It's interesting, but my question is, when the bleeder is open and you pump brakes, does the brake fluid keep going back and forth at bleeder and air stays farther in system or you can keep pumping the brake and pump all brake fluid from resivor into this bottle?
Question two, how would this work if the portion valve has shut off one line do to a broken brake line and was repaired, sometimes I can't get portion valve to go to normal position
@stangmaster 2 Yeah it's just a chevy Tahoe suburban Silverado mostly. The ABS box needs to be cycled, automated brake bleeding procedure. and the proportioning valve gets stuck in some of them. Basically it would take forever to do it that way. Customers sometimes drive around for weeks even months with the rears blown out. They can take a long time to bleed even with my fluid evacuation equipment.
Yep, I've been bleeding brakes like this since for over 30 years. It works great! There are a few of minor issues I've encountered over the years. First, the hose tends to flip the bottle over when it's empty. You can simply add more fluid to weigh the bottle down, put a weight in it, like a large nut, or tape a weight to the bottom. Second, the nipples sometimes leak, allowing air into the brake system. This can be solved by simply wrapping their threads with teflon tape or thread sealant and also by only opening the bleeder screws just enough to let fluid out - no more.
Always found the nipples leak air, on the older cars and trailers i have done, so either always thread tap them, or find a second person to operate brake pedal. Had not thought about using a sealant, but thinking that would much easier to apply than tape. 👍 perhaps something like loctite 577 would be good.
Never ever use teflon tape on bleeder screw threads or it will eventually get into the lines. Whoever dreamed up this idea should stay away from cars and ride a bicycle. Use synthetic grease.
@@johnmilner7603 That scenario simply has not happened to me once in 30 years. Just be careful when wrapping the treads such that the tape doesn't get in the fluid. That said, I've recently discovered pressure bleeding which works much better and doesn't require any of this.
Thank you for this Gem of knowledge for DIY car folks. My wife also thanks you since she was the one who used to have to be the "Pump the Brake Pedal" person when I did brake jobs on my vehicles. Carry On Sir!
Love this video. Straight ahead and to the point not like others who go on and on about themselves! Great practical help. Keep them coming. Thanks we need more people like you!
You dont need any device or other person to bleed brakes. The best way is to simply gravity bleed. One simply opens the bleeder screw and let gravity cause the fluid to drip for about 20 minutes. Never had a problem doing it this way ever. Everyone tries to make it harder than it has to be.
The brake bleeder threaded nipple is usually quite tight and is not made of hard steel and I therefore always try and use a ring spanner and not an open ended 8mm spanner as shown here. Thank you for an informative video.
You can also temporarily insert the non-fluted end of a drill bit down into the open end of the bleeder screw to help avoid collapsing the bleeder screw. In addition to a ring spanner, I suggest using a 6-point deep socket to break it loose initially, in the case of very tight bleeder screw.
I'm a big fan of penetrating oil the night before, and a couple raps with a hammer near the screw. I replace with new screws, and a film of anti sieze. Coat the base of the bleeder with a film of hi temp grease. Seems like overkill, until you've snapped off your first bleeder screw.
Made one out of a pickle jar. With two pieces of old steel brake line and epoxied them in the lid. Run a small piece of tubing to the bottom of the jar add clean fluid attach hand vacuum pump to other tube give it a couple pumps and sit back till clean fluid comes out
Mind blow !!! I have been using the caveman method for years bleeding my breaks by myself. Which is actually kneeling beside the car, pumping the brakes by hand, and then wedging a solid 4" block against the paddle. Next crawl under, loosen the bleeder, then back to the car. Good exercise, but unnecessary to say the least. Glad one of us was using his noggin, lol. Thanks for sharing brother. 😎👍✌🖖💥🛎 Peace
Yup, I'm a one man shop and use this approach. Only thing I would add is that I have siliconed a piece of pipe to the bottom of my bottle so it doesn't tip over, also add zip ties on either side of the cap to keep your hose from pulling out.
Before doing this you need to put a piece of wood under the brake pedal. The thickness of the wood should be so that it does not fit under the pedal when hard pressure is applied to by your foot on the pedal. This is done to prevent the pedal to travel past the point that the pedal normally gets resistance. Inside the brake master cylinder there will be a wear grove from years of use. The rubber seals will become damage passing over this grove repeatedly when bleeding by pumping the pedal. I don't know why I tell you this, because I will now loose money selling less replacement master cylinders. On a 10 year old car or older, failure is very common when bleeding without vacuum or pressure devices. Also remember that some cars like old Chevy trucks you need to block the safety valve with a special clamp or you will loose pressure to one or more wheels.
Very valid point! Same thing applies to just about any other motor vehicle. People often bleed their hydraulic clutch or brake system on their motorcycle using a clamp the press the lever down but fail to put something in between the lever and the handlebar to prevent the lever traveling too far down causing the damage you mentioned.
Wish I would of read this before I just had it happen to me, I think mine was on it's way out anyways, but now I know for next time, thanks for the tip, never knew this.
I have bled brakes on my own many times and wanted to see what you had to say about it, as it came up in suggested videos. You literally covered everything. Even covered venting the bottle and locating the abs so you can start farthest away. Have a fresh bottle of brake fliud on hand, don't use old brake fluid.
@@KeyGilz Varies vehicle to vehicle but do three pedal pumps and check reservoir. Maybe you can try four pumps the next time. You will quickly work out how many pedal pumps you can do before the reservoir runs dry.
Sometimes air enters the system via the bleeder screw threads. That’s why I like to close the bleeder screw with brake pedal pressure being applied for the final bleed.
@@mannypuerta5086 I'm a one man team, don't have the privilege, off somebody helping me, learnt not to ask customer for help long time ago, and this method hasn't failed me yet for 35 years
Well done sir! I have worked on my cars and other family members' cars since I was a teenager. The one thing I never had to do was bleed the brake system. Usually, I would just take the cap off the reservoir and depress the caliper piston. But my daughters Jeep Liberty would not budge. Then I saw your video. I did it just as you detailed, and it worked perfectly! I see a lot of suggestions that people are adding to your technique, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it (: Thanks for saving me a trip the mechanic!
I have been doing this for many years. The silicone airline tubing for aquariums works better than the vinyl tubing. I also screw a nut on the end of the tubing in the bottom of the bottle to make sure it stays in the bottom. This way you can use any open container. I like using a metal can or glass jar. They do not tend to fall over like a light weight plastic bottle. Also a canning jar makes a good clean storage solution for the 1 man bleeder. Just safely dispose of the fluid in the jar, put the tubing in the jar and put on a lid. Keeps it all together and clean until needed again.
Been doing a variation of this for years. I always remove the bleeder, clean it, wrap the threads with a couple wraps of Teflon tape, and install it, leaving it 1/2 turn loose. Bleed and tighten If you don't seal the threads with the tape, it can suck air back in the cylinder.
You can gravity bleed keeping Reservoir full. Or in the alternative use a similar hard bottle and engine vacuum on your bottle. Always dope the bleeder threads. Start with master cyl. res. then the furthest wheel. Worked for years.
Don’t use Teflon tape. Completely remove the bleed and put Castrol red rubber grease on the threads. It’s thick wont wash off and compatible with brake fluid.
If you have time to burn the brake fluid will feed down by gravity. It's slow but it will work. And that allows plenty of time to check the brake reservoir to keep it full. For me, this suggestion is awesome. This is how I will be doing it in the future. My uncle insists, people should bleed the brakes at least every two years to remove moisture. It usually collects near the calipers and that is what causes the caliper to get rusty and stick. He has a Jeep 19 years old with the original calipers so he must be correct.
