• Mustang Forums
  • 1965 - 1973 Classic Mustangs -General/Talk-
  • Classic Mustang Specific Tech

Is bench bleeding a new Master Cylinder Necessary?

  • Thread starter Thread starter monk302
  • Start date Start date Apr 7, 2004

monk302

Founding Member
Apr 18, 2001
742
2
16
New Jersey
Apr 7, 2004
#1
  • Apr 7, 2004
  • #1
I am putting in my master cylinder with the Granada swap and I was wondering if bench bleeding a MC is necessary. To me it seems kind of unnecessary. You route the hoses into both of the bowls fill the MC with fluid, and then push in the plunger in several times with a dowel until there is no more air. Then after the air is out you have to unhook the rubber hoses, mount the MC on the firewall, and then put on the brake lines all the while air is no reentering the MC since you have just unhooked the previously bench bled MC.

What is the point to bench bleed, get all the air out, then mount the MC up to the firewall while air is now reentering. It says that the warranty will be void if it is not bench bled but to me it just seems a way to cover themselves.

Now that I have bench bled the MC should I just put it to the firewall and hook up the brakelines and then bleed the entire brake system. That seems to me the only way to get all the air out of the system.

Thanks
 
R

Ronstang

New Member
Apr 4, 2004
1,294
0
0
Houston Texas
Apr 7, 2004
#2
  • Apr 7, 2004
  • #2
If you don'y bench bleed a master cylinder you stand a chance of not being able to get the unit to prime enough to ever begin pumping....then you end up bench bleeding it in the car and making a huge mess you could have avoided by using the BENCH in the first place.

You can simply open one of the bleeders on a caliper now and pump until you get fluid into the caliper, then do the other and once both calipers have fluid in them bleed the system in the normal manner.....pump, hold, bleed, release pedal, and repeat. This will get all the air out of the system in pretty quick order. I just did it exctly this way on Sunday doing a Granada swap for a friend and it was effortless and without incident.
 

gingerbreadman

Only half-baked
Founding Member
Jan 17, 2002
5,358
0
0
Go ahead, call me cheaky
Apr 7, 2004
#3
  • Apr 7, 2004
  • #3
iv always wondered the same thing for the fact that when you have a leaky wheel cylander and run the M/C dry its pretty much like not bench bleeding it when you pour more fluid in and bleed the system....

but man just save yourself the trouble and bench bleed it... every m/c iv scene has come with a bench bleed kit and that costs companys money, they wouldnt spend any extra money unless they had to...


-gbm-
 
K

kcp203

Founding Member
Mar 27, 2002
222
0
0
Oak Ridge, NJ
Apr 8, 2004
#4
  • Apr 8, 2004
  • #4
gingerbreadman said:
iv always wondered the same thing for the fact that when you have a leaky wheel cylander and run the M/C dry its pretty much like not bench bleeding it when you pour more fluid in and bleed the system....


-gbm-
Click to expand...

That's why they tell you to bench bleed the MC if it ever does run dry. Breaks are pretty much the only thing that you really can't afford to take a chance on, so I've never really thought about not following the directions.
 
O

Ozsum67

Too much thin air
Founding Member
Jan 6, 2002
5,152
0
0
Eastern Colorado
Apr 8, 2004
#5
  • Apr 8, 2004
  • #5
It's usefull, but not absolutely nessasary. You could always push the air through 40 some feet of brake line.
 

dodgestang

Active Member
Dec 15, 2003
1,360
0
37
Cecil County, MD
Apr 8, 2004
#6
  • Apr 8, 2004
  • #6
You can bolt the master cylinder up into the car fill it with fluid, hook up the little hoses and feed it back into itself while installed on the car....after the air bubbles stop coming then you can just connect the lines and bleed the system.

This is essentially bench bleeding but you bolted it into the car. This is useful for people that do not have a vise or some other means to clamp the MC in an upright posistion and fill it with fluid. Just be careful because brake fluid will eat paint.
 

HistoricMustang

Active Member
Apr 11, 2003
2,359
0
46
Confederate States of America
Apr 9, 2004
#7
  • Apr 9, 2004
  • #7
For what it is worth, I have never done it.

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com
 

2nd Mustang

Founding Member
Feb 24, 2002
2,488
0
46
Southern California
Apr 9, 2004
#8
  • Apr 9, 2004
  • #8
When I replaced my MC, I did it the lazy man's way. Loosened the lines at the MC one at a time and had my son pump the pedal a few times. Make sure you have something to soak up the mess as brake fluid is a really good paint stripper.
 
6

67CoupeDriva

Member
Mar 15, 2004
165
0
16
South Carolina
Apr 9, 2004
#9
  • Apr 9, 2004
  • #9
I didn't the last time I put a new one in, and it took about 6 months and bleeding the brakes every other weekend for me to get a firm pedal.

I just did it again with my disc brake conversion and did bench bleed it. I will never fail to bench bleed again!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

1970 brake issue. Bad booster or?
  • All Stock93
  • May 13, 2025
  • 1965 - 1973 Classic Mustangs -General/Talk-
Replies
10
Views
703
1965 - 1973 Classic Mustangs -General/Talk- Sep 13, 2025
All Stock93
E
Finished my Fox Hydroboost Install - Tips
  • Engineer Duane
  • Apr 9, 2025
  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
Replies
4
Views
1K
1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk- May 5, 2025
Engineer Duane
E
K
Resolved Can you vacuum bleed M/C instead of bench bleeding?
  • kendawg73
  • May 8, 2023
  • Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech
Replies
16
Views
3K
Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech May 24, 2023
Mustang5L5
M
Progress Thread mnky99 2001 V6 evap core, ac compressor, heater core replacement
  • mnky99
  • Sep 5, 2025
  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-
Replies
1
Views
481
1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk- Sep 5, 2025
mnky99
M
Granada Front Disc, 9” Drum Rear, 86 Bronco II MC, and Manual Brakes - Pedal Slack
  • AeroCoupe
  • Jul 8, 2023
  • 1965 - 1973 Classic Mustangs -General/Talk-
Replies
7
Views
2K
1965 - 1973 Classic Mustangs -General/Talk- Jul 14, 2023
AeroCoupe
Share:
Bluesky Email Share Link
  • Mustang Forums
  • 1965 - 1973 Classic Mustangs -General/Talk-
  • Classic Mustang Specific Tech
Menu
Log in

Register

  • Forums
  • What's new
  • Media
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Sponsor
X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?

X

Privacy & Transparency

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

  • Personalized ads and content
  • Content measurement and audience insights

Do you accept cookies and these technologies?