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

S/CBlack95GT said:
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.
for the price a shop would charge you could buy a vacuum brake bleeder and do it yourself. and you have a tool you can use every 2 years when you do your brake flushes.
 
Im not going to bleed it with the M/C still attached unless I can get my hands on a vaccume bleeder. Sound good? :D I need a vice anyways and one can be found for like $25 new.

Once I do the bench bleed, will I have to bleed them again normally once the M/C is installed once again, since air might find its way in when I re-attach the M/C to my brake lines? Or will that not be a problem at all? What about my rear-brakes, since I only removed the fronts?

S/CBlack95GT The ABS system, how do I check if I have air in there and how do I remove it?!

Ill deffently get that fluid you reccomended bimmer.

RIO how does that mini bleeder work for you? Think that might do the trick for me, hows it release the air out of the gun that came from the lines? I think I might pick one of those up since i dont have my own compressor and they go for cheap on ebay!

Thanks for all your guys input. Your helping me out a lot!
 
For like 8.00 or so you can get one of those small 4" vise's that has like a C-clamp type screw that attaches to a table, its big enuf to hold the MC to bleed it...

The bleeder works good....had it bout 8 yrs...comes in handy and does help when you get alot of air in the lines..
I apply thick axle grease around the bleeder valve threads, this keeps air from being sucked in by the threads when your doing it up...you attach a line to the bleeder, then back to the pump... pump it up to pull a vacuum on the gage...loosen the bleeder and it pulls the fluid to the unit...tighten the bleeder and do again til you get a nice clean flow with no air bubbles...
Then I pump em all up and do a final bleed.. You'll see once you do it...Its not all that hard..
 
91LX_5L said:
Im not going to bleed it with the M/C still attached unless I can get my hands on a vaccume bleeder. Sound good? :D I need a vice anyways and one can be found for like $25 new.

Once I do the bench bleed, will I have to bleed them again normally once the M/C is installed once again, since air might find its way in when I re-attach the M/C to my brake lines? Or will that not be a problem at all? What about my rear-brakes, since I only removed the fronts?

S/CBlack95GT The ABS system, how do I check if I have air in there and how do I remove it?!

Ill deffently get that fluid you reccomended bimmer.

RIO how does that mini bleeder work for you? Think that might do the trick for me, hows it release the air out of the gun that came from the lines?

Thanks for all your guys input. Your helping me out a lot!
after you bench bleed you will have to bleed all four corners.

the only way the abs will require any attention is if you collapsed the accumulators--highly doubtful. in the process of bleeding your brakes it will bleed any air in the abs module--cept for the accumulators.

don't stress the abs, it'll be ok.:nice:

i had a mini bleeder back in the day, the fluid sucked out of the caliper is collected in a small reservoir housed inline. it will work for you, but you will have a seriously sore hand from pumping that bastard for 2 hours.

here is what i would do--barring you don't buy an air powered vac bleeder. bench bleed the m/c. reinstall the m/c and let all four corners gravity bleed for a while--at least 3 hours. then use that little vac bleeder to finish it off. voila, brake pedal as hard as a wedding johnson.
 
Sweet I will do exactlly that Bimmer. Ill go out and buy a vice tommorow or friday, order the mini bleeder and GET 'R' DONE! No rush anyways my car is off the road, I could even use the mini bleeder and do a corner each couple days sorta thing I have like 4 months LOL.

LAST QUESTION (I hope for your sake lol since you've been too helpful)
Anyways when I go to 'gravity' bleed it you say:
"place a hose from the bleeder into a container, open the bleeder"

I have never worked on brakes before besides just swaping pads (and i've done that once). What is the bleeder excatlly? I put on my braided lines, hook that all up to the caliper and fully install the brakes, then where is the bleeder, what kinda hose are you talking here to connect to it?

Thanks a lot man!
 
91LX_5L said:
Sweet I will do exactlly that Bimmer. Ill go out and buy a vice tommorow or friday, order the mini bleeder and GET 'R' DONE! No rush anyways my car is off the road, I could even use the mini bleeder and do a corner each couple days sorta thing I have like 4 months LOL.

LAST QUESTION (I hope for your sake lol since you've been too helpful)
Anyways when I go to 'gravity' bleed it you say:
"place a hose from the bleeder into a container, open the bleeder"

I have never worked on brakes before besides just swaping pads (and i've done that once). What is the bleeder excatlly? I put on my braided lines, hook that all up to the caliper and fully install the brakes, then where is the bleeder, what kinda hose are you talking here to connect to it?

Thanks a lot man!


They're referring to the bleeder screws that are in the caliper im pretty sure. You loosen them which allows the fluid to flow out of them and into the tube...into the container.
 
nmcgrawj said:
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?

Sorry to highjack, but I to want to bleed my system myself as well.

Which part would fit our cars? I found the list here: http://store.summitracing.com/default.asp?target=/egnsearch.asp&N=400081
And the bleeder screws are located on the calipar, right?

Thanks!
 
RIO5.0 said:
Check out this...Mityvac Brake Bleeding Kit....I have one and its a real time saver bleeding lines...
Cheap money to.....Pump it up some, hit the bleeder and it pulls the fluid thru...

http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/...ID=2459&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=MITYVAC

That looks pretty good, but I have some small questions about if you don't mind answering.

When you mean pump it up some, do you mean pump the brakes, or pump the device? If it's the device, then what do you pump up?

In the image, it shows the yellow brown liquid. Is that the old brake fluid being sucked out, or the new fluid being sucked in?

And lastly, what are the steps involved? Jack up the car, take off the wheel, find the brake line on the capliar, disconenct, plug the device in, and hand pump the fluid out? How do you put the new fluid in? Do you put it in the canister, then pump that back in the lines?

I'm pretty clueless about brakes, and I would appreciate any advice thank you!

Sorry for the second post in a row, lol.
 
bimmertech said:
more like this--much much easier than pumping that damned gun.

http://www.shop.com/op/~Vacuum_Brake_Bleeder-prod-15501010

i've found them for $75 local--just with a smaller reservoir.

This is what I use, http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/prod...L&pid=00947836000&subcat=Automotive+Air+Tools More than 8 liters capacity. This way you don't need to empty the cup 1,000 times at each wheel. I have completed bleeds on 3 of my vehicles, and it would do at least 3 more before I'd need to empty it.