Running the tube higher is not neccesary. The tip just has to stay immersed. Pressure pushes the air out so nothing has to rise. Ideally the tube should be short enough to fill with the first pump so releasing the pedal does not suck air left in the tube. If you want to use a longer tube to avoid cutting it helps to fill it first.
I just did this last weekend. A suggestion, drill the bottle’s cap off the bottle. Use the small bit first. Once in the centre of the cap and once to the side of that first hole. Use the bigger drill bit on the centre hole. Insert the plastic tubing through the cap and so it sits on the bottle of the bottle. Use a small plastic zip tie on the tubing under the cap to help keep it from being pulled back out. This also works well with a friend pushing on the brake pedal. 2 or 3 slow gentle pushes when you tell them and then a push and hold if the air bubbles have passed into the bottle. Many DIYers turn the bleed screw more than a 1/4 turn so I’m glad you mention that only a 1/4 turn is needed.
This is essentially the first way I ever learned to bleed brakes except I would just have a bottle without a cap at all as long as I had the end of the line immersed in some brake fluid.
one more tip. Turn the bottle of brake fluid upside down in the reservoir and leave it. it will refill the res only as the level gets below the top of the bottle and won't overfill
Thanks for a great vid reminding me to start at the right rear wheel and work closer to the master cylinder with each wheel. My favourite "wrench turner" first uses a turkey baster to suck all the cruddy fluid out of the master cylinder and then refills it with new fluid...but leaves the cap off. He then puts my car up on the hoist, cracks ALL the bleeders open and gives me a bottle of new fluid and puts me in charge of keeping the master cylinder full. He then goes back to work doing other things. About 10 to15 minutes later, he comes back, visually checks that each bleeder has fresh clear fluid coming out and tightens each in the proper order back to front of vehicle. He wipes up the bled fluid with a couple of rags, lowers the vehicle and tops up the master cylinder, lastly putting the lid back on. Gravity has done all the work with a little assist from me. $40 later and I'm back on the road. Now I'm going to try this on my own because I'm 1500 miles from home and my vehicle needs this done, but.......the corner shop that I use each winter while on my snowbird vacation wants $ 80.....PLUS cost of fluid.......PLUS tax to do the same thing !!! Yikes !!! I'll do the wheels one at a time WITH a bottle to save the mess but the end result will be the same......fingers crossed. Wish me luck folks.
Start your engines! Oh sorry wrong one, yes this is how it was done back in the day, worth showing though for the people who have never seen it. Clear and to the point video 👍🏼
Always put antiseize on your bleeders,it seals the threads from air and in two years it'll make them easy to back off ,takes 5 seconds and helps avoid more work in the future.
I wish you worked on the assembly line, bleeder bolts have screwed me over more times then I can count, customers don't understand the havoc these little bolts can cause especially on older vehicles or vehicles that have been in saltwater or in snowy areas. (road salt)
@@adamscott9725 I've probably done a hundred brake jobs and live in one of the harshest of climates,by the grace of God I've never snapped one.I smack the bleeder head on with a ball peen a couple of times.Heat it up and cool it down with ice water a couple of times.Than I use a 6 point,1/⁴ inch drive deepwell to get it broke loose ,I never force it just go back and forth until it spins freely,than I'll take it all the way out ,clean it up and out and put it back in with antiseize on it.Than when I'm done bleeding,I cover the whole bleeder in antiseize.
It's the bleeder nuts that are half rusted away or jacked up from a cheaply made tool which rounded off the bleeder nut. In the flat rate world taking the time to prep every bleeder nut (hot to cold) isn't feasible. I think just making them bigger/beefier as well as anti seize would suffice. Count yourself lucky never to have had this problem, because there is nothing easy about an easy out.
in the 1970s I bought a brake bleeding kit which consisted of a plastic tube like this and a one-way valve at the end to prevent air and contaminated fluid going back into the brake line. The valve was a simple steel ball and spring captured inside a clear plastic tube.
Well explained , my brakes have been shaking a while,,I checked yesterday was gonna replace pads but pads are un great shape ,rotors are have just been turned before installing ,after checking all that im convinced its air in the system, thank s for the great vid ,now will do it my self and save me 150 dollars 💵
An other tip remove the bleeder screw and wrap the threads with Teflon tape. It makes a better seal and prevent rust and seizure of the threads. Make sure you put the rubber caps back on to prevent dirt and salty water from getting inside. Get new ones if missing or old and hard.
Brilliant. I bought one of those vacuum kits at harbor freight. Horrible. Oil got sucked into the pump and it was trashed. I kept the hose from the kit and made one of these setups with a Gatorade bottle. Amazing. So I paid 20 bucks for a piece of hose in the end but bled my brakes simply and effectively.
I usually take the bleeders out and wrap a few turns of teflon tape on them and put them back in, they seem to be more air tight so I don't get air incoming around the bleeders
I bleed front drivers side 1st! If there trash in the fluid, I don't want it to cause a problem all the way to back and have to change or replace all these lines! Great vid
If you have enough tubing, run it up and back into the reservoir. Skip the bottle. That way you can pump all day and never run the reservoir low enough to introduce air bubbles. If you are flushing the system to get rid of old fluid, use the bottle method. Also, motorcycle owners who work on their own bike install "speed bleeders." These are bleed screws with a built in check valve. This eliminates air getting back into the system at the bleed fitting.
Right . Duhhhh. Idk why I didn't think of that. . All ya need is some hose . And maybe a clothespin to clip it inside the mc. All my life I've been screwing around with the bottle and all that . Now I know . Thnx bud
I was a GP motorcycle engineer for years in Europe. I worked in early development of floating rotors, carbon fiber discs and 6 piston calipers. No professional racing team uses valved bleeders. Top-line Brembo and Nissin units come with standard nipples nobody changes. Most teams use bleed guns so they would do nothing. We want as few parts as simple as possible. Always KISS to win races; keep it simple, stupid and valve gaskets can get into the piston bore etc. if you need valves to do the job you might want to have a professional bleed your brakes and check any other work you have done on the chassis. Ride safe, rubber side down!
I have always used a cinder block against the brake pedal, loosened the bleeder valve, tightened the bleeder valve and released cinder block and repositioned the block against pedal and did that till only fluid came out. I've done it that way by myself for decades.
I have seen all kinds of methods. To flush it out just open the bleeder screw and let it drool out as you add fluid to the reservoir as it drops in level. This works especially well after the hole system has been emptied . You can empty it with compressed air set at low pressure. Flush it with methyl alcohol if contaminated with petroleum or other contaminates. Then blow it out again.Then the fill and drool till no bubbles come out.
in Scotland i did it with a good old glass milk bottle and hose shoved down to the bottom with about an inch of fluid above tip of tube, open bleeder 4/5 pumps of pedal, check fluid level in reservoir top it up another 3/4 pumps , lock of brake bleed nipple top up reservoir, usually it's enough , if not continue this op another couple of times until happy with pedal feel suits you. the tip is as long as the tip of the hose stays submerged it isn't drawing air in after pumping pedal .done it like this 56yr.
Sounds good. When I do the brakes, I just clamp and squeeze the piston back into the caliper slightly enough where I can get everything back together, I do pop open the reservoir cap, and it works fine. No bleeding, no ruptured hoses and no leaks of any kind. I tried this years ago on every vehicle with pads and have been doing it ever since with no problems at all. Haven't had to bleed a brake job in years.
Yo Tony this is video on bleeding brakes. Most cars have disc brakes so they don't have to be bled, obviously, when changing the pads. Eventually, though the system needs to have new fluid installed or the system will be damaged. This would be a good way to do it. Your car might be a candidate.
I've been bleeding brakes like this since the 70's. I don't remember who taught it to me. I do have one thing about the video. You drilled the holes in the cap of the bottle while it was on the bottle. I always drilled my caps off the bottle to make sure no plastic shavings or debris ends up in the bottle. You want that bottle completely clean before adding brake fluid into it.
