after track day. It's not for everyone but it's made my money back.


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robalmal

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 3, 2011
Messages
362
Location
Triabunna Tasmania Australia
Did a little search on youtube and this is exactly how I bleed / flush brakes by myself for pennies. I knew I wasn't the only one who didn't need any fancy gimmick vacuum pump speed check valve bleed screw contraption. All's it takes is a little aquarium air hose and a plastic bottle. I've been doing it this way for decades.

ericthecarguy

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Thanks for that video.. You don't need expensive gear to change brake fluid. I have done it exactly that way for nearly 50 years. Provided you don't let air in the system by letting the reservoir get low, you won't have a problem. I do a brake fluid flush/ change at least weekly on customers cars. Never yet had trouble. It takes me 15 mins at most. I can see there might be problems if I had to replace an ABS module for some reason, but I have never had to do it.
 
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WWheeler

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Joined
Jun 23, 2015
Messages
4,105
Location
Middleofnowhere USA
Thanks for that video.. You don't need expensive gear to change brake fluid. I have done it exactly that way for nearly 50 years. Provided you don't let air in the system by letting the reservoir get low, you won't have a problem. I do a brake fluid flush/ change at least weekly on customers cars. Never yet had trouble. It takes me 15 mins at most. I can see there might be problems if I had to replace an ABS module for some reason, but I have never had to do it.

About the only things I would do different than ETCG did in that video is I (1) like to make sure the air hose makes an arc above the bleeder valve before going down into my bottle. That way if there are any air bubbles they'll still be there when I get back from pumping the pedal and (2) he mentions pumping the brakes "8 or 10 times" which is several more than I would ever do on a car/truck I'm not familiar with. Some vehicles will drain the master reservoir in less than 10 full pumps. My truck will empty 2/3 to 3/4 of the brake master in 5 slow pumps to the floor, and it will completely empty the clutch master in less than that. I found that out the hard way.

ETCG also mentions at some point in that vid that if someone breaks the bleeder valve rather than fixing / replacing it that you can bleed from the banjo bolt (where the brake line attaches to the caliper) instead. I suppose that may be possible but no way would I let anyone who says anything like that touch any of my vehicles. If I broke a bleeder valve screw, or break anything I'm working on, mine or anyone else's, I always fix/replace it. Same goes for when I run into a clogged bleeder. I will pull it off and if there's anything wrong with it that a little cleanup won't fix I'll replace it.
 
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littletoes

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
1,244
Location
NE Washington
Thanks WWheeler, I bleed the brakes on my older rigs just like the video (except I have 8 kids, and always have a helping hand!).

I've broken a bleed screw off before, and had to replace the entire caliper. Couldn't get the old one out. Cobalt bits wouldn't touch it, and I didn't want to buy a solid carbide one-they cost almost as much as the caliper! At least back then....I haven't bought one in a while. have rebuilt a couple, that's simple enough.
 
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