Got my new brakes (pic), question...bleeding and what fluid?

91LX_5L · Nov 28, 2005

Well I got my new cobra brakes and braided lines. Now I have a question. I have taken off all my old brakes and I pumped the brake pedal untill no more fluid came out the lines so thats all gone.

What fluid should I use for brake fluid? How much do I add?

How do I properly bleed my new brakes so there is no air in the lines etc.

THANKS,
Matt

nmcgrawj · Nov 28, 2005

There are kits you can buy at summit and at your local parts store that let you bleed the brakes without a helper. Im not sure on which brake fluid...i would just get some good stuff from the auto stores.

The kits are REALLY easy to use, if u get the Russel(i believe) speed bleeders, its as easy as cake as they have a check valve that only lets air/fluid flow out, and nothing back in. Start at the wheel furthest from the reservoir and pump until the fluid comes through clean. Keep an eye on the level in the reservoir and keep it filled.

I think thats about it....

How much were the brakes and where did u get them from?

deadlast · Nov 28, 2005

those look like stangsuspension rotors

91LX_5L · Nov 28, 2005

Your right. There from stangsuspension. The anny red cobra calipers, braided lines then I thought id give their own rotors a shot, he said they are nice so I took his word, hes a great guy I have bought lots from him before and he seems to know his stuff. I paied about $500 for them all said and done I belive?

94GTLaserRC · Nov 28, 2005

NIce....let's see some pics when they're on!
RC

bimmertech · Nov 28, 2005

91LX_5L said:
Now I have a question. I have taken off all my old brakes and I pumped the brake pedal untill no more fluid came out the lines so thats all gone.

What fluid should I use for brake fluid? How much do I add?

How do I properly bleed my new brakes so there is no air in the lines etc.

THANKS,
Matt

well honestly you are now in for a long day of brake bleeding due to the fact you have entered quite a good amount of air into the master cylinder.

i know this comes a little late, but you should try to always keep fluid in the master cylinder.

i use BMW brake fluid--cuz it's free--but any good dot 4 fluid should be good.

now that your m/c is dry you should prolly use a vacuum bleeder. the good ole foot method will prolly take you a considerable amount of time. start the furthest away and work back to the closest.
rr
lr
rf
lf

remember keep that m/c full!

RIO5.0 · Nov 28, 2005

Bimmer...I was thinking the same thing when I read it....What about the ABS box??? Did he also purge that in doing what he did??? I have read thats a mofo to re-prime...

bimmertech · Nov 28, 2005

RIO5.0 said:
Bimmer...I was thinking the same thing when I read it....What about the ABS box??? Did he also purge that in doing what he did??? I have read thats a mofo to re-prime...

i doubt he emptied out the abs module(pretty hard to do), but if he did i would put money he is going to have to have a scan tool to bleed it.

i have been party to 4hr bleed jobs--

honestly he is prolly just better off yanking the m/c and bench bleeding it first

At1Maverick69 · Nov 28, 2005

bimmertech said:
well honestly you are now in for a long day of brake bleeding due to the fact you have entered quite a good amount of air into the master cylinder.

i know this comes a little late, but you should try to always keep fluid in the master cylinder.

i use BMW brake fluid--cuz it's free--but any good dot 4 fluid should be good.

now that your m/c is dry you should prolly use a vacuum bleeder. the good ole foot method will prolly take you a considerable amount of time. start the furthest away and work back to the closest.
rr
lr
rf
lf

remember keep that m/c full!

I was just about to say the same thing, never run the MC dry, well, good luck, and post pics after the install!:SNSign:

91LX_5L · Nov 28, 2005

Dammit! How can I check my abs module to make sure I didnt empty that. I thought I might as well get it all out becuase my old fluid was dirty as hell and I was taking off the old lines since I sold all my old brakes to a guy doing a 5 lug conversion.

Whats a vaccume bleeder? If I do the foot meathod whats a long time, like 30 minutes pumping? For some reason it didnt really cross my mind that I have to do the rears as well LOL, stupid me.

edit: I just went out and checked my MC, it looks like there is a front section that is still dark (fluid mabye?) not sure if this is right or makes sence to anyone?

94GTLaserRC · Nov 29, 2005

bimmertech said:
i doubt he emptied out the abs module(pretty hard to do), but if he did i would put money he is going to have to have a scan tool to bleed it.

i have been party to 4hr bleed jobs--

honestly he is prolly just better off yanking the m/c and bench bleeding it first

That's what I was thinking...10 minutes each to remove and reinstall vs hours of straight up bleeding.

Good luck!
RC

nmcgrawj · Nov 29, 2005

So u just got them for the front?

91LX_5L · Nov 29, 2005

im going to get the baer 13" rear kit, its just new rotors and brackets to accept the 13" rotor though so that shouldnt matter.

so what should I do?! Help! How can make sure I didnt empty my abs module?

RIO5.0 · Nov 29, 2005

Didn't mean to freak you out on the ABS thing...Going with what Bimmer mentioned odd's are your ok....Only one way to find out...Do it up...

91LX_5L · Nov 30, 2005

Ok, how hard is it to remove the MC? Whats "bench bleeding" mean? I dont get how removing it and bleeding it would be any diffrent? Do I have to remove the entire thing, the overfill then the big black circular piece?

IS It okay for me to toss on my new brakes now but just not hook up any of the lines, or can I go ahead and hook it all up now then bleed later?

Thanks guys!

bimmertech · Nov 30, 2005

91LX_5L said:
Ok, how hard is it to remove the MC? Whats "bench bleeding" mean? I dont get how removing it and bleeding it would be any diffrent? Do I have to remove the entire thing, the overfill then the big black circular piece?

IS It okay for me to toss on my new brakes now but just not hook up any of the lines, or can I go ahead and hook it all up now then bleed later?

Thanks guys!

bench bleeding the m/c will remove the air from the m/c. i suggested this cuz without bleeding the m/c you are just pumping more air into the brakes.

if you do not bench bleed the m/c your bleed time will increase 400%--at least. this is all of course assuming you kept mashing the pedal after there was no more fluid in the m/c.

the big black circular piece is your brake booster and does not take any fluid. the "overfill" you say is the m/c. it can be removed by taking off the lines and unbolting it from the booster. then put it in a bench vise and fill it up with fluid. take some hose and place it on the nipples the lines bolted into and loop the hoses into the top of the m/c. then slowly push the piston of the m/c in and out unitl ther is no more air bubbles.--that is how you bench bleed, it is done whenever you replace a m/c or run it dry and keep mashing the pedal.

you can toss on your brakes and not hook up the lines--if you want. another thing you could try is put everything on(including lines), fill the m/c, place a hose from the bleeder into a container, open the bleeder and let it sit for a long time checking the fluid level in the m/c periodically to make sure it does not go empty. this is called gravity bleeding--after gravity bleeding you will still have to do the pedal method, just not as much.

91LX_5L · Nov 30, 2005

Well I had my dad watch the lines and when they stopped flowing I gaver one more pump. Ill see if I can remove my MC fairly easily and see if what you say makes sence to me if so then ill bench-bleed it, although I dont have a vice

Where is this "piston" on the MC Im assuming where it goes into the brake booster? So what im doing is pretty much re-routing the oil out of the lines (or nipples with the hoses I attach since its out of the car in a vice) back into the overfill correct? Keep doing that untill there is no air, then how do I re-connect the lines without oil going all over?

Sorry for being slow here please bear-with me.

If that doesnt work Ill try the gravity feed method

I have some "ABS Brake Fluid" from a local retailer store like wal-mart think that will be fine?

Thanks

rgs · Nov 30, 2005

if you spill anything on those rims I will personally shoot you!

bimmertech · Nov 30, 2005

91LX_5L said:
Well I had my dad watch the lines and when they stopped flowing I gaver one more pump. Ill see if I can remove my MC fairly easily and see if what you say makes sence to me if so then ill bench-bleed it, although I dont have a vice

Where is this "piston" on the MC Im assuming where it goes into the brake booster? So what im doing is pretty much re-routing the oil out of the lines (or nipples with the hoses I attach since its out of the car in a vice) back into the overfill correct? Keep doing that untill there is no air, then how do I re-connect the lines without oil going all over?

Sorry for being slow here please bear-with me.

If that doesnt work Ill try the gravity feed method

I have some "ABS Brake Fluid" from a local retailer store like wal-mart think that will be fine?

Thanks

the piston is what the booster pushes on. yes you are rerouting the fluid back into the m/c, but most importantly you are removing the air pockets.

without a vice it'll be tough to push the piston in, just take your time.

yes, keep doing the bench bleed until there is no more air in the hoses. then remove the hoses and reinstall the m/c. yes you may spill a little, just wash it down with water asap.

please fight the urge to bleed the m/c with it still attached to the booster. you will generate too much pressure and most likely blow off the hoses and get brake fluid all over your engine.

as far as your brand-x fluid crap, you've gone to far to cheap out now. you got these nice new shiney brakes, it would be a shame to put crappy fluid in.

go get some castrol synthetic dot 4 and flush out your whole brake system.

if your pockets run deep, you could go to a tool store and buy a vacuum brake bleeder such as the vacula. it attaches to shop air, and sucks the fluid out of the bleeder--imo the best way to bleed brakes. if you get a vacuum bleeder you will not need to bench bleed your m/c as this will do the trick. it also means you don't have to keep pressing the brake pedal. you just hook it to the bleeder, and sit back and watch it go--keeping the m/c full of course.

S/CBlack95GT · Nov 30, 2005

Most repair shops have the machine that will automatically bleed your entire system. I would bleed the system the best you can by hand and then take it to Ford so they can bleed the entire system. You got air in the abs system for sure if you drained all the lines.

Got my new brakes (pic), question...bleeding and what fluid?

91LX_5L

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