In my understanding of ABS, bleeding in this manner does not bleed the fluid on the closed side of the ABS. For that to happen the ABS needs to be activated and that's where it becomes more complex. Many cars require diagnostic type equipment to open the valves in the ABS during the bleed process. Without such activation the fluid in the closed system could be very old indeed if the ABS / traction control is never activated during normal driving.
The suggestion is to simply bleed the brakes as shown........Then get them anti lock brakes to activate by going for a ride and stomping the brakes over a bumpy section of road which can help or just stomping on them to activate the anti lock brakes.You just need to purge the old fluid from the ABS module........then bleed the brakes again as shown.
Great video. I just did my own brakes. Very simple. My brake fluid was like a dark orange color. It’s supposed to transparent. So many contaminants in the old fluid.
When installing new callipers , especially multi piston , I use a squeeze bottle to fill the unit before bleeding then just let gravity do the rest , you can also use a one way vacuum fitting in your bleeder hose .
I have used a pump off a old Hand Cleaner Orange Pumice Bottle with ot piece of clear plastic tubing,Works fine and when you have finished the brake job pump soapy water through the hand cleaner pump when you are finished to wash away old brake fluid out of the pump ,Ready for next 1 man job!!
If you've never seen this before, it is a great tip. However, keep in mind that not all vehicles follow the "old" method of starting with the furthest from, moving to closest to. My Subaru is an example of not following that. So, make sure you verify your vehicle.
The shop manual for my 1956 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight says to begin bleeding at the driver's side front (closest point) and work to the passenger side rear (farthest point).
I have a vacuum pump for removing oil from the sump I use this, use small plastic adapter pipe to the bleed nipple slacker it then a small amount out vacuum and hey presto it draws old brake fluid out when finished tighten nipple job done
Sincerely - this method only benefits the re-manufacturers of master cylinders. Pressing the brake pedal like that will kill it (moving the rubber seal over cruddy parts of the cylinder bore that it has never touched). Using a Motiv Power bleeder is far far better and faster.
@@Louwebster0798 100% agree with you. Very few people replace their brake fluid, especially when they depart the care of their original car dealer. Good point .
This works for most all vehicles, but there are some that require pressure bleading. like certain exotic disc brake systems that have four or more piston calipers.
I just did a break job and bought a hand pump vacuum gun "one person" brake bleeder kit. Nothing but frustration so I did this method that I say on a different youtube channel and it worked so well that I kept the bottle for future jobs. Oh and buy a regular DOT 3 or 4 (which ever your vehicle require) as the dealer brand is way overpriced like 3-4X. Prestone or Valvoline brand seems to be almost always on sale.
Good video, one small bit of advice, although not absolutely necessary, but rather than using the open ended spanner/wrench.....take your pick, use a ring spanner/wrench on the bleed nipple, preferably a hex. They tend to get damaged far too easily, especially if it hadn't been removed for a long time. But still, very good video.
I had a Nascar mechanic friend of mine show me the same thing over 30 years ago and I still do it. He could do a full brake job in under fifteen minutes using 4 of these.
Great demonstration, thanks. But, how do you tell if ll the air is out of the line bleeding brakes alone? Seems you would still need someone monitoring the line to the bottle. This is a good method of bleeding brakes even for two persons.
@@bobmitchell4532 hey even though I didn't spell brake right I'm sure a 99% correct message still gets across and my Google spell check might have been S2PID that day it might have needed a brake I mean break but the results would be the same at the end
One-Man-Bleeder-Kits are sold at most auto parts stores. However, they include a check valve for the end of the hose in the bottle. This check valve prevents brake fluid from being drawn back into the caliper or wheel cylinder when the brake petal is released. It is more efficient, and the air can only move in the direction of the bottle, as opposed to wandering back and forth within the brake lines.
Thank you so much for making this you speak clearly your video explains everything very well and I really appreciate it. The one question I have is the tubing supposed to be full of oil from the bleeder screw all the way into the bottle or as the hose starts to fall if there’s air in there is that acceptable?
It's ok if there's air in the tubing, just make sure like he mentions to have part of the tubing above the bleeder screw so if air pushes back in the tubing, it will stop at the highest point due to being lighter than the fluid, the air won't be able to push the fluid down towards the bleeder screw. Just make sure that you have the other end submerged in fluid in the bottle because if you suck back a bunch of air then it could potentially have enough force to flow back or knock the bottle over, making the tubing drop below the bleeder screw allowing the air to flow in. Hope that helps answer that.
Mannnnnnn, that’s like Rain Man, Genius stuff there!!! Sooooo SIMPLE……. But SOOOO SMART! I never considered that…….. and I did my brakes just last weekend! Good video! Great hack! 🍻
I made a pressure bleeder out of a Walmart pump sprayer and the old master cylinder cap. Maybe in it for $10. I didn’t fill the pump sprayer pot I just used it for pressure. I filled the master cylinder as much as I could, fitted the cap with the sprayer attached, and pumped it up to around 15 psi. Though I put a small gauge on mine, you wouldn’t need it. With the pressure on I opened the bleeder on the clutch slave cylinder and let it bleed. I watched the fluid reservoir releasing the pressure and topping it up when needed. Clutches will gravity bleed to a point so I left the bleeder open the whole time. At 15psi the fluid just kind of oozes out of the bleeder, it does not squirt. The process makes bleeding into a back burner deal where in I can set it up and do other things around the garage while it bleeds checking it periodically. If a person was inclined they could fill the pot on the sprayer and let it ride for an hour at a time. It seems to make the most complete bleed too. This is how I bleed now. I won’t go back to pumping.
I use a big syringe and push fluid into the bleeder at the wheel without touching the pedal, air tends to go up in fluid. So it bubbles in the master cylinder until there is no air in the system, most bleeder screws will suck air past the threads when you let the pedal up when bleeding brakes unless you tighten it with the pedal depressed before you let the pedal up. Try doing that by yourself
I made one of these years ago, it works. Until you run across a 90s or so GM truck, or certain BMWs where the ABS system traps the air inside & you have to devise a way to force it out. I had both. At last I bought a scanner that operated the noids inside the ABS & pushed the fluid through the nooks & crannies. I did it 12 times on the BMW. Finally had breaks. And yes, I tried the run fast & slam on breaks to cycle the ABS system. Didn't work. But my neighbors thought I was a maniac slinging a white truck & black BMW all around on that dirt road.
put a kink in the last couple of inches of tube and bung an elastic band round it , and it will work like a valve and make the whole thing a lot faster and you wont draw the same fluid back in that you just pushed out as will happen with your setup.
I never bleed brakes, unless I change the fluid. Changing just pads, I use a prybar to push the caliper piston back into the caliper housing and that eliminates the need to bleed. Caution ⚠️ before you leave the driveway to run in your pads & rotors, pump your brakes until they have a firm pedal, because you pushed your piston(s) back into the housing & they need to come back out to brake.
@@BWater-yq3jx obtw, if I change pads, I always change the rotors too. Always replace the rotor with having it machined or a new/reman one or your pads will only brake on the high spots on the worn rotor until the pads and rotor surface are worn into each other.
Yes, I think vacuum is a good way to do it properly, because when you release the brake pedal air can also be drawn back in through the threads of the bleed nipple which you have to loosen to let the fluid out, another way to do it is to use a bleed nipple with the original hole soldered up and then drilled straight through, then you can bleed the brakes with the nipple tightened up allowing no air to return when you release the pedal , then when you refit the original bleed nipple a small amount of fluid drips out under the force of gravity allowing no air to return while you screw the original nipple back in.
