mityvac hand pump

[scott37300]

I bought one about 8 years ago to bleed brakes by myself but that one got stolen before I ever got to use it. It was the hand pump one that has the gauge and can do pressure and vacuum to test different things and bleed brakes. Trying to see if I should add another one to the tool box or not.

Think I would use it mainly for bleeding brakes but wondering what else everyone uses it for if they have one. So how many of you have one and what are some of the main things you use it for? Is it a tool that you would replace if yours ever got stolen/broken?

I see they also sell a brake bleeder that hooks up to your air compressor but that is over double the price. But if the little hand pump isn't really good for testing other things I might just get the brake bleeder since that's what I think I'll use it more for. So let me know if you like the mityvac and what you use it for other than brake bleeding.

The one I am looking at is this one from tooltopia http://www.tooltopia.com/mityvac-mv8500.aspx

 

[Thumper]

I used my Mityvac for checking choke pull offs, vaccuum advance chambers, vaccuum delay valves, vaccuum chambers and switches on heaters/ac systems (automotive) and...I have even used it as a vaccuum gauge.

It's a handy little tool to have

 

[Fedwrench]

It's a great little tester for any actuator or anything else that is vacuum controled. Granted the number of vacuum controlled devices on a modern car is shrinking but, it's a handy tool. With the right adapter you can also bleed power steering systems. I don't use mine for brake bleeding though.

 

[scott37300]

Fedwrench, any reason you don't use it to bleed brakes? Do you use something else or id it just easier for you to use two people?

 

[Fedwrench]

Fedwrench, any reason you don't use it to bleed brakes? Do you use something else or id it just easier for you to use two people?

It depends on where I'm working. At work we have vaculas and a Pwerprobe pressure bleeder. At home I have a motive unit so, ther's no need to use the Mityvac.

 

[jxxxoxxxe]

i just picked a mityvac up this last weekend, in the case with the manual, for $20 at an auction..

I had one awhile back, but it was a cheap plastic one that of coarse broke over time. This mityvac is metal, which is nice, and I believe you can still get rebuild parts for them..

 

[Danglerb]

My plastic MityVac kind of melted, warped setting in the back hatch area of my car. I replaced it with the metal one from HF for $15.

Very handy tool when its not melted.

 

[ImportTuner]

I have the MityVac metal hand unit and the large vacuum unit. The small hand unit is used for vacuum testing, locating leaks, etc .. the large air assisted vacuum unit is used strictly for bleeding brakes. It does an excellent job and quick too ...

 

[scott37300]

I have the MityVac metal hand unit and the large vacuum unit. The small hand unit is used for vacuum testing, locating leaks, etc .. the large air assisted vacuum unit is used strictly for bleeding brakes. It does an excellent job and quick too ...

Do you know which model you have? There are a bunch of larger mityvacs on tooltopia. They also have medium sized ones made just to bleed brakes.

 

[DMessin]

Really useful for troubleshooting all the vacuum operated stuff on 1980s Mercedes cars, door locks, etc. . .

 

[impulse922]

very good for checking the pressure wastegates are set to open at on turbo cars

 

[hofferwood]

My son got this one http://www.harborfreight.com/brake-bleeder-and-vacuum-pump-kit-92474.html seems to work well.
Chuck

 

[rockchucker]

SpeedBleeders for Bleeding Brakes and Hydraulic Clutch Systems is what I use. They work great and makes it a one man job also.


Here...


http://www.speedbleeder.com/

I used to be a skeptic until I tried a few. They work well. You just really have to watch that the Master Cylinder stays full! It runs out pretty quickly when using the Speed Bleeders due to not having to have anyone else for the job and just being able to pump and dump...lol "That's what SHE said.."


The Mighty Vac Tool is very handy to have around a Shop. You can just use it as a Vacuum gauge also. This is good on all cars to check for Vacuum Leaks. Although Vacuum Actuated parts on Vehicles are going out of style as stated above.

 

[Tom2]

Not a big fan of the Mityvac..Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. The best is to do it the old fashioned way.

I used speedbleeders in my motorcycle that had tough to bleed brakes. They worked fine. I'll probably by them if I have to bleed brakes on my car and don't have a helper handy.

 

[Fedwrench]

The key when using a Mityvac or any other vacuum pump to bleed anything is to always have a small container is series with the pump to catch the fluid and what you're bleeding. Any fluid, especially brake fluid will toast the o rings and seals if it makes it way into the pump cylinder. The metal version is the most durable and melt resistant.

 

[Daedalus]

A handvac is not the best tool for bleeding brakes. Takes too much time and effort. I have 5 different MityVac models for various jobs. A dedicated venturi vacuum brake bleeder is worth it. I still use the hand vac for measuring vacuum and testing small components, so it's still the most important of the tool line.

 

[csp]

You can bleed brakes by yourself with just a piece of hose and a jar with brake fluid in it.

Get a piece of vacuum hose that fits snugly over the bleeder. Place the other end of the hose in a jar or brake fluid so that it stays submerged. Open the bleeder and pump the brakes until no more air bubbles come out of the hose and into the jar of fluid.

 

[ImportTuner]

Do you know which model you have? There are a bunch of larger mityvacs on tooltopia. They also have medium sized ones made just to bleed brakes.

Here is a picture of the MityVac I use for bleeding brakes ..

 

[ImportTuner]

You can bleed brakes by yourself with just a piece of hose and a jar with brake fluid in it.

Get a piece of vacuum hose that fits snugly over the bleeder. Place the other end of the hose in a jar or brake fluid so that it stays submerged. Open the bleeder and pump the brakes until no more air bubbles come out of the hose and into the jar of fluid.

I used to do it this way ... back in the mid 60's ..

 

[scott37300]

Here is a picture of the MityVac I use for bleeding brakes ..

That is the one I was looking at.
Works pretty good and easy?

 

[ImportTuner]

That is the one I was looking at.
Works pretty good and easy?

Bleeding brakes can't be any easier .. attach hose to brake bleeder screw, loosen bleeder screw and off you go. The only thing you need to watch for is that you have enough clean fluid in the brake reservior.

 

[MrMark]

Import Tuner, do you do fluid replacement with that machine?

Do you like it better than the Motive unit, assuming you have one here.

 

[csp]

I used to do it this way ... back in the mid 60's ..

...and for someone who doesn't do this very often, the methods works as well today as it did back then.

Not everyone in this forum does this daily, monthly, or even yearly.

 

[ImportTuner]

Import Tuner, do you do fluid replacement with that machine?

Do you like it better than the Motive unit, assuming you have one here.

The Motive unit has some advantages and some disadvantages. With the Motive, you don't have to worry about running out of fresh brake fluid like you do with the MityVac but you need different adapters (which can get expensive) for different cars .. I like the MityVac because it works on just about any vehicle and using the air pressure from my compressor, I don't have to pump it up like the Motive.