ZIP sells a 1 person brake bleader for $32. Looks like a trigger pump.. one hose to the bleader valve and one into a container and then you just pump.. Anyone have this or something like it? I did my first brake bleading in years and it took me longer to find someone to pump the pedal than actually do the bleading.

 

I've used them before and they work OK. I've usually fallen back on the 2 person method just beacuse I trust it more. You have to make sure all of the hoses are connected very tight or you could get air back into the system..

On a simialr note, anyone have experience with the speed bleeders. Basically a check valve at the bleed port. Do they suck back air or does the check valve do it's job?

 

Have you tried gravity bleeding. Its very easy and you dont even need a helper. Just fill the master cylinder and leave the lid off. Loosen the bleeders in correct order and gravity will push the air out of the system. It works for me all the time. You can also remove the bleeder completely to get the flow started good. Make sure the bleeder is not clogged from debris. then screw it back after flow is established and bleed to your hearts content. Dont let the master cyl run dry or you'll need to start over.

 

I have the Russell speed bleeders on all four corners and they work as advertised. Easy one man job.

Mark

 

Just finished doing my 69 and I found a Mighty Vac at autozone for $25. The vac was great for getting the fluid to start flowing. It was a one person job but I did have trouble keeping the small hose on the valve. Just to make sure I finished up with a second person pumping the brake method. Brakes are fine..good luck

 

The problem I had with the mighty vac was that it would suck air in around the piston sometimes. I put in the speed bleeders and they work great.

 

Check this out: http://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm

-terry

 

Bleeding brakes is so simple but gave me so much trouble. Ranks very high on the PITA list. I bought the mightyvac (minivac? don't remember) at napa for $29. The tubes and adapters don't stay on very well. The vacuum makes it very easy to drain the MC and not notice. Check it often, I think the manual said one pump is one cubic inch of air. The vacuum was also strong enough that it pulled air in from the bleeder screw threads, making me think I wasn't done when I really was.
What I ended up doing:
I used the tube and cup from the vacuum to gravity bleed the brakes. If it wasn't flowing, I connected the pump and pumped it to get it going. Then I disconnected it and let it go until the cup was full. The lid was off the MC. Gravity method takes a few hours. Good clean up time.

Don't pump the brakes w/the lid off the MC. If you do, it will make a really cool squirting noise that will encourage you to do it a lot... bad move.

When I was finished I went back to Napa and bought a bleeder tube that had a lip, to hold on to the bleeder, and a check valve. It was about $9, and next time I bleed my brakes I will let you know which was the better investment.

Terryrudy-
Every time I see your sig I think to myself 'now THAT is the perfect corvette! I want one just like it!'. Then I realize it is identical to mine, and think to myself 'it gets me EVERY time!'

Jim

 

okay im an idiot..

i use the 1 person manual method...


errrrr


okay lets call it the "1 person and the stick" method!!

bahahahahahahaha

it works great though.

:jester :jester :conehead :conehead :conehead

 

haha, thanks Jim. Would love to see pics of yours (even if it IS just like mine) :D
-terry

 

You can get a 1 person bleeding kit which consists of a tube of proper size which connects to a small bottle with a magnet for attaching to the rotor. You also need a 2' 2x4 to wedge the brake pedal down after pumping. Keep in mind that the rear calipers of a corvette has two bleeder valves, an inner and an outer. Here's how to bleed the brakes:

1. Jack up the car and remove all 4 tires (if you can't jack the entire car up then just jack up the rear and remove both rear tires)...use jack stands and release the parking brake.

2. Fill the master cylinder with clean fluid. If you can't see the bottom of the m/c then use a long clear tube and syphon the dirty fluid out and add fresh fluid to the reservoirs. Set the lid on the m/c after filling. You don't have to clip it back on, don't pump the brakes with the lid off or brake fluid will go everywhere and eat the paint and clear coat off you car...be very carefull with the brake fluid...use DOT 3 or better.

3. Take a 5/16" box end wrench and slide it onto the passenger right rear inside bleeder valve, then connect the hose from the kit onto it and hang the bottle where you can see it from underneath the car.

4. Open the bleeder no more than 1/4 of a turn.

5. If you have power brakes then start the car. Pump the brakes all the way to the floor about 25 times or until the bottle is full and watch the bottle to see what color the fluid is and watch for bubbles. Hold the brake pedal to the floor on the last pump and if you don't have a 2nd person to hold it down then wedge the 2' 2x4 between the pedal and the seat (use a towel to protect the seat).

6. When the bottle is full tighten the bleeder valve snug (don't torque it). Remove the bottle and pour it into a glass or empty metal container that you will use to transport to a hazardous waste recycling center. Leave the hose and wrench in place if exiting fluid is not clear and bubble free. Replace any brake fluid in the m/c.

7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 until clear bubble free fluid comes out the hose into the bottle.

The order of bleeders is: RRInner, RROuter, LRI, LRO, RF, LF. After completly bleeding the brakes, check the pedal to make sure it's firm, make sure your emergency brake works and will lock up the rear wheels while rolling at 35mph (prefereable, but locking them up at 15mph would be safe). Test drive and be sure to back up the car and test the brakes. Check for car pulling to the left or right, check for nose dives or one or more wheels locking up while others don't, check for leaking calipers when you are inspecting them with wheels off.

 

A word of caution: The auto-repair editor at Popular Mechanics recommends that if you have someone pressing on the brake pedal, place a block of wood under the pedal. Since the piston in your master cylinder is accustomed to only a small amount of travel, pushing the pedal to the floor may result in a master cylinder leak. (The unused part of the cylinder wall may damage the piston seal.)

After trying many methods of brake-bleeding, I ended-up making a vacuum bleeder by buying a venturi pump (with an attached flow-control valve) that runs off of compressed air and attaching it to a reservoir, and finally to the bleeder screw. The very important thing here is to have a tight-fitting tube connected to the bleeder screw.

Of course, the best bleeder is one of those pressure bleeders that the pros use. If your favorite shop charges $30 or so to power-flush your entire system, I say - go for it!

 

Can you clarify this. You have to put the lid back on the m/c but you don't have to clip it? Fluid will not ooze out from under the cap while pumping the pedel?

Jim 77-
I thought you were talking about my car cause everyone knows that an '80 is the perfect corvette! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

If you get brake fluid on yur paint make sure and clean it off quickly. If left on the paint too long it will eat a hole in it. One good thing about brakefluid is that it is water soluable. When I gravity bleed brakes I just let the fluid run down over the caliper and catch it on an old towel on the driveway. Since the brake fluid is water soluable, a quick blast with the garden hose and everything is clean.