New brakes, new problems
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
There is nothing wrong with trying gravity bleeding. If you changing a caliper or maybe a brake hose then you might get away with it provided you didn't allow much air into the steel lines. If your replacing a line or maybe the abs module or maybe the master cylinder then you cannot count on gravity bleeding to get the job done right. Some fluid will flow out the bleeder screw but it wont happen fast enough to carry the air with it.
You know what is weird? First, moto man's issue w/gravity bleeding was Time; "It takes too long". When that was rebutted (by several posters), then it was "liability" -the red herring argument. Then it moved to "30% air in the system" (who knows where the THAT figure came from?), now it's finally evolved into what Moto-guy know best; defame the guy. I offer video'ed demonstration, and I get to slandered by manufactured bull **** about myself. What a great forum contributor!
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
Certainly not when your mind is closed, that's for sure. Try "listening"...you might actually learn something. Like you could have in the other threads where we had differing...."opinions".
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,475
Likes: 3,291
From: Hartford WI
Where do you get such cars? Also how do you fill the reservoir? Pull off a floor panel?
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,475
Likes: 3,291
From: Hartford WI
Tom, is there a reason the MB dealership used pressure bleeding with a tank that is pressurized by shop air and forces fluid into the reservoir and you don't? Is there something bad bout it? Seems to work just like the gravity bleed.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
I'd guess the MB dealer uses the pressure bleeder b/c it works (like all the methods), they already have the tool and most importantly, it's probably quicker -especially for the un savvy mechanic.
I have a customer that has a '50 Ford and a '67 GTO. The '50 Ford is a "regular" for me, b/c it's in rough shape -it's basically all original. The owner has a list of things he wants done...every time he has some money, he brings it over and we address another item on the list. One of the first things was the brakes. Due to the low location of the master, the iron bore, the hydroscopic nature of brake fluid, and lack of maintenance, the master bore was badly pitted and leaking.
Yes, there is a hole in the floor. You pull back the carpet, remove a tin "lid" in the floor, and then you can access the reservoir fill cap.
I have a customer that has a '50 Ford and a '67 GTO. The '50 Ford is a "regular" for me, b/c it's in rough shape -it's basically all original. The owner has a list of things he wants done...every time he has some money, he brings it over and we address another item on the list. One of the first things was the brakes. Due to the low location of the master, the iron bore, the hydroscopic nature of brake fluid, and lack of maintenance, the master bore was badly pitted and leaking.
Yes, there is a hole in the floor. You pull back the carpet, remove a tin "lid" in the floor, and then you can access the reservoir fill cap.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 17,982
Likes: 1,074
From: Lansing MI
There is just no way to interact with you.
Anyone who does so with an opinion different that yours is immediately dragged into an abyss of personal attacks and insults. You are completely incapable of civil debate, because your idea of debate is who can yell the loudest or who can come up with the most creative insult.
Not that it really matters much, after all you rarely comment on the threads that are genuinely technical in nature. Instead its always a wide scope generalization of a procedure or product such as an oil additive, or in this case brake bleeding.
Anyway, go make your video or whatever else your going to do. I'm not interested in what you have to say anymore. Instead, after all this time I'm totally perplexed as to why you go out of your way to engage people (me included) in an assaultive way. I'm trying to figure out how this helps you.
Its a good thing we are not actually doing anything important here. If we trying to do something really critical such as flying a plane, and you were on the "team", we would all be dead. Unfortunately that is the net effect on the group when your involved.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
Says the guy who starts with the slander in every thread where the facts don't match his imagination.
I'm not surprised at all that you don't seem interested in a video where you could learn something. Since that's the case, I won't waste my time video on my bleeding procedure. As you were.
I'm not surprised at all that you don't seem interested in a video where you could learn something. Since that's the case, I won't waste my time video on my bleeding procedure. As you were.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 17,982
Likes: 1,074
From: Lansing MI
The only real disadvantage to pressure bleeding is ANY debris in the m/cylinder reservoir ends up in the master cylinder; or if your particularly unlucky the ABS module. This is never good. Also you go through a ton of brake fluid, and they are expensive if you buy all the various adaptors. Aside from those issues, pressure bleeding is the way to go if you don't have an assistant.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,475
Likes: 3,291
From: Hartford WI
The only real disadvantage to pressure bleeding is ANY debris in the m/cylinder reservoir ends up in the master cylinder; or if your particularly unlucky the ABS module. This is never good. Also you go through a ton of brake fluid, and they are expensive if you buy all the various adaptors. Aside from those issues, pressure bleeding is the way to go if you don't have an assistant.
I just use some Valvoline Dot 4 and it isn't too bad considering that the spray out volume from each bleeder isn't that much since you are doing it for a volume that you estimate the line from the master cylinder to be. So maybe about 30 seconds to flush everything?
It is about $20 to buy an adapter. I have 3 right now and they will do all 4. The ATV and the bikes I do 2 man. The cars I can do at midnight if I choose and don't need to wake up the wife or bang on a neighbor's door for help.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 21,543
Likes: 3,216
From: Park City Utah
Well, I was doing the work, I had my phone, so here it is, for others who might be interested. Starting with a drained rear system, ...took me less than 5 minutes to fill and bleed. Did it myself, no special tools. I apologize that it's chopped up into 3 separate vids.
^ to be accurate, I probably pumped the pedal ~15 times. Hard to make the vid, narrate and also do the work at the same time. Not my forte'. Like all methods, this one works too, and requires no special tools and only 1 person.
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Last edited by Tom400CFI; May 19, 2016 at 12:54 AM.