RE: Brakes

From: Ray Block (BPracing@wowway.com)
Date: Wed Sep 15 2010 - 20:07:51 EDT


What's up with this, Jon. Twice in one day I'm totally agreeing with you.
I've tried what you've tried and found the only sure way to bleed my brakes
is with my wife pressing the brake pedal while I'm opening the bleeders and
watching the fluid flow. Works perfectly! :)

Ray

> -----Original Message-----
> From: jon@dakota-truck.net
>
> 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 --'



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