Great video. There is a one way valve that can be bought to go on the end of tubing you put in the bottle. It helps prevent air from back feeding into the bleeder valve. I have learned calipers seize up because moisture slowly creeps into the fluid. It migrates to the calipers and begins to cause rust. If a guy bleeds the brakes every two years he will get rid of that moisture and avoid the hung up calipers.
The way I do mine was to get a 12 volt vacuum pump that I can hook that tubing up to and then make the tubing long enough to get to the farthest bleeder zerk. I hook my vacuum pump up to the battery and have it placed near the master cylinder. The main reason for doing it that way is to keep an eye on the brake fluid level in the master cylinder. I usually bleed my brake system every year or two to keep corrosion out of the brake lines. Brake cylinders last much longer. In the past there were times when I would pump the brakes to much and end up emptying the master cylinder.. This way when it is in sight I can just add brake fluid as needed. You know you should bleed your brakes when the brake fluid goes from clear looking to looking like ice tea.
I used this technique today it worked well and was straight forward only problem I had was some of the bleed nipples was a pain to release had to whip the old molegrips out but all is good in the hood now and I can stop again.
If you want to save time and brake fluid, just use a short length of rubber tube with a small very fine slit cut longitudinally near one end, and fully blanked off at that end. Simple. You can buy these things in the UK. This system alleviates the need to waste brake fluid by having a reservoir in the bottle. The only brake fluid lost is what’s in the tube, and the small amount that bleeds out into an open jar. The slit allows the brake fluid and air bubbles to pass out of the tube under brake pedal pressure, but prevents air from entering into the brake system.
I'm a Respiratory therapist. An old oxygen line works perfectly. The end has a tip that fits perfectly on the bleeder valve. Anybody you know who works in any medical facility can aquire old O2 cannulas/lines.
two mistakes, 1. don't remove the cap just place it on top, sometimes when you release the brake the fluid will splash up. 2. don't use the open end of the wrench you can strip the head of the bleeder as they are prone to rust.
I've used this method for years, and can offer two tips. 1) put some Teflon tape on the threads of the bleeder screw to prevent air being sucked in around the threads when the peddle is released. Make sure the tape is only on the threads and does not touch the "seat" that seals the brake system when the bleeder screw is tightened. 2) While this method works for one person, it can help to have a second to tell you when you're done. This can be a very low-skill person since they just need top let you know when there's no more air coming out of the caliper. Make sure they're looking in the part of the tubing that leads upward from the caliper, and not the part leading downward into the bottle. Air sometimes gets stuck in that part of the tubing, which could confuse your helper.
used this method on my 1953 dodge m37 army truck rebuild i replaced shoes wheel cyl. all new tubing and rebuilt master cyl.in this case there was no fluid so i had purge all air to get a stiff pedal it took a while for one man but it worked
I bought a Gatorade 28 oz bottle drilled 5/16 hole and 1/8" hole next to it, bought tubing on amazon, put some brake fluid in bottle and put tubing up some and bled my brakes bubbles were in tube after a few puddle pumps, but I ran out of brake fluid in brake reservoir, but the rebled brakes again worked great far as I know
Thank you. This saved me a lot of head scratching and potentially spared my neighbors from a profanity laced tirade. If I ever bump into you, I owe you a beer.
I thought you were going to vacuum bleed by collapsing the bottle and opening the bleed screw, if the hose is fitted tightly to the cap, the expanding bottle will suck fluid from the brakes, you can watch it and tighten the bleed screw, remove the hose, collapse the bottle again, attach the hose, open the screw and pull more fluid!
@@Mr572u most people use something to wedge the pedal down with the drivers seat. A long extension or breaker bar works well. You can also use a spray nozzle on the bottle end of the hose and something to catch all the fluid just keep pumping it out till no more air , or use a big syringe.
I got another caveat for you all-around good video.I don't leave the cap on the brake fluid reservoir open to the air and absorbing moisture. Still bleed just fine
good video. been using this method for years , like it better than the kit with adapters and pump. on the 65-mid 70s corvettes with 4 wheel disc that are so hard to bleed i used the gravity system, that is if i had the luxury of time on my side. i just used 4 bottles and hoses and cracked the bleeder just a touch and left it for a few hours, checking the fluid occasionally. not sure why they were so hard to bleed but i never had one that was easy. yes im an experienced mechanic, since the early 50s.
As a mobile mechanic, I have been bleeding brakes and clutches like this as a one man operation for the last 35yrs and has never failed me yet
It's interesting, but my question is, when the bleeder is open and you pump brakes, does the brake fluid keep going back and forth at bleeder and air stays farther in system or you can keep pumping the brake and pump all brake fluid from resivor into this bottle?
Question two, how would this work if the portion valve has shut off one line do to a broken brake line and was repaired, sometimes I can't get portion valve to go to normal position
@@hisexcellencytrump855 Yeah this won't work for certain vehicles
@stangmaster 2 Yeah it's just a chevy Tahoe suburban Silverado mostly. The ABS box needs to be cycled, automated brake bleeding procedure. and the proportioning valve gets stuck in some of them. Basically it would take forever to do it that way. Customers sometimes drive around for weeks even months with the rears blown out. They can take a long time to bleed even with my fluid evacuation equipment.
@@hisexcellencytrump855 Your answer is no, gravity makes it poll make-up fluid from the reservoir not back up from the wheel cyl
Yep, I've been bleeding brakes like this since for over 30 years. It works great! There are a few of minor issues I've encountered over the years. First, the hose tends to flip the bottle over when it's empty. You can simply add more fluid to weigh the bottle down, put a weight in it, like a large nut, or tape a weight to the bottom. Second, the nipples sometimes leak, allowing air into the brake system. This can be solved by simply wrapping their threads with teflon tape or thread sealant and also by only opening the bleeder screws just enough to let fluid out - no more.
Always found the nipples leak air, on the older cars and trailers i have done, so either always thread tap them, or find a second person to operate brake pedal. Had not thought about using a sealant, but thinking that would much easier to apply than tape. 👍 perhaps something like loctite 577 would be good.
I put a zip tie on the hose when I put it on the bleeder nipple. That helps it stay on.
Never ever use teflon tape on bleeder screw threads or it will eventually get into the lines. Whoever dreamed up this idea should stay away from cars and ride a bicycle. Use synthetic grease.
@@johnmilner7603 That scenario simply has not happened to me once in 30 years. Just be careful when wrapping the treads such that the tape doesn't get in the fluid. That said, I've recently discovered pressure bleeding which works much better and doesn't require any of this.
Smear grease around the base of the brake nipple prior to cracking open. This will prevent air from being drawn in via the threaded area.
Thank you for this Gem of knowledge for DIY car folks. My wife also thanks you since she was the one who used to have to be the "Pump the Brake Pedal" person when I did brake jobs on my vehicles. Carry On Sir!
Love this video. Straight ahead and to the point not like others who go on and on about themselves! Great practical help. Keep them coming. Thanks we need more people like you!
You dont need any device or other person to bleed brakes. The best way is to simply gravity bleed. One simply opens the bleeder screw and let gravity cause the fluid to drip for about 20 minutes. Never had a problem doing it this way ever. Everyone tries to make it harder than it has to be.
The brake bleeder threaded nipple is usually quite tight and is not made of hard steel and I therefore always try and use a ring spanner and not an open ended 8mm spanner as shown here. Thank you for an informative video.
You can also temporarily insert the non-fluted end of a drill bit down into the open end of the bleeder screw to help avoid collapsing the bleeder screw. In addition to a ring spanner, I suggest using a 6-point deep socket to break it loose initially, in the case of very tight bleeder screw.
