Brake bleeding tip
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Road Captain
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 680
Likes: 3
From: Upstate New York
Brake bleeding tip
I know this has been posted before but boy am I glad I did it this way when I flushed my brake fluid this year.
Used a cooking syringe or animal medicine syringe. The big plastic ones with a tip on the end. Put a hose on the tip of the syringe and what I did was put the other end of the hose on the bleeder, loosen the master cylinder cover, crack the bleeder and draw it down from the master cylinder thru the bleeders until I saw new fluid in the syringe. Had to refill the master 3 times or so but I was done in 10 minutes. The syringe I used came in a set it and forget it cooker......my wife wont be happy but my brake bleeding or fluid flushing will never be hard again!
Used a cooking syringe or animal medicine syringe. The big plastic ones with a tip on the end. Put a hose on the tip of the syringe and what I did was put the other end of the hose on the bleeder, loosen the master cylinder cover, crack the bleeder and draw it down from the master cylinder thru the bleeders until I saw new fluid in the syringe. Had to refill the master 3 times or so but I was done in 10 minutes. The syringe I used came in a set it and forget it cooker......my wife wont be happy but my brake bleeding or fluid flushing will never be hard again!
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
If your system is full of fluid, then bleeding the old fashioned way, with a length of hose and a bottle, will be enough. All that is needed is to pump the old fluid through, refilling with fresh. Takes no time at all, in my modest experience!
Where problems start is when the system has no fluid in it, such as after rebuilding the calipers, or replacing the hoses. I have done both in the last few days. I tried the syringe trick, but it didn't work for me. I bought a Mityvac, which let me fill the system from the caliper end.
It is nicely made, although I was not blown away by how it worked, but it got me out of a problem. This is the third time I have rebuilt my front brake system, but this time was the most difficult I have experienced. I wish I knew why!
Where problems start is when the system has no fluid in it, such as after rebuilding the calipers, or replacing the hoses. I have done both in the last few days. I tried the syringe trick, but it didn't work for me. I bought a Mityvac, which let me fill the system from the caliper end.
It is nicely made, although I was not blown away by how it worked, but it got me out of a problem. This is the third time I have rebuilt my front brake system, but this time was the most difficult I have experienced. I wish I knew why!
Road Captain
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 699
Likes: 52
From: Clarington, Ontario
http://www.mityvac.com/pages/products_hvpk.asp
I have the 8000 model Mityvac, super easy to use and no issues.
I have the 8000 model Mityvac, super easy to use and no issues.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 413
Likes: 0
From: Henderson, NV
ok so got the mityvac hooked it up and starting bleeding the brakes and could not keep the damn thing to hold the vacuum. My brother got a work out pumping it while I open the bleeder.
I am not impressed so far with all the little splices of hose and adapters you have to use just to connect it.
I did not have much time to troubleshoot it but the gun was not losing the vacuum because I held my finger over it and pumped it up. So it has to be in the canister that catches the brake fluid or one of the many splices you have to use.
Hopefully somebody makes something better than this setup for under a hundred dollars.
I will try on the next brake job to see if I can get it to quit leaking if I can't I am throwing it in the trash. the whole idea is to be able to do it by yourself. On the bright side I did get the bleeding done.
I am not impressed so far with all the little splices of hose and adapters you have to use just to connect it.
I did not have much time to troubleshoot it but the gun was not losing the vacuum because I held my finger over it and pumped it up. So it has to be in the canister that catches the brake fluid or one of the many splices you have to use.
Hopefully somebody makes something better than this setup for under a hundred dollars.
I will try on the next brake job to see if I can get it to quit leaking if I can't I am throwing it in the trash. the whole idea is to be able to do it by yourself. On the bright side I did get the bleeding done.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,803
Likes: 11
From: El Paso, Texas
I know this has been posted before but boy am I glad I did it this way when I flushed my brake fluid this year.
Used a cooking syringe or animal medicine syringe. The big plastic ones with a tip on the end. Put a hose on the tip of the syringe and what I did was put the other end of the hose on the bleeder, loosen the master cylinder cover, crack the bleeder and draw it down from the master cylinder thru the bleeders until I saw new fluid in the syringe. Had to refill the master 3 times or so but I was done in 10 minutes. The syringe I used came in a set it and forget it cooker......my wife wont be happy but my brake bleeding or fluid flushing will never be hard again!
Used a cooking syringe or animal medicine syringe. The big plastic ones with a tip on the end. Put a hose on the tip of the syringe and what I did was put the other end of the hose on the bleeder, loosen the master cylinder cover, crack the bleeder and draw it down from the master cylinder thru the bleeders until I saw new fluid in the syringe. Had to refill the master 3 times or so but I was done in 10 minutes. The syringe I used came in a set it and forget it cooker......my wife wont be happy but my brake bleeding or fluid flushing will never be hard again!
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Road Captain
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 699
Likes: 52
From: Clarington, Ontario
not sure why you have splices from the Mityvac, with my setup just one hose from bleeder to container, and one hose from container to pump
works fine with my setup, all the extra hoses are not needed
works fine with my setup, all the extra hoses are not needed
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
I bought the speed bleeders for my triumph and the give the best bleeding results of all the methods Ive used. If you get the steel ones they are 5$ a piece.... SS are 15$ each.
I think they are worth the money and its so easy you'll change your fluid more often.