2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Bleeding Brakes

[Bhale]

I'm doing the brake thing today. New rear wheel cylinders from a 3500, Performance Friction pads and complete system flush. Looking forward to some great stopping power!



To help with the flushing i bought hand operated vacuum bleeder kit but on reading the instruction that came with it i got confused. I always bleed/flush the system starting at the wheel furthest from the master cylinder, right rear, then work my way closer via the left rear then right front and finally left front. The bleeder instructions are telling to do the opposite, start at the left front and work my way to the right rear.



Is there something special about using a vacuum bleeder that reverses the process or should i just go ahead and start at the right rear as normal?



Any other tips or time savers would be appreciated,,,,,,



Thanks

Brian

 

[Rammin On]

Brian ...



I always start from the right rear ..... the master cyl is split ... the forward half is for your rears the aft half feeds the fronts. You can do it either way ... . just make sure you get all the air out ... .



Keith

 

[jcbrown]

Speed Bleeder...

You might what to consider adding Speed Bleeders'. Available in 303 stainless steel.

 

[Old Man]

part number

Bhale, where did you get your vacuum bleeder kit at. Would you be so kind to post the part # for the kit. One last question, are you going to synthetic brake fluid. Thanks. O. M.

 

[Bhale]

This is my first time using one of these vacuum pumps and i'll never bleed brakes again without it. Slip a clear rubber hose over the bleeder, attach the other end to the lid on the catcher vial and run a second piece from the catcher vial to the hand operated pump. Squeeze the pump a few times till the vacuum builds on the gauge. Crack open the bleeder nut and the fliud is sucked into the catcher vial. The vial holds just a bit more fliud than the reservoir for the rear brakes so when it's about 3/4 full, close the bleeder nut and fill the reservoir. It took me about 10 minutes, working by myself, to flush the line between the master cylinder and the right rear wheel cylinder. This thing is WAY COOL! Oo. . No brake fluid puddles on the driveway or running down the inside of the tire.



The vacuum pump is made by Prism Enterprises and it's called Mityvac Silverline Automotive Kit P/N 4000 ~$60 from CarQuest. This is the top of the line kit and has all kinds of fittings, hoses and vials for a variety of tasks. It's also rebuildable so it should last awhile. It appears that this kit was sitting around CarQuest for a long long time (thick layer of dust on it) so there may be an updated version/kit available.



Brian

 

[illflem]

There are also cheaper versions available that will work, all the way down to under $20 at most auto parts. But as always you get what you pay for. It's the only way to go. Sometimes when the brakes are bled by pedal pumping the piston in the master cylinder will travel into an area it doesn't travel in normal braking, this area is often rusty and will tear up the seals. This is probably the most common cause of poor brakes after working on them. If you don't use a vacuum tool try to avoid pushing the pedal all the way to the floor while bleeding. Easy to say but you don't always know the competence of your helper. I prefer Valvoline synthetic brake fuild for replacement.

 

[shendren]

get the speed bleeders from genos. kind of a waste to get a vacuum pump. takes all of 20 minutes withe the bleeders. i also used valvoline synthetic.



good luck.

scott

 

[Bhale]

Other have commented to me about the pedal being pushed too far into Uncharted Terrority and that's the main reason i went with the vacuum bleeder.



What are the advantages of synthetic fluid? Higher boiling point? When i went to the store for fluid, the few places i went to didn't stock any so i bought DOT 3 fluid made by 2+2. This is the first flush in 136k miles (WAY over due) and i figured i'd flush the system and run for a couple months and then flush again. Sorta playing catch up here.



Brian

 

[Old Man]

Thanks!

Brain and Bill, thanks for the response. Going out the door now. O. M.

 

[illflem]

The Speed Bleeders are ok but there is still the problem with pumping the brakes too far into a rusty area of the master cylinder with them.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

If you have the time to spare I've found an easier way of bleeding the brakes. I'm not sure where I read this (maybe here) but it works great!



1. Grab a lawn chair and a cooler full of your favorite beverage/mixers



2. Open the brake reservoir and suck out as much of the old fluid as you can (use your wife's turkey baster for this. "Gee honey, I have no idea where it went - the kids must have taken it to play with !") Then refill it all the way with fresh fluid.



3. Attach tubing to the bleeder on the wheel furthest from the reservoir. Run that tubing into a container (an empty 16 oz pop container works great - you can close it when you're done and toss it). Then open that bleeder.



4. Let gravity do the work. Sit down in your lawn chair and pour yourself a drink (or open a can). Every few minutes get up and make sure the reservoir still has fluid - when it gets low refill it (don't let it empty or you'll have to start over).



5. Continue step four until the fluid in the tube looks like the new stuff and no bubbles are coming out.



6. Repeat steps 3-5 on the next closest wheel until all four are bled.



I used this method when I added a line lock on my truck which meant I introduced a TON of air into the system and it worked perfect. I didn't believe that it would work but gave it a shot and had no problems, haven't had to rebleed them since that time at all. It takes some time (about 20-25 minutes per wheel) but you don't need someone to help you, you don't have to worry about

pushing your master cylinder past the normal point and ruining the seal, and you don't have to buy anything other than brake fluid.

 

[Bhale]

Funny you should mention that Steve! When i was replacing the wheel cylinders with new ones for a 3500, i had the lines disconected for a few minutes and fluid just kept dripping out of the line. The wife mentioned that that looked like a good way to bleed the system without making a mess and buying tools. I of course looked at her funny, rolled my eyes and grabbed my new-fangeled Super Wis-bang deluxe special limited edition vacuum tool and proceeded to "do the job right"



Brian

 

[lschultz]

That sounds like a good easy way to do it. I will try it. Thanks Steve.