Oral Brake Line Bleed Method - Thumbs up or down?

Ok here we go. Push the fluid up through the bottom and there will be no air left. I have not tried this so be careful as it may get messy and potentially overflow if you are not careful. I have heard of pushing the fluid up from the bottom with a syringe and have actually done that and it works but my syringe was a cheapie and was hard to work.

But this method is different in that you use compressed air so is not for those who do not have access to a compressor with a blow gun. As to the messy you will need to cover any painted surfaces up top just in case. Now you get a decent size container with a lid that can be made air tight. Two pieces of clear hose just big enough to fit on the bleeder. Two holes in the lid, two tubes in. Seal the holes air tight around the hoses and the hose to the bleeder run all the way to the bottom of the container. The other hose needs to be long enough to reach above the master cylinder so you can stand over it and watch when the fluid comes out. The other end goes in the other hole in the jar, jug, or whatever and you fill the jug about half full of brake fluid. The hose not attached to the bleeder has to be above fluid level in the jug so air shoved down it compresses the fluid in the jar and forces it out the other hose and you guessed it, through the bleeder nipple up through the brake line(s) and into the master cylinder.

So you stand over your master cylinder with the hose and the air gun. Attach hose to air gun and let her rip. Go slow to be sure you do not make a mess. If everything is sealed well you may kick yourself and say ''why didn't I think of this before?''. Likewise am I and I would like to thank polock for giving me the idea. And if it somehow does not work well and makes one humdinger of a mess ....well then I would like to place all the blame on polock. :lol:

But seriously it should work and you could even push it upwards by blowing with your mouth (maybe) or maybe rig up a hand pump, which would be safer and less potential for a mess. You could even install an air valve in the top of the jar so as to attach a bicycle pump or similar. I think I like that method best and will probably build something like that.

 

Anybody ever hear of a vacuum jar? I plan on making one of these; Take a mayo jar, preferably one with a steel lid, drill 2 holes 1/2 " in diameter about 1" apart, and insert those 3/8" brass fittings that you can get from HF, for air hose; make up some JB weld and put it around the fittings to seal them from leaking air, next screw the lid on tight. Now here's the neat part, using a shop vacuum, rig up a hose from the inlet of the vac. to one of the fittings on the jar, now run the hose from the other fitting to the bleeder valve. Turn on the vacuum, crack open the bleeder, and WAHLAH!

 

Skip the brass fittings -

Punch 2 holes with a nail, enlarge with a Phillips,

Insert your tubes directly, glue with RTV or 5 minute epoxy.

And why would a screamin' vacuum be preferred to an idling truck?

 

I guess it's the "easy way out" but isn't a Mity-Vac a much simpler solution? I got mine off Amazon for $23, and it's already paid for itself 4X over in time saved.

 

Good point Time, I guess the shop vac is more handy. Hi Fitz! my thinking here is... not only am I lazy, but I have arthritis in my hands and I figure let the vacuum do all the work.

 

Bleed with pressure from the bottom up and you won't have any air bubbles to mess with. If you don't have a pressure bleeder, a pump type oil can will work. Just clean it out and but a hose on the can's tube and the calibers bleeder and pump the brake fluid in.

 

This.
I learned that while messing with my syringe thing I picked up at walmart that is supposed to be for measuring oil for premix applications. It is so much easier to push the fluid through the bottom as you do not have to keep adding fluid from the top. Also since the air is at the top naturally it just rides the wave up and out as the fluid moves into the MS.

 

Air can still hide in a banjo fitting, or on the walls of the caliper, so, after riding 300 miles, crack the banjo fitting open to bleed it ( use a towel ) and re-bleed the caliper.

Anyone got spongy brakes??

 

Okay, okay, enough of the crazy suggestions. Nah, kidding - keep 'em coming!

Fitz, we just want to be more innovative than some genius that invented a gadget you can so easily and cheaply purchase. What's the fun in that?

 

On a final note, too, I went really cheap and bought the Penzoil siphon from Wally - yes the store-bought version of Uncle Jimmy's neighborhood gas-sharing program pump. And it actually gave me enough pressure to pull some fluid in, then I closed the nipple and proceeded with the same bleed method I have done on any car that needed it:

One or two brake handle squeezes, strap against grip, open nipple, shut nipple, repeat. 15 minutes and I had pushed all the old fluid thru. And on a hunch I only closed the MC with the rubber cover/diaphragm and not the metal cover.

One more squeeze and left handle strapped to grip overnight, next day I had a firm grab on the rotor. Two days later the braking is solid as a sports car.

That was all too easy.