Hey all. I am tired of trying to teach my wife how to pump a brake pedal and hold pressure. Doesn't seem THAT hard, but after 13 years of marriage I'm going to get a one-man bleeder. Can you guys/gals recommend one? I've tried the mighty-vac pump and it didn't seem to work that well.
I tried the mighty-vac and it sucked. I do the 2 person bleed exclusively. It works.
In reply to ignorant:
I agree mightyvac's a PIA, I've used the big vacuum bleeder for years.
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/tools/specialty+tools/multi+fluid+extractor.do
Much more capacity and you can do a complete flush easily.
I just tried Speedbleeders for the first time and was absolutely impressed by how well they worked.
wcelliot wrote: I just tried Speedbleeders for the first time and was absolutely impressed by how well they worked.
I'm a fan of them.
Motive bleeders. Motive Bleeders
If you've got an air compressor handy the air powered bleeders are awesome. I've also got a mightyvac. It's a great hand workout.
I managed to train my wife to do the pump and hold (lol). I even had her do an oil change once, but after extensive cleanup I decided it probably wasn't a good idea to try that again.
Mine is a 2' length of tubing and a can. Put one end of the tubing in the can, with a little fluid in the can. Put the other end over the bleeder, and crack it about 1/4 turn.
Instant one man bleeder. Works perfectly.
Does Harbor Freight sell a decent bleeder? I would actually like to do a fluid replacement on 3 of my cars this spring, in addition to doing trans and diff on the BMW.
kturner wrote: Motive bleeders. Motive Bleeders
That's what I use and it works great. You can easily do a car yourself in 15min once you have all the wheels off. Just be sure to buy the proper adapter that fits your master cylinder. The universal one works but it can be a pain to use. The only downside is its there is really no good way to clean it. I usually push a rag around with a stick to soak up whatever brake fluid doesn't pour out.
Jason
In reply to Soma007:
Brake cleaner? That's what I use in mine.
My S2000 is partial to gravity bleeds, though it does take quite a long time.
I've used this:
But attach 30' of vacuum hose to the unused spigot, and connect it to a vacuum source on your running engine. Engine vacuum draws fluid right through the system. Watch out when the can is full - the smoke gets pretty thick when the engine sucks up brake fluid.
G
I made one for $15 out of a garden sprayer, some tubing, and a master cylinder cap from the junk yard.
SkinnyG wrote: I've used this:
I use the same cup setup (bought it from Sears many years ago) with no problems but never thought to add the vacuum source - genius! The cup does tend to fill up pretty quickly if I'm doing a full system flush and needs to be emptied after each wheel but that's nothing compared to the wife's complaints about helping bleed brakes in a hot, mosquito-infested garage in the summer.
The Motive bleeder is almost all I use on my brakes anymore, at the track and at home, still use the mighty vac on the clutch though ;)
Why buy a Motive, when you can build your own for $25?
http://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm
I built one and I love it.
Use it with a set of Speedbleeders for the track and there's no excuse not to have good brake fluid in your car.
turboswede wrote: Why buy a Motive, when you can build your own for $25? http://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm I built one and I love it. Use it with a set of Speedbleeders for the track and there's no excuse not to have good brake fluid in your car.
I tried making one before I bought the Motive. The concept is simple, the catch is getting the MC to seal properly. The last thing you want is pressurized brake fluid spraying everywhere. The car I had at the time (93 Trans Am) had a vented MC cap so it was impossible to build pressure. I fiddled with all kinds of fixes until I broke down and hit the "easy" button (bought the Motive).
I've made my own pressure bleeder by just taking a spare MC cap/cover and drilling a hole in it and installing a screw in tire fill valve. I then attach a clip-on tire chuck with my air compressor set for 5-10 psi line pressure and then open the bleeders one by one starting in the back. I've even doen this at the race track by installing a pressure regulator on my portable air tank! Some MC caps will not seal and leak some air past the gasket but that can be fixed with a little work.
jimbbski wrote: I've made my own pressure bleeder by just taking a spare MC cap/cover and drilling a hole in it and installing a screw in tire fill valve. I then attach a clip-on tire chuck with my air compressor set for 5-10 psi line pressure and then open the bleeders one by one starting in the back. I've even doen this at the race track by installing a pressure regulator on my portable air tank! Some MC caps will not seal and leak some air past the gasket but that can be fixed with a little work.
That works too. The nice thing about the Motive unit and the homemade versions is they'll automatically replenish the MC reservior as it goes. Not a big deal for a quick bleed but very helpful if you're flushing the entire system.
A small piece of vacuum hose, a check valve and a cup. Attach the hose the the bleeder valve, install check valve, stick it in a cup and pump the brakes until it stops spitting air. It's basically an accellerate gravity bleed.
I've done this multiple times and it works great.
ignorant wrote: I tried the mighty-vac and it sucked.
I seriously thought you were complimenting the system.
I mean...it's supposed to suck.
I think in this case you mean, "It blows!"
Clem
Pressure bleeder FTW, some cars you cant even bleed the brakes without one.
DILYSI Dave wrote:wcelliot wrote: I just tried Speedbleeders for the first time and was absolutely impressed by how well they worked.I'm a fan of them.
Tell me about them, I am interested, but I have never tried them.
http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/dreed/campingart/jettatech/bleeder/index.htm
You need to add one of these caps:
ATE style:
http://www.ultimategarage.com/shop/part.php?products_id=2123
GM style:
http://www.ultimategarage.com/shop/part.php?products_id=1431
ignorant wrote:DILYSI Dave wrote:Tell me about them, I am interested, but I have never tried them.wcelliot wrote: I just tried Speedbleeders for the first time and was absolutely impressed by how well they worked.I'm a fan of them.
They are a bleed screw with a built in check valve. So to bleed, you open it, pump until you get clean fluid, then close it. None of the pump-open-close-release-pump-open-close-release dance.
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