I'm a big fan of penetrating oil the night before, and a couple raps with a hammer near the screw. I replace with new screws, and a film of anti sieze. Coat the base of the bleeder with a film of hi temp grease. Seems like overkill, until you've snapped off your first bleeder screw.
@@kccodex8931 Thanks for the suggestions !
@@billiebobbienorton2556 Yep...PB Blaster and a line wrench/flair wrench.
Made one out of a pickle jar. With two pieces of old steel brake line and epoxied them in the lid. Run a small piece of tubing to the bottom of the jar add clean fluid attach hand vacuum pump to other tube give it a couple pumps and sit back till clean fluid comes out
Mind blow !!!
I have been using the caveman method for years bleeding my breaks by myself. Which is actually kneeling beside the car, pumping the brakes by hand, and then wedging a solid 4" block against the paddle. Next crawl under, loosen the bleeder, then back to the car. Good exercise, but unnecessary to say the least.
Glad one of us was using his noggin, lol.
Thanks for sharing brother.
😎👍✌🖖💥🛎 Peace
Gerald Franz 👍😊
Yup, I'm a one man shop and use this approach. Only thing I would add is that I have siliconed a piece of pipe to the bottom of my bottle so it doesn't tip over, also add zip ties on either side of the cap to keep your hose from pulling out.
Zip ties is a nice tip.
Yeah, Don't want your hase pulling out too early!
Like the zip tie suggestion. Keeps the pipe hose well and truly in the bottle 👍
Wow something I learned in the '70s back in high school is still going on it totally blows my mind man. 👍🇺🇸☮️
Yep- did this in the late 70's with a Mason jar- no lid needed, just keep hose secure and under fluid.
Before doing this you need to put a piece of wood under the brake pedal. The thickness of the wood should be so that it does not fit under the pedal when hard pressure is applied to by your foot on the pedal. This is done to prevent the pedal to travel past the point that the pedal normally gets resistance. Inside the brake master cylinder there will be a wear grove from years of use. The rubber seals will become damage passing over this grove repeatedly when bleeding by pumping the pedal. I don't know why I tell you this, because I will now loose money selling less replacement master cylinders. On a 10 year old car or older, failure is very common when bleeding without vacuum or pressure devices. Also remember that some cars like old Chevy trucks you need to block the safety valve with a special clamp or you will loose pressure to one or more wheels.
Very valid point! Same thing applies to just about any other motor vehicle. People often bleed their hydraulic clutch or brake system on their motorcycle using a clamp the press the lever down but fail to put something in between the lever and the handlebar to prevent the lever traveling too far down causing the damage you mentioned.
Wish I would of read this before I just had it happen to me, I think mine was on it's way out anyways, but now I know for next time, thanks for the tip, never knew this.
I have bled brakes on my own many times and wanted to see what you had to say about it, as it came up in suggested videos. You literally covered everything. Even covered venting the bottle and locating the abs so you can start farthest away. Have a fresh bottle of brake fliud on hand, don't use old brake fluid.
Looku
I suppose you have to get out after each wheel and check the master cylinder level?
@@KeyGilz Varies vehicle to vehicle but do three pedal pumps and check reservoir. Maybe you can try four pumps the next time. You will quickly work out how many pedal pumps you can do before the reservoir runs dry.
Awesome video. But with a vw with rear drums do you have to bleed those? First time doing my own brake fluid exchange. 😊
@@CollinBoddy yes same process but have to make sure the drum doesn't fall off as there isn't a brake caliper holding it in place
Sometimes air enters the system via the bleeder screw threads. That’s why I like to close the bleeder screw with brake pedal pressure being applied for the final bleed.
Apply grease to the caliper around the bleeder screw and that will keep air from entering through the threads
you only need to crack the bleed nipple not open it right up
@@mannypuerta5086 I'm a one man team, don't have the privilege, off somebody helping me, learnt not to ask customer for help long time ago, and this method hasn't failed me yet for 35 years
@@fknows1 I understand. Been there myself.
@@mannypuerta5086 yes and you need to use the right brake fluid for that system as well, specially with ABS systems
Well done sir! I have worked on my cars and other family members' cars since I was a teenager. The one thing I never had to do was bleed the brake system. Usually, I would just take the cap off the reservoir and depress the caliper piston. But my daughters Jeep Liberty would not budge. Then I saw your video. I did it just as you detailed, and it worked perfectly! I see a lot of suggestions that people are adding to your technique, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it (: Thanks for saving me a trip the mechanic!
Excellent. Complete, clear, and concise. Thank you very much!
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I have been doing this for many years. The silicone airline tubing for aquariums works better than the vinyl tubing. I also screw a nut on the end of the tubing in the bottom of the bottle to make sure it stays in the bottom. This way you can use any open container. I like using a metal can or glass jar. They do not tend to fall over like a light weight plastic bottle. Also a canning jar makes a good clean storage solution for the 1 man bleeder. Just safely dispose of the fluid in the jar, put the tubing in the jar and put on a lid. Keeps it all together and clean until needed again.
Been doing a variation of this for years. I always remove the bleeder, clean it, wrap the threads with a couple wraps of Teflon tape, and install it, leaving it 1/2 turn loose. Bleed and tighten If you don't seal the threads with the tape, it can suck air back in the cylinder.
You can gravity bleed keeping
Reservoir full. Or in the alternative use a similar hard bottle and engine vacuum on your bottle. Always dope the bleeder threads. Start with master cyl. res. then the furthest wheel. Worked for years.
Excellent. Teflon on bleeder screw threads.
Added benefit of the Teflon on the bleeder screws is that they won't seize and snap off later on.
Don’t use Teflon tape. Completely remove the bleed and put Castrol red rubber grease on the threads. It’s thick wont wash off and compatible with brake fluid.
never put Teflon tape on bleeder screws
If you have time to burn the brake fluid will feed down by gravity. It's slow but it will work. And that allows plenty of time to check the brake reservoir to keep it full.
For me, this suggestion is awesome. This is how I will be doing it in the future.
My uncle insists, people should bleed the brakes at least every two years to remove moisture. It usually collects near the calipers and that is what causes the caliper to get rusty and stick. He has a Jeep 19 years old with the original calipers so he must be correct.
You have shown me the key success with this method.
(Running the tube up higher than the bleeder then down.) Excellent !
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Running the tube higher is not neccesary. The tip just has to stay immersed. Pressure pushes the air out so nothing has to rise. Ideally the tube should be short enough to fill with the first pump so releasing the pedal does not suck air left in the tube. If you want to use a longer tube to avoid cutting it helps to fill it first.
I just did this last weekend. A suggestion, drill the bottle’s cap off the bottle. Use the small bit first. Once in the centre of the cap and once to the side of that first hole. Use the bigger drill bit on the centre hole. Insert the plastic tubing through the cap and so it sits on the bottle of the bottle. Use a small plastic zip tie on the tubing under the cap to help keep it from being pulled back out. This also works well with a friend pushing on the brake pedal. 2 or 3 slow gentle pushes when you tell them and then a push and hold if the air bubbles have passed into the bottle. Many DIYers turn the bleed screw more than a 1/4 turn so I’m glad you mention that only a 1/4 turn is needed.
This is essentially the first way I ever learned to bleed brakes except I would just have a bottle without a cap at all as long as I had the end of the line immersed in some brake fluid.
exactly like i,ve been doing it for 56yr.
First did this system in 1958 on my Ford popular. Thank goodness you are keeping the flag flying.
one more tip. Turn the bottle of brake fluid upside down in the reservoir and leave it. it will refill the res only as the level gets below the top of the bottle and won't overfill
Tip #2 don’t splash on the paint
Tip #3 Check the brake pedal sensor as you go, if you get it past the 1/64th mark you will have to reset the BCM, the ECM and the BSM.
great video make sure to prevent air entering past the bleeder threads by wrapping PTFE tape around the bleed nipple threads ..
