Rant ON,

Spent a couple of hours this afternoon installing my new SS brake lines on my 99. All went well with the SS install, except for the damn clips.:toetap Once done I got ready to flush and bleed my brakes. Had my trusty, borrowed, Motive Pressure Bleeder as well as my new home made C5 master cylinder cap I recently made. I get annoyed with the crude one size fits all clamp on with J hooks and tiny chains that Motive provides.
So I pump out the old fluid in the master, fill the bleeder with 32oz of Castrol LMA brake fluid, connect the quick connect to my new cap, and begin to pump the Motive up to starting pressure of around 10-15 psi.
At about 12 psi my new custom cap begins to leak so I relieve the pressure, remove the bleeder and cap and clean up the small amount of leaked fluid with brake cleaner. I am guessing my choice of gasket material in the cap couldn't handle the brake fluid
So I figure I will just use the one size fits all clamp on cap that came with the Motive. I have used it before and all went well on the two out of three cars I used it on. The third, my wife's MINI, the one size fits all clamp on cap failed to seal and leaked all over the place while I was at the RR wheel well. Never did find out why and it worked fine when I did it all over again on the MINI.
So I rigged it up on my 99 and all seemed well as I pumped it up to 10psi. So I moved back to the RR and was starting to set up the bleed bottle when I hear all this gurgling noise. I run up to the engine compartment and the Motive has pumped it self dry and All over my garage floor. The damn universal cap somehow failed again to hold the 10psi seal. Took a long time to clean up 30oz of new fluid from my garage floor..........once I got it all up I called it a day. Will go get a new bottle of fluid tomorrow and try again. RANT OFF

 

that sucks man...hopefully it goes better for ya tomaorow!

 

Just put fluid in the M/C and use the Motive for pressure only.

 

Well at least it didn't get on your car.Brake fluid is nasty stuff!

 

I've removed powder coat from a frame by spilling a modest amount of BF on it.

 

Alot less messy & less fluid waste.
Next time you borrow your friends Motive Power Bleeder, purchase the Motive clutch resevor cap part # 1108. Available @ Motive site, Jegs, Summit, etc.

 

Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of the pressure bleeder?

 

No, not at all.
Your pumping pressure into the m/c via the pressure bleeder, w/provided m/c cap.
You will have to keep an eye on the m/c after bleeding 1 or two calipers.
Believe me, I have done it both ways. Keeping just air pressure alone in the motive is a better way to go.
Get the motive m/c cap part# 1108 it adapts to the p/bleeder. Forget about the chain & turnbuckle, one size fits all.
Keep 13 psi on the gauge.
Don't put more than 3/4 full in the m/c when p/bleeding.
When you think you have all the air out of the calipers, tap on the side of calipers with a plastic/rubber mallot while bleeding.

 

OK,

I will give it a try.
But I can't wait to get a 1108 as my car is up on stands and I need to get it done today.
In the future I may switch to the suction method using my Mityvac.

 

Just use the motive w/the proper cap. (surely someone in your area will let you borrow one?) Check w/a local C/5 shop,etc.
It makes bleeding a breeze.
Use clear tubing on the bleeders to the catch container.

M/vac works good on removing fluid from the clutch resevoir & bleeding the clutch m/c

 

 

Here is my method...

"HON !! Come here and pump this pedal untill I say hold it and don't let it up until I say so"

Repeat as needed each wheel. Never let me down yet.

 

Hon, is not allowed in my "man cave", unless of course she is restocking beer into the fridge.

 

Russell Speed Bleeders.

 

 

 

Well while I was out today getting another bottle of brake fluid I stopped at Lowes and found a perfect rubber gasket for my custom Dorman C5 master cap. They sell rubber washers in many sizes and the 2 1/4"x3/8"x1/8" washer fit well once I trimmed it down to size. But I could not locate the proper nut to secure the quick disconnect male fitting to the cap. It is a 3/8 pipe thread but since these are tapered threads it may be impossible to find a nut.So for now it is just threaded into the plactic cap (drilled a smaller than 3/8 hole) and the rubber washer. I have sealed it with RTV but I don't know how that holds up to brake fluid.

Have built similar custom caps for my wife's MINI and for out 99 Chrysler T&C Van.

As to why I didn't just buy a Motive 1108 assembly.....it would cost me about $38 shipped. Just went against the grain. But I now wish I had.

I did as suggested and just used the Motive for air pressure and finished bleeding the brakes. So job done for now.

But I STILL HATE BRAKE FLUID !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Proper cap + the rubber seal, and your good to go.

 

I've always used the one man bleed method.


fill a glass jar half way with fluid

Push a hose on the bleeder, and hang the end in the jar so it is in the fluid

fill the master reservior to the top

Crack the bleeder open a little

Get in the car and gently but firmly pump the pedal. the end of the hose is submerged so no air can get back in when the pedal comes back up.

It's so simple I have a hard time believing the weird contraptions other people come up with to do it.

 

been there/done that. she gets a certain way when i do that: