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one man brake bleeder?

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jp828108

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Jun 28, 2011
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484
Location
Ohio
interested to see if anyone has used this. When I'm bleeding brakes by myself I usually allow them to gravity bleed. I have my doubts to how well this would work.
 

anndel

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Oct 28, 2015
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Location
Hawaii, USA
interested to see if anyone has used this. When I'm bleeding brakes by myself I usually allow them to gravity bleed. I have my doubts to how well this would work.

Same here, I just gravity bleed them making sure the master cylinder doesn't go empty.
 

driftpin

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Dec 22, 2016
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Miami-Dade/Broward Co. Florida
For $13 you can afford to take a chance.

On my non-ABS motorcycles, for the clutch and brake hydraulics, I do a 'reverse-bleed' using a 60 cc syringe. It quickly gives me a firm lever at the handlebar, and gets all the old fluid out, you have to empty the reservoir a few times as you purge the line's contents upwards, until the bowl has only clear fluid in it.

Some don't like this method, but I've been doing it successfully for decades, and never had any problems.

Yes, a gravity-bleed works, you have to be patient.
 

RCL

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Joined
May 29, 2011
Messages
344
I used the reverse bleed on my Toyota when I replaced master cylinder.
Used a large syringe from the ranch.
Worked very well.
 

jp828108

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Jun 28, 2011
Messages
484
Location
Ohio
I've gravity-bled my clutch mater and line, but have used this brake bleed kit with no problems.

https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-...eeder/oem-one-man-brake-bleeder-kit/46839_0_0

those bottles are so small. I have had a couple of the harbor freight ones. I ended up poking a hole in a bottle, and running the tubing down into it. Gives me a lot more capacity. I use this to both gravity and bleed with the help of someone to keep fluid from shooting all of the floor. If someone is helping, just have to make sure the bottle isn't sealed up.
 

Mr. Tool

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Jan 26, 2013
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Dude, for the cost of just over $12 bucks for that...yes you can afford to cheat.:dunno:
 

kctyphoon

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Jersey/Staten Island
Get the motive power bleeder, or one of the mityvac kits.. the motive is great, and I just got the mityvac 7201 kit (still in the box) and ordered the option bleed accessory kit.. basically if I wanted to right now, I could force fluid in at the master and **** it out at the bleed screw at the same time.. the motive is a great tool, but you need all the adapers for different masters if ur a mechanic. The mityvac is universal. The motive kit is pretty great though.. it eliminates all the headache of doing it alone and makes it effortless. You can flush the entire system easily. I used a 20 oz coke bottle and a hose to collect the fluid.
 
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M6erfan

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Dec 6, 2014
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'Merica!
Yeah, if your doing a lot of different vehicles/master cylinders the Motive adapters can add up fast. That said it's a great tool.
 

trackwelder

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Jun 22, 2005
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2,608
Location
n.y
Motive for me. I bought my first one new with a few adapters. Since buying the first I have found 3 more with various adapters at swap meets cheap. Wouldn’t use anything else.
 

bctexas

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Sep 6, 2015
Messages
670
Location
Aubrey, TX
I'm a big fan of Speed Bleeders - I have them on all my cars:

http://www.speedbleeder.com/

They have a one way valve that, when the bleeder is open, will let fluid out but will not let air in. They also have sealer on the threads to prevent air getting in during bleeding. I have two catch bottles. I can hang one bottle on a front, the other on a rear, open the bleeders and slowly pump the pedal. I use a hand vacuum pump to empty the master first and refill it with fresh fluid. A very easy one man job. I'm a big believer in flushing the brakes and clutch hydraulics at least every two years. We sold a 1997 Outback about a year ago that had 245,000 miles on the original brake hydraulics.....
 

Wamsutta

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Amarillo, Texas
I'd recommend taking that $12 and applying it to a Motive Products bleeder. That way you'll have one that works for sure.
 
OP
U

upjeeper

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Jan 17, 2011
Messages
61
i have a mityvac, but i loaned it out to someone and when i got it back they had sucked brake fluid into the check valve and mucked up the orings. doesn't work so well anymore, and mityvac's customer service is not impressive
 
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kctyphoon

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If youre just doing your own car - seriously - look into the appropriate motive kit.. it's so much better than pumping brakes that you'll feel like an idiot for wasting so much time doing it manually for so long. It also eliminates the question of "I wonder if it's air stuck in the lines" if you ever have a soft pedal in the future.. actually helped to diagnose a bad master for me after I replaced every single brake component on my truck that I don't drive. Every year I just pick away at replacing things, and after replacing everything from the hard lines to the pads and everything in between, my pedal was horrible.. so I was left wondering if it was just air trapped SOMEWHERE, or if there was an issue with new parts, or if the one part I didn't replace had actually gone bad while the truck was sitting.. it's a simple, simple system to use, and makes things so much easier.
 

vssjim

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The Motive kits work well and they are not pricey compared to other pressure bleeders and any brake manufacturer will tell you pressure bleeding is way to go over vacuum bleeding a seals in system are made for pressure not vacuum.
 

American Locomotive

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Jan 8, 2017
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Rhode Island
I always just used a piece of wood jammed between the brake pedal and the seat when I bleed brakes by myself. A little time consuming but gets the job done.
 

nickelmore

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Apr 27, 2015
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319
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50 miles from Chicago
I'm a big fan of Speed Bleeders - I have them on all my cars:

http://www.speedbleeder.com/

They have a one way valve that, when the bleeder is open, will let fluid out but will not let air in. They also have sealer on the threads to prevent air getting in during bleeding. I have two catch bottles. I can hang one bottle on a front, the other on a rear, open the bleeders and slowly pump the pedal. I use a hand vacuum pump to empty the master first and refill it with fresh fluid. A very easy one man job. I'm a big believer in flushing the brakes and clutch hydraulics at least every two years. We sold a 1997 Outback about a year ago that had 245,000 miles on the original brake hydraulics.....