Thanks for a great vid reminding me to start at the right rear wheel and work closer to the master cylinder with each wheel.
My favourite "wrench turner" first uses a turkey baster to suck all the cruddy fluid out of the master cylinder and then refills it with new fluid...but leaves the cap off. He then puts my car up on the hoist, cracks ALL the bleeders open and gives me a bottle of new fluid and puts me in charge of keeping the master cylinder full. He then goes back to work doing other things. About 10 to15 minutes later, he comes back, visually checks that each bleeder has fresh clear fluid coming out and tightens each in the proper order back to front of vehicle. He wipes up the bled fluid with a couple of rags, lowers the vehicle and tops up the master cylinder, lastly putting the lid back on. Gravity has done all the work with a little assist from me. $40 later and I'm back on the road.
Now I'm going to try this on my own because I'm 1500 miles from home and my vehicle needs this done, but.......the corner shop that I use each winter while on my snowbird vacation wants $ 80.....PLUS cost of fluid.......PLUS tax to do the same thing !!! Yikes !!!
I'll do the wheels one at a time WITH a bottle to save the mess but the end result will be the same......fingers crossed. Wish me luck folks.
priceless info dude! thanks.
Start your engines! Oh sorry wrong one, yes this is how it was done back in the day, worth showing though for the people who have never seen it. Clear and to the point video 👍🏼
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Always put antiseize on your bleeders,it seals the threads from air and in two years it'll make them easy to back off ,takes 5 seconds and helps avoid more work in the future.
I wish you worked on the assembly line, bleeder bolts have screwed me over more times then I can count, customers don't understand the havoc these little bolts can cause especially on older vehicles or vehicles that have been in saltwater or in snowy areas. (road salt)
@@adamscott9725 I've probably done a hundred brake jobs and live in one of the harshest of climates,by the grace of God I've never snapped one.I smack the bleeder head on with a ball peen a couple of times.Heat it up and cool it down with ice water a couple of times.Than I use a 6 point,1/⁴ inch drive deepwell to get it broke loose ,I never force it just go back and forth until it spins freely,than I'll take it all the way out ,clean it up and out and put it back in with antiseize on it.Than when I'm done bleeding,I cover the whole bleeder in antiseize.
It's the bleeder nuts that are half rusted away or jacked up from a cheaply made tool which rounded off the bleeder nut. In the flat rate world taking the time to prep every bleeder nut (hot to cold) isn't feasible. I think just making them bigger/beefier as well as anti seize would suffice. Count yourself lucky never to have had this problem, because there is nothing easy about an easy out.
@@adamscott9725 The hard line fuses to the flare nut so even if the threads come loose, you still twist the hard line off.
@@dustinpomeroy8817 Heat it up and hit it with CRC Freeze Off (or equivalent). Best 1-2 punch against rusty fasteners I've found.
in the 1970s I bought a brake bleeding kit which consisted of a plastic tube like this and a one-way valve at the end to prevent air and contaminated fluid going back into the brake line. The valve was a simple steel ball and spring captured inside a clear plastic tube.
I used my Mother In-Laws Starbucks Bottle. It worked out great, she said her bottle had an odd taste, I just left the room 🤷🏻♂️
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@@thatguy651000 🙊
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Well explained , my brakes have been shaking a while,,I checked yesterday was gonna replace pads but pads are un great shape ,rotors are have just been turned before installing ,after checking all that im convinced its air in the system, thank s for the great vid ,now will do it my self and save me 150 dollars 💵
did bleeding solve the problem?
Probably still rotors or pads, or install.
An other tip remove the bleeder screw and wrap the threads with Teflon tape. It makes a better seal and prevent rust and seizure of the threads. Make sure you put the rubber caps back on to prevent dirt and salty water from getting inside. Get new ones if missing or old and hard.
This is a very over looked step as the line will still allow air if not done
Do not do that. Good reason why no OEM never does this. Teflon tape will break down and contaminate the fluid and debris.
Brilliant. I bought one of those vacuum kits at harbor freight. Horrible. Oil got sucked into the pump and it was trashed. I kept the hose from the kit and made one of these setups with a Gatorade bottle. Amazing. So I paid 20 bucks for a piece of hose in the end but bled my brakes simply and effectively.
I usually take the bleeders out and wrap a few turns of teflon tape on them and put them back in, they seem to be more air tight so I don't get air incoming around the bleeders
I bleed front drivers side 1st! If there trash in the fluid, I don't want it to cause a problem all the way to back and have to change or replace all these lines! Great vid
If you have enough tubing, run it up and back into the reservoir. Skip the bottle. That way you can pump all day and never run the reservoir low enough to introduce air bubbles. If you are flushing the system to get rid of old fluid, use the bottle method. Also, motorcycle owners who work on their own bike install "speed bleeders." These are bleed screws with a built in check valve. This eliminates air getting back into the system at the bleed fitting.
Right . Duhhhh. Idk why I didn't think of that. . All ya need is some hose . And maybe a clothespin to clip it inside the mc.
All my life I've been screwing around with the bottle and all that . Now I know .
Thnx bud
I was a GP motorcycle engineer for years in Europe. I worked in early development of floating rotors, carbon fiber discs and 6 piston calipers. No professional racing team uses valved bleeders. Top-line Brembo and Nissin units come with standard nipples nobody changes. Most teams use bleed guns so they would do nothing. We want as few parts as simple as possible. Always KISS to win races; keep it simple, stupid and valve gaskets can get into the piston bore etc. if you need valves to do the job you might want to have a professional bleed your brakes and check any other work you have done on the chassis. Ride safe, rubber side down!
I have always used a cinder block against the brake pedal, loosened the bleeder valve, tightened the bleeder valve and released cinder block and repositioned the block against pedal and did that till only fluid came out. I've done it that way by myself for decades.
I have seen all kinds of methods. To flush it out just open the bleeder screw and let it drool out as you add fluid to the reservoir as it drops in level. This works especially well after the hole system has been emptied . You can empty it with compressed air set at low pressure. Flush it with methyl alcohol if contaminated with petroleum or other contaminates. Then blow it out again.Then the fill and drool till no bubbles come out.
This is known as "gravity bleeding," takes a relatively long time and can be a messy operation.
in Scotland i did it with a good old glass milk bottle and hose shoved down to the bottom with about an inch of fluid above tip of tube, open bleeder 4/5 pumps of pedal, check fluid level in reservoir top it up another 3/4 pumps , lock of brake bleed nipple top up reservoir, usually it's enough , if not continue this op another couple of times until happy with pedal feel suits you. the tip is as long as the tip of the hose stays submerged it isn't drawing air in after pumping pedal .done it like this 56yr.
Sounds good. When I do the brakes, I just clamp and squeeze the piston back into the caliper slightly enough where I can get everything back together, I do pop open the reservoir cap, and it works fine. No bleeding, no ruptured hoses and no leaks of any kind. I tried this years ago on every vehicle with pads and have been doing it ever since with no problems at all. Haven't had to bleed a brake job in years.
Yo Tony this is video on bleeding brakes. Most cars have disc brakes so they don't have to be bled, obviously, when changing the pads. Eventually, though the system needs to have new fluid installed or the system will be damaged. This would be a good way to do it. Your car might be a candidate.
I've been bleeding brakes like this since the 70's. I don't remember who taught it to me. I do have one thing about the video. You drilled the holes in the cap of the bottle while it was on the bottle. I always drilled my caps off the bottle to make sure no plastic shavings or debris ends up in the bottle. You want that bottle completely clean before adding brake fluid into it.
Outstanding lesson . Clear and concise unlike some others. Well done. Keep up the great work!
