Part two- In my first post I said all the rubber brake hoses were replace,
rebuilt master cylinder was installed. Using my trusty mitey-mite all
I got was bubbles and more bubbles . My son and I bled the lines
again using the old 1-2-3 pumps and hold . No bubbles [very few]
fluild was clear, bled left rear inner/outer , right inner/outer the pedal
was a little firm . The front right, I open the bleeder the pedal drop
some , open the left front the pedal went to floor . Rebled same results
no bubbles, clear fluid- no brakes . I did mess with the booster push
rod adjustment . I should have marked or measure the rod before
I moved it . Thanks for your help in the past and on this problem.

 

Did you bleed the rear brakes with the rear of the car elevated? That's the only way to get ALL the air out of the line and calipers.

Dep

 

i better do that i did it on a lift.

 

what speed, in mph is your test?

 

Don't you want to elevate the FRONT of the car when bleeding rear brakes? The bleed screws are on the front of the calipers, thus the front of the car has to be up for them to get the last bit of air to the "top".

 

You might want to actually LOOK at the rear calipers before posting this. They sit at about a 30 degree angle facing the BACK of the car.

"Bleeding the ’65-’82 brakes can be a problem because of the system’s large volume and its ability to trap air. Since you have to remove the rear wheels to get at the rear bleeder fittings; make sure the back of the car is jacked-up about a foot while you bleed. This eliminates air "domes" in the master cylinder and in the rear brake calipers."

http://www.idavette.net/hib/BBfHInet12.htm

Dep

 

Autoparts stores sell a small bleeding cup with hoses.... usually, but not always made by "Lisle".

It's about $10, has two different size attachments for small/large caliper bleeder sizes.

The lid has 2 nipples on the underside. The nipple that goes closest to the bottom of the cup is the one you want the fluid to come out of when you press the brake pedal. By being close to the bottom, it becomes submerged in fluid and will not allow air to go backwards. Put the lid on the cup. Attach the provided hose to the top of the lid to connect to this nipple.

Open 1 bleeder only about 1/2 to 3/4 turn. Any more, and air can go backwards through the loose bleeder threads on the pedal up-stroke (not a factor if you gravity bleed). Any less, and the fluid will run too slow or not at all.

Attach the hose discussed above via the tightest (smallest inside diameter) adapter to the caliper bleeder. Press the pedal repeatedly until you fill the entire cup...... repeat until you have passed two cups of brake fluid from ALL bleeders. You can also do this with only gravity feed unless the fluid does not start all by itself... then you need to give it a nudge by pressing the pedal a few times, and then let gravity do its work.

While doing this, maintain a nearly full brake fluid level in the master cylinder to avoid any chance of the fluid dropping down too close to the orifices in the fluid chambers. If that happens, you have to stop & re-bench bleed the M/C and re-bleed the calipers all over again. So keep an eye on the fluid level at all times. There is no room for error here.... if the fluid drops too low, you have to start all over again. Period.

Do all 4 calipers.

If you get good fluid flow from one circuit (front or back) and poor or none in the other, then your brake switch has slipped to one side and needs to be recentered before you can continue. Close all bleeders and step on the pedal a dozen times hard & fast. Try to bleed again. If this does not reecenter the switch, then you'll have to use compressed air (backwards) to do it.


If the pedal does not firm up, then the M/C is not bled properly, or it is bad.

 

If you are a Tim the Toolman Taylor kinda guy, you can invest in one of these:

http://www.motiveproducts.com/

Works REALLY well and turns it into a one man job with no worries about air going back in the system.

Dep

 

Better solution is a suction type. Easier to use and very effective on a one-man-job type thing.

Hook up a compressor line, it draws air thru a venturi which evacuates a tank. The hose fitting goes on the bleeder valve, which you open after connecting the hose. You have a clear hose so you'll see plainly when you have bubbles or not.

 

I disagree. This is a PRESSURE BLEED system. Plus, if there any weak links like a leaky caliper or brake line, they WILL show up with pressure bleeding.

