Re: Brakes

From: jon@dakota-truck.net
Date: Wed Sep 15 2010 - 15:59:59 EDT


mailinglists@moparhowto.com wrote:

> Well, from the sound coming from my front end on my '95 Dakota (4 wheel
> ABS, 10" drums) it's time to get off my couch this weekend and install
> the new rotors and pads I bought last winter. I'm planning on
> installing the speed bleeders I have and bleeding the brakes since it's
> not been done since I bought the truck last August, and I don't want to
> force possibly nasty/dirty brake fluid back through the ABS system when
> I compress the caliper pistons.

> Anyone have any gotchas I need to look out for? I'm going to use my
> handy dandy harbor freight air-powered brake bleeder for the first time
> (hopefully it's not crap, the reviews on the site are good). I've never
> replaced a bleed screw either, any tips for making sure I don't end up
> with air in the ABS system?

    Hmmmm, if you are installing speed bleeders, I don't think you'll
actually need the HF brake bleeder. Once the speed bleeders are
installed, you'll just crack 'em then pump your brake pedal a few
times.

    As far as the brake bleeder goes, is it item # 92474? That one is
the hand operated vacuum pump, about the same as a Mighty Vac. Or it
might be part number 92924 which hooks to an air compressor to
generate the vacuum. I actually do have that one. As I recall, it
basically worked, but I dropped it on the floor and the cheap plastic
handle broke off, so it is basically useless now. Handle it with
care! That one also comes with a reservoir bottle to keep the master
cylinder topped off as you are bleeding; it works on the same concept
as an office water cooler. That item is probably the more useful of
the two in that set, although you may find you need a network of
bungee cords or something to hold it in place to keep it from tipping
over. Also, the snout is a bit long and sticks further down into the
reservoir than I would like; if your master cylinder reservoir is
shallow, that could be a problem. I'd prefer if it were shorter so
that I could visually confirm that the master cylinder is still full.

    Both the air powered version and the Mighty Vac style use the same
concept - using suction to pull the brake fluid through the bleeders.
This idea works I guess, but my biggest problem with it is that I can
never seem to get a good seal between the suction hose and the
bleeder. This results in air being sucked between the bleeder and the
hose or through the threads of the bleeder, either of which appears as
bubbles in the line. So, when you are using it, its darn near
impossible to tell if the air you are seeing in the line is from
inside the brake system or if it is actually just slipping between the
hose and the bleeder or the threads due to a poor seal. I have tried
all sorts of stuff to try to get a better seal like vaseline, grease,
etc. but nothing seems to work. As I said, this suction method works,
but it always leaves me with an uneasy feeling because I can never be
100% sure that I got all of the air out. I suspect a pressure
bleeding system would be the way to go, but those are considerably
more expensive.

    I think that you will find the speed bleeders to be a better
alternative to vacuum bleeding. (Although its difficult to press the
brake pedal and watch the bleeder at the same time, and I do like to
watch the bleeder for air.)

    Probably the biggest risk/hassle of the job will be the
possibility of snapping off one of the old bleeders when you try to
remove them. Soaking them in some penetrating oil like PB Blaster for
a while before you start the job probably wouldn't hurt.

-- 
                                          -Jon-

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



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Nov 01 2010 - 10:47:31 EDT