In my understanding of ABS, bleeding in this manner does not bleed the fluid on the closed side of the ABS. For that to happen the ABS needs to be activated and that's where it becomes more complex. Many cars require diagnostic type equipment to open the valves in the ABS during the bleed process. Without such activation the fluid in the closed system could be very old indeed if the ABS / traction control is never activated during normal driving.
The suggestion is to simply bleed the brakes as shown........Then get them anti lock brakes to activate by going for a ride and stomping the brakes over a bumpy section of road which can help or just stomping on them to activate the anti lock brakes.You just need to purge the old fluid from the ABS module........then bleed the brakes again as shown.
Great video. I just did my own brakes. Very simple. My brake fluid was like a dark orange color. It’s supposed to transparent. So many contaminants in the old fluid.
When installing new callipers , especially multi piston , I use a squeeze bottle to fill the unit before bleeding then just let gravity do the rest , you can also use a one way vacuum fitting in your bleeder hose .
I have used a pump off a old Hand Cleaner Orange Pumice Bottle with ot piece of clear plastic tubing,Works fine and when you have finished the brake job pump soapy water through the hand cleaner pump when you are finished to wash away old brake fluid out of the pump ,Ready for next 1 man job!!
This is seriously the best video describing how to do this.
Great video. The only thing that I would say is, drill the cap when it’s not on the bottle so as not to get debris in it.
simple and effective. Also minimun amount of cheap talking. We all appreciate that !! Thanks Sir !!!!
If you've never seen this before, it is a great tip. However, keep in mind that not all vehicles follow the "old" method of starting with the furthest from, moving to closest to. My Subaru is an example of not following that. So, make sure you verify your vehicle.
The shop manual for my 1956 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight says to begin bleeding at the driver's side front (closest point) and work to the passenger side rear (farthest point).
I have a vacuum pump for removing oil from the sump I use this, use small plastic adapter pipe to the bleed nipple slacker it then a small amount out vacuum and hey presto it draws old brake fluid out when finished tighten nipple job done
Sincerely - this method only benefits the re-manufacturers of master cylinders. Pressing the brake pedal like that will kill it (moving the rubber seal over cruddy parts of the cylinder bore that it has never touched). Using a Motiv Power bleeder is far far better and faster.
Makes sense
If you change your brake fluid at the correct intervals you will not any cruddy conditions in your braking system.
@@Louwebster0798 100% agree with you. Very few people replace their brake fluid, especially when they depart the care of their original car dealer. Good point .
He should've mentioned to block the pedal so it can't be pressed to the floor.
This works for most all vehicles, but there are some that require pressure bleading. like certain exotic disc brake systems that have four or more piston calipers.
I just did a break job and bought a hand pump vacuum gun "one person" brake bleeder kit. Nothing but frustration so I did this method that I say on a different youtube channel and it worked so well that I kept the bottle for future jobs. Oh and buy a regular DOT 3 or 4 (which ever your vehicle require) as the dealer brand is way overpriced like 3-4X. Prestone or Valvoline brand seems to be almost always on sale.
Good video, one small bit of advice, although not absolutely necessary, but rather than using the open ended spanner/wrench.....take your pick, use a ring spanner/wrench on the bleed nipple, preferably a hex. They tend to get damaged far too easily, especially if it hadn't been removed for a long time. But still, very good video.
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Good advice. I followed it. Still stripped the flats right off. Vice grip to the rescue. Gotta pick up new bleeder screws.
I like to use 6point wrench to break loose after gently tapping to help unseat. Open end while bleeding. 6 point to seat final.
This is a God send with how insane prices are these days! I can’t wait to try this!
I had a Nascar mechanic friend of mine show me the same thing over 30 years ago and I still do it. He could do a full brake job in under fifteen minutes using 4 of these.
15 minutes? LOL Where's the car? zip zip zip zip zip zip done.
Great demonstration, thanks. But, how do you tell if ll the air is out of the line bleeding brakes alone? Seems you would still need someone monitoring the line to the bottle. This is a good method of bleeding brakes even for two persons.
Good one I've been doing it kinda like this I will add to what I didn't do when doing this again since I can't find a good brake pumper ☺️
You got the “E” in the wrong place. Lol
@@johnwright4768 I didn't get this about the misplaced E so I took a break and suddenly I had a brakethrough. Whew, it all makes cents now!
@@bobmitchell4532 hey even though I didn't spell brake right I'm sure a 99% correct message still gets across and my Google spell check might have been S2PID that day it might have needed a brake I mean break but the results would be the same at the end
@@bobmitchell4532 all good
Just get yourself a vacuum brake bleeder from Harbor Freight or a mityvac for 25 bucks
One-Man-Bleeder-Kits are sold at most auto parts stores. However, they include a check valve for the end of the hose in the bottle. This check valve prevents brake fluid from being drawn back into the caliper or wheel cylinder when the brake petal is released. It is more efficient, and the air can only move in the direction of the bottle, as opposed to wandering back and forth within the brake lines.
Thank you so much for making this you speak clearly your video explains everything very well and I really appreciate it.
The one question I have is the tubing supposed to be full of oil from the bleeder screw all the way into the bottle or as the hose starts to fall if there’s air in there is that acceptable?
It's ok if there's air in the tubing, just make sure like he mentions to have part of the tubing above the bleeder screw so if air pushes back in the tubing, it will stop at the highest point due to being lighter than the fluid, the air won't be able to push the fluid down towards the bleeder screw.
Just make sure that you have the other end submerged in fluid in the bottle because if you suck back a bunch of air then it could potentially have enough force to flow back or knock the bottle over, making the tubing drop below the bleeder screw allowing the air to flow in. Hope that helps answer that.
Mannnnnnn, that’s like Rain Man, Genius stuff there!!! Sooooo SIMPLE……. But SOOOO SMART! I never considered that…….. and I did my brakes just last weekend! Good video! Great hack! 🍻
Best video out of all that ive watched short straight to the point accurate ane simple, thanks for making it!
I went one step further and got a one way valve about $ 2 from fish/pet store and installed between bleeder and bottle . Have a good day !
what i like about your demonstration is you dont wear diposable gloves truly old school hands on we werent offered that option in the 1980s or earlier
Ya brake fluid is nasty to the eyes to 2 two toos
I made a pressure bleeder out of a Walmart pump sprayer and the old master cylinder cap. Maybe in it for $10. I didn’t fill the pump sprayer pot I just used it for pressure. I filled the master cylinder as much as I could, fitted the cap with the sprayer attached, and pumped it up to around 15 psi. Though I put a small gauge on mine, you wouldn’t need it. With the pressure on I opened the bleeder on the clutch slave cylinder and let it bleed. I watched the fluid reservoir releasing the pressure and topping it up when needed. Clutches will gravity bleed to a point so I left the bleeder open the whole time. At 15psi the fluid just kind of oozes out of the bleeder, it does not squirt. The process makes bleeding into a back burner deal where in I can set it up and do other things around the garage while it bleeds checking it periodically. If a person was inclined they could fill the pot on the sprayer and let it ride for an hour at a time. It seems to make the most complete bleed too. This is how I bleed now. I won’t go back to pumping.
Adding a cheap one way check valve makes it work 100 % better
YES the simple $ 2 vacuum valve from parts store
I use a big syringe and push fluid into the bleeder at the wheel without touching the pedal, air tends to go up in fluid. So it bubbles in the master cylinder until there is no air in the system, most bleeder screws will suck air past the threads when you let the pedal up when bleeding brakes unless you tighten it with the pedal depressed before you let the pedal up. Try doing that by yourself
I made one of these years ago, it works. Until you run across a 90s or so GM truck, or certain BMWs where the ABS system traps the air inside & you have to devise a way to force it out. I had both. At last I bought a scanner that operated the noids inside the ABS & pushed the fluid through the nooks & crannies. I did it 12 times on the BMW. Finally had breaks. And yes, I tried the run fast & slam on breaks to cycle the ABS system. Didn't work. But my neighbors thought I was a maniac slinging a white truck & black BMW all around on that dirt road.
put a kink in the last couple of inches of tube and bung an elastic band round it , and it will work like a valve and make the whole thing a lot faster and you wont draw the same fluid back in that you just pushed out as will happen with your setup.