Dep

 

Here is a quote from the top oiriginal post....

"Using my trusty mitey-mite all
I got was bubbles and more bubbles ."

I think they need to stick to basics. That's why I took time out to post the above.

Brake bleeding methodology is like a "religion" here. People will never agree on the "best" method. Everyone has their own preference. The basic gravity method relies on simplicity, and when done right, it works. I think they need to try the most basic method before graduating to a higher religion. LOL

A piece of rubber hose.... maybe $.25 ?
Coffee cups are in the cabinet.

Mity-Vac's and power bleeders work fine when used correctly.
So does gravity, and it's free.

It's typically a matter of patience.
A "one minute man" doesn't stand a chance with a C3 lady.

 

Tom: Meaning no disrespect, but the gravity method is iffy at best in my experience. There will be air left in the calipers and lines in back. I tried the gravity thing and then had to use a pressure bleeder to get the job done right. I also discovered two leaky calipers and ended up replacing them in the process. Something I WOULDN'T have found using the gravity or vacuum system. Sometimes you just have to break down and buy the right tool for the job. It goes with DIY projects.

Dep

 

Understood.

I'm 54 years old and have been doing "gravity" brake jobs since I was 13 or 14. That's 40 years. I started doing brakes for neighbors as a teenager, and over the years owned and operated my own 7 bay repair and machine shop. I used pressure bleeders, but on C2/3's I always used gravity or the "two man" method. I always took my time with Vettes because they are temperamental. I've never had a single issue with gravity bleeding. The calipers alway bled fine.... always got a hard pedal.... never had a single call-back. My customers never had issues either. Welcome to my Church. I won't try to convert you to my religion if you don't try to convert me to yours.

I will bleed any c1,c2, c3 Vette using a piece of rubber hose and a coffee cup and guarantee a flawless job every time. I'll take on all challengers. But that's just me... I guess everybody can't be just like me. LOL

Please... let's not start the same dumb debate evey time somebody asks the bleeding question.

Gravity works when done right.
Two man works when done right.
Mity-Vac works when done right
Power Bleeder works when done right.

Power Bleeders are a cool tool.... and save time... etc. But they have no -inerent- advantage over gravity bleeding.

I can use any method and get good results.

No dis-respect either way.

Tom


PS- When doing brake jobs.... it's always a good idea to peel back dust boots to look for seepage. Otherwise you might miss a leaky caliper or wheel cylinder in-the-making. When I was doing NYS Vehicle Safety Inspections, that was standard procedure... if there was any sign of fluid, the car flunked.

 

Tom: As a 55-year-old I got a year on you young man
We shall agree to disagree

Ain't maturity great!!!

Dep...aka the Geezer

 

Hah. You Old Fart.

See... you shouldn't have told me that.

 

HA! I been called worse buy younger guys!!!

Dep

 

Well, uhm, okay. Maybe my '73 is the only Corvette in the world that has the bleeders facing the front.

 

Which way the bleeders face doesn't mean SQUAT. Look at the position of the caliper. Is it tilted towards the back of the car on the rear caliper? For a good bleed the caliper should be facing straight up or as close as possible to that position.

Dep

 

Agreed. Not intending to take this any lower, but since the bleeders need to be at the top, and they face forward, shouldn't the front of the car be raised, thus rotating the bleeders UPWARD? If you raise only the rear of the car, you are rotating the bleeders DOWNWARD.

I'll take the next answer as Gospel and spare the poor onlookers from any further bursts of my logic.

Tom

EDIT TO ADD..

Well, heck. I thought I was done, but I got to thinking (always dangerous). I dug through my piles of crapola & found a brochure from Vette Brakes & Products, Inc. Quoting their instructions, "For bleeding the rear brakes the front of the car should be higher than the rear."

It looks like Vette Brakes and the Idaho Vette Club disagree on the proper method. But I think that the laws of gravity support VB&P's plan.

 

http://community.webtv.net/MATTGRU/bubba