Bleeding Brakes

[salazar44]

hey guys, just got done from putting on new front brake shoes, drums, wheel cylinders, and hoses. After this I was planning on bleeding the brakes and putting in more brake fluid. After opening the resevior I discovered it was BONE dry!

So my question is... How do I refill my system properly after it has been empty? The lines appeared to have some fluid in them. I started bleeding the system from the rear passenger side then moved to the rear driver. The fluid catch system I have sucks and its not what it claims to be (single person brake bleeder)!

What do you all recommend? I will continue on this after word from you guys.

[rickf]

I've never done a "one person" brake bleed job, and I've never used any fancy tools. I've always done one person at the wheel cyl and one at the brake pedal. I use a pice of plastic tube (vinyl usually) that fits snug over the bleed nipple, the other end in a aurts jar. The jar shuld start wth a little brake fluid in it, during bleeding the end in the jar must always remain submerged, i.e. can't let back up into it.

You start with the shortest line and work to the longest. Typically that means left front first, right front second, then the rears don't matter much what order, they are about the same.

The person at the pedal pumps the brake and holds, the bleeder cracks the nipple and lets it flow. Thighten the nipple, then let of the brake pedal. Keep doing this until the fluid looks good an clean coming out, and there are no more air bubbles.

Check the resevoir often, they are small. If you pump the resevoir dry, you start it all over again. I'd check every two or three cycles. If you are doing the nipple work laying under the truck, then the pedal pusher can do the resevoir check and re-fill.

[allen57]

Originally Posted by rickf

I've never done a "one person" brake bleed job, and I've never used any fancy tools. I've always done one person at the wheel cyl and one at the brake pedal. I use a pice of plastic tube (vinyl usually) that fits snug over the bleed nipple, the other end in a aurts jar. The jar shuld start wth a little brake fluid in it, during bleeding the end in the jar must always remain submerged, i.e. can't let back up into it.

You start with the shortest line and work to the longest. Typically that means left front first, right front second, then the rears don't matter much what order, they are about the same.

The person at the pedal pumps the brake and holds, the bleeder cracks the nipple and lets it flow. Thighten the nipple, then let of the brake pedal. Keep doing this until the fluid looks good an clean coming out, and there are no more air bubbles.

Check the resevoir often, they are small. If you pump the resevoir dry, you start it all over again. I'd check every two or three cycles. If you are doing the nipple work laying under the truck, then the pedal pusher can do the resevoir check and re-fill.

i was alway taught to start farthest to slowest. rl, rr, fr,fl.



when i swapped my rear end, i just filled my mc. pumped the pedal, refilled the mc, pumped the pedal. repeat like 3 times. then i went to the rl bleeder, cracked it open, put my finger over it, then have somebody else press the pedal, while there pushing down, lift finger till it depressurizes, place finger back, and have them release pedal, then repeat. once fluid comes out, tighten bleeder and move to next bleeder and repeat.( make sure ur mc is always full.)

once u did all four. start a regular brake bleed, the first time was just to get the BIG bubbles out, because if u tried to do it without getting the big bubbles out first, it take forever. this is what i had to do.

[rickf]

uarts jar? Make that quart jar.

[19GMC63]

yeah, 2 man is the best method. And it is furthest from the mc first.
Those one-man bleeders seem ineffective unless most of the air is already out.

[Chevy Fleetside]

If you run the resivoir dry you will have to start all over again. You let air back in and you will need to bleed the brakes untill the air is gone. As you bleed a steady stream may come out so do it a few more times to make sure there is no air trapped further up the line. You don't want that surprize when driving...