I bought a gunsons brake bleeder a few years ago, then realised that I just need to connect an airline to an old master cylinder top and turn the air pressure down, as the brake fluid reservoirs on my cars are pretty large. as long as you have fluid in the reservoir there isnt a problem.
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Ross365
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Yes, the idea of a pressurised supply of brake fluid (with its paint-harming ways) is worth thinking about. More so, if the supplier doesn't make a cap for your car and expects you to you his "Universal Fitting", which looks a bit Heath Robinson to me.
This business about ridges forming in master cylinders is not new; in the worst case you push the pedal to the floor and it fails to return. I was always told to put a block of wood under the pedal and never depress the pedal more than an inch or two when bleeding, until after all 4 nipples are closed up.
Moose McAlpine
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Agreed on all points.
I have that bleeder, it's really good. I don't like the vacuum ones at all. A lot of clutch systems they're not good for. Can't beat a pressure bleeder.
Sprinter clutches have the bleed nipple at the lowest point. Only a pressure bleeder of reverse bleeding works for me.
Cobbler
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someone I know bought a Morris 1000 with a disc brake conversion fitted, the seller couldn’t get the brakes to work. Turned out they had fitted the callipers on the wrong side so the nipple was on the bottom & they were trying to bleed it “downhill” a nice easy fix, swap them side to side.
Bobupndown
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Coincidentally today I decided to change the brake fluid on my '63 Mini.
Have one of these:
Made a balls of it, all I succeeded in doing was introducing air into the system. Poor seal around the bleed nipples presumably so after bleeding them all I have no pedal at all!
Will get a Gunsons easy bleed and pressure bleed it I think.
Have one of these:
Made a balls of it, all I succeeded in doing was introducing air into the system. Poor seal around the bleed nipples presumably so after bleeding them all I have no pedal at all!
Will get a Gunsons easy bleed and pressure bleed it I think.
JohnH
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Made a balls of it, all I succeeded in doing was introducing air into the system. Poor seal around the bleed nipples presumably so after bleeding them all I have no pedal at all!
Will get a Gunsons easy bleed and pressure bleed it I think.
I use a Gunson and its a good bit of kit. Spare tire and max 15psi works well. Only open the nipple 1/4 of a turn to stop air syphoning back, maybe a gnats more. Dont rush it.
Use a clear pipe so you can see the fluid flowing out. If you see bubbles knock the nipple back a touch.
I bought one of these when on holiday in the USA a few years back. I had it shipped to the hotel, I spoke to Motive and asked them to include any common spares that I may need to purchase. They pressure tested it before sending as I had made it clear I had no way to send it back economically once I got home. When it arrived at the hotel it was still holding the pressure they had set it at so I knew it was all good.
www.motiveproducts.com
I've no issues with it at all and it works really well. I bought a standard european cap, an Aircooled VW cap and a universal.
Import Power Bleeder Kits
Motive Products Power Bleeder Kits for Imported Vehicles
www.motiveproducts.com
I've no issues with it at all and it works really well. I bought a standard european cap, an Aircooled VW cap and a universal.
These have been around for a while
Goodridge Speed Bleeder
The Goodridge 'Speed Bleeder' is the perfect solution for eliminating the tedious, time consuming and repetitive job of bleeding brake systems, by simply replacing the existing bleed nipples.Their unique design incorporates a one way valve preventing air entering back into the system and...
www.demon-tweeks.com
Since my sphere brake bleeding tool died I have used a simple brake bleeding tube. This one is actually too short to reach a waste bottle if the vehicle is jacked up so a foot longer would be good. They do work. It is a soft rubber tube with a small slit near to the end that has the plug in it. It never draws air back in so as long as you keep the reservoir full up you can't go wrong. You just pump the pedal allowing time between each pump for the master cylinder to recover. I was always working on my own so I had no convenient assistant on the pedal and it was rare to get one that couldn't be bled this simple way. No old fluid gets back into the system with these tubes either.
Moose McAlpine
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I worked with someone who fitted 4-pot brakes to his car, i pointed out they were upside-down.
He then told me after failing to bleed them he took it to another garage to bleed them.
They also didn't notice they were upside-down, but managed to bleed them. (I guess? Maybe not.)
Modified version for extra ease of use:
Silicone tube, slit, stopper. Sit the end in fluid and it can't draw air no matter what. Works beautifully.
AVI_8
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When retrofitting Brembo callipers it’s often necessary to swap the crossover pipe with the bleed nipples.
I‘ve seen that mistake made as well.
Ross365
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They are very nice.... but £14 each is too much for my Yorkshire ancestry. The plastic non-return valves which I use are about £1 each and do as many wheels as you like.These have been around for a while
Goodridge Speed Bleeder
The Goodridge 'Speed Bleeder' is the perfect solution for eliminating the tedious, time consuming and repetitive job of bleeding brake systems, by simply replacing the existing bleed nipples.Their unique design incorporates a one way valve preventing air entering back into the system and...
I thought you guys would be a bit more old school here, I grew up helping my dad bleed brakes with a bit of pipe and a milk bottle, no fancy pressure or vacuum or one way valves.... still do it the same way
I bought a pressure bleeding thing... but can't remember where I put it
I bought a pressure bleeding thing... but can't remember where I put it
Ross365
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My guess would be that bleeding modern cars is proving to be more difficult than in the past. The addition of ABS may have much to do with this, and when people are commenting that they "have the software for ABS", that tells a story. I have a 2002 Toyota Celica and the owners forums are full of threads about problems bleeding those.
premmington
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Sometimes aftermarket callipers are not sold "handed" - so you end up with bleed nipple in wrong place on one side of the car.
Method to overcome this is: Fit flexi to calliper - pack calliper out with wood - invert calliper and bleed up - then mount calliper to carrier after it has been bled up.
Melvyn Best
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Common on kit cars to have, usually the rear , callipers fitted with the bleed nipple at the bottom , so the above method is the only way to bleed the brakes.
I once saw a “mechanic” struggling to bleed some front callipers that he had fitted, another guy suggested a master cylinder was needed, still no luck,. I just happened to glance at the car as I walked past and saw to problem.
This was the same guy who was working on the rear brakes of another car and couldn’t stop brake fluid dripping however tight the hose clamp was , until I told him clamping the handbrake cable wouldn’t stop the fluid!
When I first saw these I think they were aimed at bikes and possibly track cars where maybe people were needing to have fresh fluid regularly. On a road car I suspect there is a chance that the day you need to do it the valve could be stuck.
