I just put on a new PP valve because I crossthreaded my old one with the new SS brake lines I put it. Anyone know if there is a trick to bleeding the brakes with power brakes? My right rear bleeds for ever, as if there is a ton of air in the system, but I suspect not. Then the left rear doesn't bleed at all!!! WTF!!

 

Did you replace the flex hoses? The rubber ones can decompose & plug up on the inside.

 

As Tommy said change the rubber hoses if they are old(5 years+). I just installed SS lines in my 72 and of course they weren't a bolt in
I had to work them to get them to fit and not leak. I would go back over all the connections and check for a leak. I use the Motive bleeder and found it works really well, it will show a leak too if the gauge losese psi.

Gary

 

I suspect a leak, the hoses are two years old. What I am wondering is if there is a leak, won't I be able to see fluid leak out if air can get in?

 

there is a systematic way to bleed the back brakes. youll notice you have more than one bleeder screw on the back calipers. start at the bottom, on the passenger side

 

Right rear passenger side, then move in and then move to inner rear drivers side and move out?

 

yep

 

The sequence from the factory is:

LR inner, LR outer, RR inner, RR outer, LF, RF.

 

You do NOT bleed the bottom - they should be plugs, but are often bleeders so that half of the caliper can be used on either side.

 

SteveG75,
Are you sure about that sequence?
I have always heard that you go from the wheel furthest from the master cylinder and work toward the one closest; in other words, start at right rear, then left rear, then right front, and lastly the left front.
Educate me as I am always willing to learn,
Kurt

 

My book sez...Drive side inner, then outer..Passenger side inner then outer, drive side front, passenger side front...I bled all the wheels after new pads....also, I got a plastic tube tube and connected one end to bleeder and the other end on a mayo jar that had about 1 1/2 inches of brake fluid in it....worked real well. Brakes STOP the car now.

 

Kurt,

For some reason, there has always been the "Corvette exception to brake bleeding sequence" - your method is the old school, applies to everything else method.

Having said that, when I installed new EVERYTHING on my 69, I used the method you mentioned (cause I always have!), with a pressure bleeder filled with DOT 5, and it has been working flawlessly for over 2 years now. I went around twice (as I always do) and everything cooperated nicely.

 

Pressure bleed!

 

Paul,
I never heard of this "Corvette exception" before but one learns something every day. That's why I like this forum: great information exchange.
By the way, all the new carpet is in and I am monkeying around with the stereo and speakers. Then it will be sill plates, seats, interior trim, leaving only the side windows to adjust for the new weatherstrips.

 

The "old school" is farthest to closest relative to the master cylinder.

Having said that, I ran some tests several years ago for forum pals and I bled my C3 in random order... and there was absolutely no difference in the quality of the job based on the "order" of bleeding. It seems that any order is okay just as long as your basic approach to the bleeder screw is sound... i.e.- you let (all of) the air out, and don't let any back in during the process.

I suspect the "factory" order may have had something to do with assembly line procedures. Haven't been able to find any verifiable scientific reason for it yet... after doing brake jobs for 40 years.

Some guys seem to need a pressure bleeder, but I can do the job just as well with a piece of hose and a coffee cup, even though I have used a professional grade pressure bleeder in a production environment. This topic has been beaten to death here on the forum... we have "brake bleeder cults" here.

Read all of the stuff you get here with a grain of salt, and then try some of the ideas. You'll settle in on what is your own best method. It's trial and error the first few times around.

If your brake switch aka proportioning valve is working properly (most are not), you won't be able to bleed just a single caliper because the switch will activate (slide to one side). In that case, you'll have to re-center the switch and then bleed both a front and a rear caliper at the same time.

 

I bought the MOTIVE pwr bleeder from Ecklers ($50) and will never look back. Once its boot is sealed up right just connect a poly hose with catch container to each bleeder 1 at a time and then bust it open until clean fliuid comes out. Go around the car calipers twice and it won't make any difference where u start. I've used the the polyline in a bottle trick using my foot to pump before and that was great until i got my pwr bleeder - only fill it once.
Trick is to use only low press until u seal the boot on the M/cylinder and slowly increase press checking for leaks. U will put a lot of new brake fluid on the frame and on the floor if u check for seal with full press - i have verified this too. cardo0