Vacuum Brake Bleeders. Any reviews here?

[63 & 64 Bowties]

I was thinking of buying one, but I see price ranges from $39 to $390
Anybody have one they would recommend?
Reading the online reviews aren't much help. They're either; "this is junk" or "worked great" and nothing in between.

[68C15]

I carry a big flag saying "vacuum bleeders are junk"

pressure bleeding is best. Find a buddy with patience and quench his thirst.

there is a different way to fill a system if it's completely empty. Raybestos sells a syringe bench bleeding masters.

fill it with fluid, connect to bleeder with hose (I use vacuum hose), remove master cylinder cap, open bleeder, push syringe, close bleeder, remove syringe, repeat until fluid comes out master with no bubbles. I hold syringe with plunger up so the bubbles don't get pushed into system. Follow up with normal bleeding procedure

[cdowns]

after 50 years or so of research i find a cement brick on the brake pedal works alot better

[TennesseeZ]

Speed Bleeders can work, I've gotten bad ones and had to replace them because the check valve didnt work tho. But overall they work, I've got 4 on the truck right now.

As for Mightyvac, tube in the bottle and similar, never had much luck with them. The best way I know of is two people who know what they're doing, if that's not available then I do Speed Bleeders and hose into a bottle to catch the fluid, still do 1 at the time, make sure I push plenty of fluid thru it, slowly, then on to the next furthest away.

[fun in dirt]

We have one like this...
It makes my husband say really dirty words every time he uses it Thankfully we only need it about once or twice a year. And I guess that's enough time between uses that he forgets how aggrevating it is & tries it again. The plate that clamps to the master cylinder never wants to seal, so get that fixed after multiple c-clamps and a homemade gasket. Then the line will leak where goes into the tank or master cyl plate....it just makes a big mess basically. Thankfully most of our projects are not "show car" quality cosmetically and I'll run around getting water to poor on the brake fluid spraying onto the paint Maybe 1 out of 5 times it works good. It's one of those things that sounds good & works in theory, but not in reality.
We usually end up doing it the old fashion way...he's on a creeper manning the bleeders & I'm pumping the brakes.

[LockDoc]

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You might try this... It is somewhat like the one fun in dirt posted.

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

You would have to come up with something different for a cap.

LockDoc

[mongoose]

ive tried vacuum bleeders before.. they're good for pulling fluid through the line but using the to finish bleeding them are a pain. they like to draw air through the threads thus looking like an endless steam of air in the fluid.. if you seal it up well i should work fine..

I made this last time i bled brakes worked perfect.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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You might try this... It is somewhat like the one fun in dirt posted.

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

You would have to come up with something different for a cap.

LockDoc

That's pretty cool Doc, thanks.

The reason I'm asking is because I have a rollback that probably has about 20' of brake line between the MS and the rear. I just can't seem to get all the air out the ole fashion way.
Thanks.

[Special-Ed]

i prefer the 2 man bleed... one guy pumping and holding... the other bleeding....

ive had vacuum bleeders and power bleeders.... hate them all

[earl84]

I almost always work alone, and I made one in the link that LockDoc posted. I used a piece of 1/4 steel plate and a master cylinder cover gasket and a few C-clamps. It worked amazingly well. This was all after trying to use someone pushing the brake pedal and using a MityVac that was a total waste of time and money. I had to replace everything on my brake system and had a lot of brake fluid and air to push through, so using a helper on the pedal was taking forever. If I ever did it again, I'd make sure I bled the master cylinder fully (I did), then gravity bleed overnight, then use my homemade pressure bleeder.

[JointTech]

i have a mity vac that hooks to an air compressor. i wouldnt buy it again for doing brakes. It does work well for cleaning the resin out of my e-pen though.

[68C15]

2 man bleeding an empty system works of the bleed guy lightly holds his finger over the end of bleed screw to act as a check valve. Then the pumper guy slowly cycles the pedal until you get a solid stream. Then advance to the normal "pump-hold-open-close-repeat" procedure.

Here in the rust belt I replace quite a few brake lines and have it down pat.

[bbcmudtruck]

I don't understand why you guys don't like the mighty vac! Mine works like a charm and has been used several times over the last few years. I will never be without one!

[earl84]

I didn't like my MityVac because it just didn't work, period. Or if it was working, it was so slow that I never noticed it was in fact working. I must have pumped on that thing about 1,000 strokes at least and nothing happened. Homemade pressure bleeder worked amazingly well.

[MLB57]

I work alone at my job and use my mityvac at least once a week it works great and it also as the long suction tube to suck out powersteering pumps and master cylinders, never had nothing it would not bleed, always gravity bleed first so you don't suck the master cylinder dry

[MLB57]

get the kind you hook up to a air compresor