I just use the vacuum tool with container to pull fluid.. also made a pedal pusher rod to get the m/c in that sweet spot.
I never bleed brakes, unless I change the fluid. Changing just pads, I use a prybar to push the caliper piston back into the caliper housing and that eliminates the need to bleed. Caution ⚠️ before you leave the driveway to run in your pads & rotors, pump your brakes until they have a firm pedal, because you pushed your piston(s) back into the housing & they need to come back out to brake.
Surely if it's time to change the pads, it's time to change the fluid...
@@BWater-yq3jx obtw, if I change pads, I always change the rotors too. Always replace the rotor with having it machined or a new/reman one or your pads will only brake on the high spots on the worn rotor until the pads and rotor surface are worn into each other.
On my own cars I use speed bleeders. They work like a champ!
Great.....one thing, proper Flare wrench for hyd fittings. Learnd this as a kid helping dad, saves bleeding nut.
my is simpler, we place a one-way vaccum check in line, so when you release the pedal the fluid does not travel backwards.
Yes, I think vacuum is a good way to do it properly, because when you release the brake pedal air can also be drawn back in through the threads of the bleed nipple which you have to loosen to let the fluid out, another way to do it is to use a bleed nipple with the original hole soldered up and then drilled straight through, then you can bleed the brakes with the nipple tightened up allowing no air to return when you release the pedal , then when you refit the original bleed nipple a small amount of fluid drips out under the force of gravity allowing no air to return while you screw the original nipple back in.
Thanks for the video. I found that the Everbuilt 3/8 hose was the perfect size for the bleeder. Other then that, thanks again brother. God bless.
Dang , did this 50 years ago , guess it's forgotten knowledge now lol .
You beat me by 6
I'm at about 45-50 years ago. Nobody taught me, just seemed logical. Guess that's in short supply of late.
Right! Old guys Rule.
Great video. There is a one way valve that can be bought to go on the end of tubing you put in the bottle. It helps prevent air from back feeding into the bleeder valve.
I have learned calipers seize up because moisture slowly creeps into the fluid. It migrates to the calipers and begins to cause rust. If a guy bleeds the brakes every two years he will get rid of that moisture and avoid the hung up calipers.
The way I do mine was to get a 12 volt vacuum pump that I can hook that tubing up to and then make the tubing long enough to get to the farthest bleeder zerk. I hook my vacuum pump up to the battery and have it placed near the master cylinder. The main reason for doing it that way is to keep an eye on the brake fluid level in the master cylinder. I usually bleed my brake system every year or two to keep corrosion out of the brake lines. Brake cylinders last much longer. In the past there were times when I would pump the brakes to much and end up emptying the master cylinder.. This way when it is in sight I can just add brake fluid as needed. You know you should bleed your brakes when the brake fluid goes from clear looking to looking like ice tea.
I used this technique today it worked well and was straight forward only problem I had was some of the bleed nipples was a pain to release had to whip the old molegrips out but all is good in the hood now and I can stop again.
Thank you for that informative tips, God bless.
If you want to save time and brake fluid, just use a short length of rubber tube with a small very fine slit cut longitudinally near one end, and fully blanked off at that end. Simple.
You can buy these things in the UK.
This system alleviates the need to waste brake fluid by having a reservoir in the bottle.
The only brake fluid lost is what’s in the tube, and the small amount that bleeds out into an open jar. The slit allows the brake fluid and air bubbles to pass out of the tube under brake pedal pressure, but prevents air from entering into the brake system.
I didn't know about the anti lock brake location, thanks.
I'm a Respiratory therapist. An old oxygen line works perfectly. The end has a tip that fits perfectly on the bleeder valve. Anybody you know who works in any medical facility can aquire old O2 cannulas/lines.
two mistakes, 1. don't remove the cap just place it on top, sometimes when you release the brake the fluid will splash up. 2. don't use the open end of the wrench you can strip the head of the bleeder as they are prone to rust.
I've used this method for years, and can offer two tips. 1) put some Teflon tape on the threads of the bleeder screw to prevent air being sucked in around the threads when the peddle is released. Make sure the tape is only on the threads and does not touch the "seat" that seals the brake system when the bleeder screw is tightened. 2) While this method works for one person, it can help to have a second to tell you when you're done. This can be a very low-skill person since they just need top let you know when there's no more air coming out of the caliper. Make sure they're looking in the part of the tubing that leads upward from the caliper, and not the part leading downward into the bottle. Air sometimes gets stuck in that part of the tubing, which could confuse your helper.
Great video. Simple and easy to follow.
used this method on my 1953 dodge m37 army truck rebuild i replaced shoes wheel cyl. all new tubing and rebuilt master cyl.in this case there was no fluid so i had purge all air to get a stiff pedal it took a while for one man but it worked
Good easy to follow explanation.
I first saw and learned this
in the 70s from Hot Rod mag
azine and high school auto
shop. Great stuff !
Thanks so much for your excellent video. It gives all the info needed and you explained it well !
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I bought a Gatorade 28 oz bottle drilled 5/16 hole and 1/8" hole next to it, bought tubing on amazon, put some brake fluid in bottle and put tubing up some and bled my brakes bubbles were in tube after a few puddle pumps, but I ran out of brake fluid in brake reservoir, but the rebled brakes again worked great far as I know
Thank you. This saved me a lot of head scratching and potentially spared my neighbors from a profanity laced tirade. If I ever bump into you, I owe you a beer.
if you bump into him, he will likely whup yer arse.
GREAT VIDEO! WELL NARRATED!!! NO SCREAMING GUITARS!!! (OLD GUY ALERT!!!) MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! THANK YOU!!!
I thought you were going to vacuum bleed by collapsing the bottle and opening the bleed screw, if the hose is fitted tightly to the cap, the expanding bottle will suck fluid from the brakes, you can watch it and tighten the bleed screw, remove the hose, collapse the bottle again, attach the hose, open the screw and pull more fluid!
I've been doing this for years. It always works!
wow I remember my dad showing me this. I had forgotten, thanks for the reminder.
Without opening and closing the bleeder valve, the fluid will just go back and forth. This is a bunch of horse hockey.
@@Mr572u that's the part I forgot, right ?you still need a second person
@@Mr572u most people use something to wedge the pedal down with the drivers seat. A long extension or breaker bar works well. You can also use a spray nozzle on the bottle end of the hose and something to catch all the fluid just keep pumping it out till no more air , or use a big syringe.
I got another caveat for you all-around good video.I don't leave the cap on the brake fluid reservoir open to the air and absorbing moisture. Still bleed just fine
Very complete and useful instructions, thank you.
Bleeding brakes? Slap a turnequet on that puppy and call 911.
If you are around the EMS or medical field, the oxygen tubing used on masks or cannulae will work fine.
good video. been using this method for years , like it better than the kit with adapters and pump. on the 65-mid 70s corvettes with 4 wheel disc that are so hard to bleed i used the gravity system, that is if i had the luxury of time on my side. i just used 4 bottles and hoses and cracked the bleeder just a touch and left it for a few hours, checking the fluid occasionally. not sure why they were so hard to bleed but i never had one that was easy. yes im an experienced mechanic, since the early 50s.
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