[Dave57210]

Here's a tip:

At least once a year, do a complete, 100% flush and refill of your brake lines - all of them! I just a had a hard line rust through FROM THE INSIDE and let go. (on my 1 ton pick-up) Brake fluid is hygroscopic - it absorbs moisture from the air. I guess I had a little "bubble" of water in the line. Since fluid in the line doesn't really move (much) and mostly winds up back where it started after brakes are released, the water stayed (mostly) in one place and after a few years....

I was VERY lucky it happened when it did. I had driven to a place 300 miles away to pick up 2 big blocks for project I have in mind. Got home, parked. Went out next morning to move the pick-up, jumped in, fired her up, stepped on brake as I was putting it into reverse and "holy ####!

Brake fluid is cheap - flush 'em out guys!

[powerrodsmike]

Good advice,

The water usually settles to the bottom, that is why wheel cylinders get all rusty on the bottom of the bore after sitting for some time. I'll bet the line that rusted out was at the lowest point of a run.

Later, mikey

[weirdbeard]

I need to right now! How can you do the job right when you don't have a monkey to pump the pedal?

[Lil Big Mec]

Originally Posted by weirdbeard

I need to right now! How can you do the job right when you don't have a monkey to pump the pedal?

Gravity will do the job for you. Suck all the old fluid out of the reservoir with a suitable device-A thoroughly dry anti-freeze tester works good for this. Then fill it with new fluid. Leave the lid on the master loose so air can displace the fuid easily and 1 at a time, crack your bleed screws and let the brake fluid run out until you get clean fluid out of them. Just make sure to keep an eye on the brake fluid level in the reservoir so it doesn't run dry. Doesn't hurt to close the bleed screws and pump the pedal vigorously once in a while. The fast moving fluid can help dislodge sc&c inside the lines. Just don't do that with the bleed screws opened or you will suck a ton of air into the system. Oh, and put the lid on the master tightly before pumping the pedal hard or it will spew brake fluid out the top all over the engine compartment

[Chopt 48]

I did front end and brake work for over ten years in tire stores and dealerships, Taught Auto mechanics on the High school level for 13 and am 60 years old and until I started reading this board I never once heard of or read about gravity bleeding of brakes..

I'm not saying it can't be done but in 48 years of reading most all car magazines out there, taking 3 years of high school mechanics, 2 years of trade school and 40 years of experience as an adult I have never witnessed it happening. Most systems will have high spots and low spots in the lines that won't allow for such a thing.

I have had good success bleeding brakes myself using one of the mity-vac vacuum pumps with the bleeder bottle on it. It takes a lot of getting up an down to fill the mastercylinder and drain the bottle on the pump but does a good job quickly a major percentage of the time.
Plastic bodied ones are available at Sears and I think Harbor Freight has a knockoff that should work ok for occasional use.

[powerrodsmike]

[QUOTE=Chopt 48]I did front end and brake work for over ten years in tire stores and dealerships, Taught Auto mechanics on the High school level for 13 and am 60 years old and until I started reading this board I never once heard of or read about gravity bleeding of brakes..
QUOTE]

Sceptic, eh?
J/K
You'll remember this thread then Gravity bleeding of brakes.
It's in the KB.

I'm still bleeding brakes the way I described in that thread. And it works better than any of them.

Later, mikey

[weirdbeard]

Dang Mikey! That sounds pretty fancy but I don't think I have the tools for that. I should just bring you my truck and you can do that vacuum bleeding thing for me. I have tried those lil crapsman vac pumps and ended up with more air in the lines than I started with.

[66GMC]

Originally Posted by powerrodsmike

...
You'll remember this thread then Gravity bleeding of brakes.
...

Thanks for posting that link Mikey... just had my morning laugh
I think I must have had the same guy helping me, on more than one occasion.

Originally Posted by yesgo

...
Sometimes it's just about the only thing to get things working when you have no pressure bleeder, esp if your pedal pumper is an idiot.
...

"OK ... Pump - pump - pump - HOLD"
<mutter to self> "WT F"
"Are you holding?"
"Ohhhh... <squirt> Yup!"

[Chopt 48]

Ok, I did post on that thread.

I've always used a pressure bleeder, vacuum bleeder ( which I use most of the time now) or had someone pump the brakes. Working in production shops I never had the liberty of opening bleeder screws and walking away from the job.

There is a 3/4 ton Ford pickup out in the yard that someone else attempted to bleed the brakes on that might be a candidate to see ig it will indeed work.

[fast68]

the master cylinder reservoir is higher than all the lines and hoses so in theory it should all work like a plumbing drain system and be able to travel from the m/c all the way out to each wheel, completely

in theory


and flushing out brake systems is a very good thing ot do every now and then, brake fkuid only last sos long before its dirty and soaked with moisture
in which are both very bad things



good luck

[bet on black]

http://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm

i just built one of these, haven't used it yet though

[weirdbeard]

Originally Posted by bet on black

http://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm

i just built one of these, haven't used it yet though

That seems easy enough. Why not just use your air compressor? You could thread a male quick connect into a master cylinder cap..

[bet on black]

well, the tank holds the new brake fluid, so it keeps the mc topped off while you are bleeding.

i guess you could hook up a compressor to the tank, but then, i wouldn't be portable anymore, that and i don't have an air compressor yet.

[grandpaws 57]

worked at Ford many years,On f.disk ,open bleeder one side at a time,go do something else.Takes bout 2min to get 90% air out.Don't work on cyl./drums.I use dot 5 and flush every spring.Went 12 years before needed ohaul last time

[weirdbeard]

Originally Posted by bet on black

well, the tank holds the new brake fluid, so it keeps the mc topped off while you are bleeding.

i guess you could hook up a compressor to the tank, but then, i wouldn't be portable anymore, that and i don't have an air compressor yet.

Well I built my lil master cylinder cap with the male quick connect today. It worked very well. It leaks around the cap quit a bit. Not a problem with an air compressor but that would be annoying with the hand pump thing.