RE: Brake bleeding advice?

From: Bernd D. Ratsch (bernd@dodgetrucks.org)
Date: Sat Feb 17 2007 - 21:06:52 EST


Gravity bleeding is a good start, but having a buddy to help pump the fluid
(or building a simple coke bottle and vacuum hose - filled 1/2 way with
clean brake fluid) works better. Personally, I'd pressure bleed the system.

- Bernd

-----Original Message-----
From: Jon [mailto:jon@dakota-truck.net]
Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 7:53 PM
To: dml@dakota-truck.net
Subject: DML: Brake bleeding advice?

   Hi Folks!

   My '92 Ram has been parked since early fall due to having a
busted brake line that I just hadn't had time to get around to.
Just before Daktoberfest, I wanted to get it up and running again
in case we needed it to winch somebody out. :-) I fixed the
broken line, bled the brakes, another line burst, fixed, bled,
another one burst, etc... The brake lines and fittings on this
truck were more rust than steel I think. :-) I ran out of time
before Daktoberfest and so the truck was parked again until today.

   Now that just about every line on the truck has been replaced,
the system is finally holding pressure. However, the pedal is
soft and the brakes are marginal. (I can hold the brake and gas
down at the same time and easily overpower the brakes.) My
assumption is that I didn't get all of the air out. I'm getting
clean fluid with no bubbles at all bleeders and have run about half
a quart through it but still no luck. I don't recall how low the master
cylinder got during the time that the truck sat, but it is entirely
possible that it emptied. Could the air be in the MC, and if so
does it need to be bench bled? Any chance I can do it on the truck?

   I thought I might try opening all the bleeders and letting it
gravity bleed for several hours, but I wasn't sure if that would
work any better than pushing the fluid through with the pedal.

   Any tips or advice would be appreciated. Thanks! :-)

-- 
                                          -Jon-

.- Jon Steiger -- jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com -. | '96 Kolb Firefly, '96 Suzuki Intruder, Miscellaneous Mopars | `-------------------------------- http://www.jonsteiger.com --'



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