What is the experience out there with reverse brake bleeding kits? The type that force fluid in and air up to the master cylinder.

I'm thinking about getting a Phoenix kit.

 

I haven't used one - I use a Motive Power Bleeder to pressurize the system for a one-man bleeding/flushing procedure.

However.....I'm not sure the Phoenix is a "bleeding" tool.

When you track the car (or even just drive it on the street) the calipers heat up, and that's where the fluid is going to get degraded and dirty the most.

The brake fluid doesn't really circulate around in the brake lines - it just sits in there and applies pressure to the fluid downline toward the calipers/pistons - it just moves back-n-forth a little as you pressurize/depressurize the system with the brake pedal. You can bleed a small amount of fluid out of your calipers to get the old fluid out of the calipers and the end of the brake lines and that will get fairly fresh stuff into the calipers without totally flushing the system.

With the "reverse bleeding" tool, you really can't bleed at all. To get the old fluid out of the calipers, you've got to push it all the way up to the master cylinder. Every time you simply bleed the brakes, you're really doing a full system flush, which requires a lot more fluid.

I especially don't like the idea of pushing the dirtiest, most degraded fluid, and all the air bubbles that may have accumulated in the calipers from the high heat developed there during braking all the way up through the rest of the system and into the master cylinder.

You'll need to suck the fairly good fluid out of the m/c as you push the old dirty stuff up through the system. When the dirty stuff finally gets to the m/c you'll have to suck it out and keep pushing new fluid from the calipers all the way through the system lines until you get clear/fresh fluid coming up from below into the m/c.

So.....I much prefer to bleed/flush the old-fashioned way. When bleeding, I can just bleed a small amount of fluid out of the calipers. When flushing, I'm moving the fairly good fluid on down through the lines, followed by clean/fresh fluid, until I see the fresh stuff coming out of the bleed valves. With the reverse system you have to push the bad junk all the way through the entire system, even though the stuff in the lines not far from the calipers really does not get degraded and dirty to the extent of the fluid in the calipers.

If you want something you use at the brake calipers instead of the m/c, I'd be looking at the Mityvac or a similar vacuum system that sucks the fluid out of the system through the bleed valves on the calipers, rather than pushing the dirtiest fluid all the way through the entire system.

JMHO, YMMV!!

Bob

 

Completely agree with Bob. No way I want to push that contaminated brake fluid through the seals and such of my master cylinder. Recipe for trouble down the road.

 

Also. I just generally don't like the idea of pushing the fluid backwards in the system. And then how do you get the bad stuff out of the MC reservoir. It just makes more sense to push it from MC to caliper and remove the bad stuff at the caliper.

 

+1 for the Motive Power Bleeder. I have been using one on all of my cars for years. I've seen some funky stuff come out of calipers...even brand new ones...best to keep that out of the rest of your hydraulic system.

 

Thanks for the input folks.. Talked me out of it..

 

Very smart man. Get the Motive power bleeder. It's so very easy to use.

 

Me too!