I am an equipment mechanic, and often times when repairing brakes out in the field, I find myself having to bleed the hydraulic brakes by myself and often times fight to reach the bleeders while working the pedal. I do have a air operated brake bleeder that works flawless, but what I am thinking about is those little one way check valves that attach with a short hose to the bleeder screw allowing the mechanic to just operate the pedal without having to manually bleed the system. I don't have an air compressor on the service truck so air operated bleeders are out of the question. I tried the hand operated suction pumps, but they just dont work good enough for what I do. Can anyone suggest a decent bleeder adapter to hook directly to the bleeder? Since it would live in the service truck, I just dont have the room for the style that has the large suction pump with tank.
one man brake bleeders
- Thread starter mech-tech
- Start date
Abeo
Well-known member
I have one of these:
All it is is a tube that goes to the bottom of the bottle (end of tube submerged in brake fluid), so on the return stroke it won't **** air. It work OK for what I do, but it fills up fast and is poorly made... you would be better off making your own with a pop bottle. I pump slowly so that it won't blow the line off. I was worried that it would **** air past the bleeder threads, so I only open the bleeder a little... always bleeds fine and no air in the system.
All it is is a tube that goes to the bottom of the bottle (end of tube submerged in brake fluid), so on the return stroke it won't **** air. It work OK for what I do, but it fills up fast and is poorly made... you would be better off making your own with a pop bottle. I pump slowly so that it won't blow the line off. I was worried that it would **** air past the bleeder threads, so I only open the bleeder a little... always bleeds fine and no air in the system.
+1
I just replaced the front brake hoses on my truck, and bought one of the above one-man kits for like $10. I've never done my own brakes before. And certainly haven't bled them. Job went smooth as silk, easy instructions, fool proof.
I just replaced the front brake hoses on my truck, and bought one of the above one-man kits for like $10. I've never done my own brakes before. And certainly haven't bled them. Job went smooth as silk, easy instructions, fool proof.
stonesfan68
Well-known member
JJThrasher
Well-known member
I used to used a hose and a glass jar with new fluid in the bottom of it. Just submerge the end of the hose. Works great.
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If I can find it this weekend I have a nice home made bleeder, It consists of a quart jar with 2 barbed fitting in the top, and 2 3 foot pieces of 1/4 in vacuum hose, one goes to the bleeder fitting and the other goes a rotary vacuum pump that is run by a cordless drill. Just open the fitting a pull the trigger, it ***** the fluid right through.
my favorite one after having 2 different mityvacs is definitely the v12 brake bleeder.
<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-yz6_aQa4Yg?feature=player_embedded" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" width="640"></iframe>
by far worked better and easier than my mityvacs, and faster also.
works for doing pressure and vacuum bleeds, as well as bench bleeding masters, and the best part about the pressure bleed, is that it gets the air out of abs units (not all).
and it is much much more compact than a pump type pressure bleeder
<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-yz6_aQa4Yg?feature=player_embedded" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" width="640"></iframe>
by far worked better and easier than my mityvacs, and faster also.
works for doing pressure and vacuum bleeds, as well as bench bleeding masters, and the best part about the pressure bleed, is that it gets the air out of abs units (not all).
and it is much much more compact than a pump type pressure bleeder
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For many years, I've used a jar and a piece of aquarium air tubing. I keep the tubing in a baggy in the tool box. If the tubing is too small diameter, slightly, I take a regular wood pencil and slowly try to push it into the tubing end to make it larger, works like a champ.
A clear glass jar is nice because I can lean over and watch the air bubbles and monitor the brake fluid level while I push the brake pedal with one hand. Crude but works.
A clear glass jar is nice because I can lean over and watch the air bubbles and monitor the brake fluid level while I push the brake pedal with one hand. Crude but works.
aka Larry
Well-known member
This is what I use and as far as I'm concerned there is no substitute.
928'er
Well-known member
Another vote for the Motiv pressure bleeder.
I've had no luck with the Mity Vacs - you can never tell if you're getting air out of the line or just sucking it in around the loosened bleed screw.
I've had no luck with the Mity Vacs - you can never tell if you're getting air out of the line or just sucking it in around the loosened bleed screw.
pepi
Well-known member
As long as the MC is higher then the wheel cylinder, gravity is your friend. Real simple leave the MC cover open where the fluid is added. Go to the wheel cylinder open the bleeder and watch the fluid until no air. Keep an eye on the reservoir, don't want it to run to low refill as you needed and you are golden. I am sure you know this, but will mention it anyway, pressurizing the brake system with the brake peddle does not force the air out any quicker, the air is locked in place buy the hyd fluid and will follow the fluid to and out the bleeder. Like standing in line wait you turn .
DARKSCOPE001
Well-known member
I have one of these http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/multi+fluid+extractor.do?sortby=ourPicks
I dont use it as much as I would like. But the one time I did use it as a brake bleeder it worked pretty good. But the car I used it on was a non abs Hyundai with a relatively simple brake system.
Some of these new brake systems with abs computers and whatnot seem confusing. Maybe some more experienced guys can chime in but when I thought about bleeding the brakes on my girlfriends 99 Malibu I found out to do it right you needed a abs computer to cycle the solenoids for you.
Good luck.
Sean
I dont use it as much as I would like. But the one time I did use it as a brake bleeder it worked pretty good. But the car I used it on was a non abs Hyundai with a relatively simple brake system.
Some of these new brake systems with abs computers and whatnot seem confusing. Maybe some more experienced guys can chime in but when I thought about bleeding the brakes on my girlfriends 99 Malibu I found out to do it right you needed a abs computer to cycle the solenoids for you.
Good luck.
Sean
glenmore
Well-known member
I've installed speedbleeders on a couple of cars and they seem to work fine.
http://www.speedbleeder.com/
http://www.speedbleeder.com/
that looks nice and all, but how about when you run into cars that have a push cap instead of a screw cap for reservoirs? can't just pump it full of air, you'll blow the cap off, and making something to hold the cap down for that specific master is time consuming and annoying.
thats why i prefer the v-12 one i linked before, you push all the fluid from the caliper back up through the master, no possibility of running dry if you go a little bit too long without filling it back up. you just **** out the old fluid in the master, push new fluid through the lines, remove the old fluid one more time and now your system is flushed, no air, and new fluid in is.
and it's just as quick as using the motiv style, but more compact and less chance for error, plus it doubles as a vac pump if needed. and uses quick disconnect fittings.
j.c.whitney
Well-known member
I tried the Napa version of rebadged Speedbleeders on my Honda Motorcycle, no joy. Sloppy fit in the caliper.
wafrederick
Well-known member
Here is another version: http://www.realfixesrealfast.com/realfixesrealfast.com/Pedal_Pumper_2.html
Southernbuild
Well-known member
I've got this model which has worked well for me. It's just a piece of tubing and a check valve. I bought a couple extra feet of tubing to control the fluid drainage better, but for a total investment of less than $10 for something that works well, and shouldn't ever break, I'm happy.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003V5NG5W/?tag=atomicindus08-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003V5NG5W/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Big-Foot
Well-known member
I use the Mityvac out in the field and at the race track and it works very well.. Sometimes you do drag in some air into the mity
Vac chamber from leakage past the threads on the bleeder valve, but that does not affect the operation of the brakes nor does it introduce air into the device you are bleeding..
Vac chamber from leakage past the threads on the bleeder valve, but that does not affect the operation of the brakes nor does it introduce air into the device you are bleeding..