Great product.
 

unslow1

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Mar 3, 2012
Messages
7,880
Location
Illinois
I've gravity-bled my clutch mater and line, but have used this brake bleed kit with no problems.

https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-...eeder/oem-one-man-brake-bleeder-kit/46839_0_0

I have several bleeders including the Mityvac and the Branick G300 one. Honestly I rarely use any besides the little plastic ones. They are just quick and simple. Anything that needs more than that I get a second person involved.

https://www.ideaautorepair.com/prod...MIx4yUyJP_2QIVVeDICh3ftgbzEAQYByABEgLXcPD_BwE
 

Wamsutta

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Jan 8, 2014
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Amarillo, Texas
If youre just doing your own car - seriously - look into the appropriate motive kit.. it's so much better than pumping brakes that you'll feel like an idiot for wasting so much time doing it manually for so long. It also eliminates the question of "I wonder if it's air stuck in the lines" if you ever have a soft pedal in the future.. actually helped to diagnose a bad master for me after I replaced every single brake component on my truck that I don't drive. Every year I just pick away at replacing things, and after replacing everything from the hard lines to the pads and everything in between, my pedal was horrible.. so I was left wondering if it was just air trapped SOMEWHERE, or if there was an issue with new parts, or if the one part I didn't replace had actually gone bad while the truck was sitting.. it's a simple, simple system to use, and makes things so much easier.

Just something to pass onto you:

There was one time when I could never get the air out no matter how many times I bled the brakes. Long story short, it was the banjo washers for the front calipers letting the air in. Those copper washers are supposed to be used only one time. When tightening the the banjo bolts, the banjo washers get an imprint put into them. Next time you tighten them, if the imprint is not in the exact same spot as they were before, air gets in through the imprint. If you look closely, the imprint will look like a fine scratch into the copper going across the circular rings of the washer. Another sign will be brake fluid running down the inside walls of the tires.
 

6PTsocket

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Mar 12, 2014
Messages
4,593
You can replace your bleeder screws with ones that have a check valve built in, if that is the way you want to go. Just loosen, pump and re tighten. They are called speed bleeders. Common item, easy to get. In effect, this is what that hose does, but a lot easier to use. I am a fan of pressure bleeding but the various methods have been talked to death.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 

bpjr

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Sep 2, 2013
Messages
554
Location
Florida east coast
I use one of the small bottle types...just checked and the brand is AMC0. It was purchased so long ago I don't remember where it came from but most likely Autozone or Advance Auto Parts. Its easy, cheap and makes for one person bleeding.
 

mrborohachi

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Mar 27, 2013
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841
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Berdoo Route 66
Japan's answer
yhst-128669497614690_2273_3890823


Buy it from http://www.frankstools.com/ktcbrblkimoa.html
 

yhprum

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Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
1,382
Location
Brisbane Australia
I started out with the mityvac and small bottle going through the bleeder on the caliper. I didn't notice when the bottle had filled up with brake fluid. Next thing I know I am pumping away to build vacuum and the brake fluid came through the mighty vac and was spitting out onto my paint. Lucky I caught it before any damage happened to the paint.
So to avoid that from happening again, I took a large pickle jar drilled and epoxied two barbed fittings on the lid. One for the mightyvac, one for the bleeder. Bonus was the lid would still make an audible pop once the vacuum was built up, so I would know when to start pumping the mighty vac again.
 

nbruno

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Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
213
I use a double tiered approach for solo brake bleeding. I have a motive pressure bleeder and a check valve hose like op is asking about. Takes about 20 minutes to do a complete bleed and flush.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 

Theruse

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Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
341
Location
Maryland
Ditto on the Motive. My only regret is why didn't I buy it years ago. I was planning to do just one car two weekends ago. Wound up doing three cars. Fortunately, I also have a lift (four post) and never had to take the wheels off. What a great day.
 

Tonyuk

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Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
1,539
Location
Scotland
Im a fan of pressure bleeding, probably thats because its what im used to now.

I have a set-up like this at home;

ALB30570.jpg


That along with some tubing, 6 point angle wrench and a clear bottle has served me very well.

Only about £50 new also.
 

Showkey

"MEMBER EMERITUS"
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Aug 9, 2014
Messages
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Location
Wausau WI
There are dozens of prior posts on the brake bleeding topic. Agree on brake bleeding with vacuum, pressure, reverse injection, speed bleeders or pedal pumping all have their place and all depend on some techniques, knowledge and skill level. Even pumping can be a one man operation with device to hold the pedal down position after pumping. Pressure and vacuum can come many homemade or commercial devices.
 
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Allenw

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Jan 7, 2014
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276
Location
NW Oklahoma

6PTsocket

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 12, 2014
Messages
4,593
Get the motive power bleeder, or one of the mityvac kits.. the motive is great, and I just got the mityvac 7201 kit (still in the box) and ordered the option bleed accessory kit.. basically if I wanted to right now, I could force fluid in at the master and **** it out at the bleed screw at the same time.. the motive is a great tool, but you need all the adapers for different masters if ur a mechanic. The mityvac is universal. The motive kit is pretty great though.. it eliminates all the headache of doing it alone and makes it effortless. You can flush the entire system easily. I used a 20 oz coke bottle and a hose to collect the fluid.
Another vote for Motive if it is just for personal use. I have 2 adapters now. That positive pressure prevents any air leaks at loose bleeder screws from getting into the bleeder hose. I want to see that bubble free stream going into the jar

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
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