You know there's nothing in this world that I appreciate more than simplistic genius. Thank you good sir for being so intelligent and for sharing it with the rest of us. I'd like to ad how much I appreciate the fact that you don't over explain or try to play at being some sort of rocket scientist while explaining a simple procedure. Basically thank you for being smart not cocky and just plain cool. It is a rarity and very refreshing.
Guy you're a genius. I spent like 40 bucks last year and did my brakes in my minivan, the kit didn't worked properly and my lack of knowledge was enough to crash the minivan against my neighbor. Yesterday i replaced the caliper of my car using your method and it went perfect, i was scared at the beginning, even after finishing but i drove around the blocks and the brakes were perfect. You are the best. And i owe you this one. Thanks.
Bled my brakes today using the method you showed on this video and it worked like a charm! Thanks for the info without a bunch of non-essential things that make watching other videos a chore 😁
my lingo have even 30 of them left, lol, but definitely he saved me some change, and more importantly - made the job done better, cause i am sure a lot of local mechanics would just top the fluid or change only the reservoir and not bleed the entire system
YOU CAN THERMAL SHOCK THE BLEEDER VALVE BY USING A TORCH TO HEAT AROUND THE CONNECTION, THEN HIT THE VALVE WITH A SHOT OF SPRAY FROM A CAN OF "FREEZE IT". This will expand the hole and shrink the valve allowing you to separate the two. It might take a few times of thermally shocking it but it works well. A new valve is a lot cheaper than an entire caliper. I've been doing this since the sixties! Also add a little transmission fluid to the point of connection to help lube get in there and help loosen it too. Good video!
I have been working on brakes since 75 thank you for for teaching an old dog new trick bottle bleed was great I changed a little fo r myself but just wanted to say thanks
If you see fluid at the bleeder screw threads it means air can be drawn back in when the pedal is released. On the final pump hold the pedal down with a stick between the pedal and the seat then tighten the screw before removing the stick. I like to tap on the caliper/wheel cylinder with a rubber mallet to knock air bubbles loose.
That's what I do (lifelong mechanic here) and it works very well. If the vehicle has a "club" lock they make good pedal holders (though as locks, they are easy to break).
If you make sure there is no more air in the tube, and the tube is submerged in fluid in the bottle, then only fluid will be draw back in on the final pump.
Love it when I watch a DIY video and I don't have any questions. If a picture is worth a thousand words, your video must be worth a whole library! Admit I was a bit skeptical at first (I've done a ton of these in my yard and had varying degrees of success with other methods), but now I see how fool-proof this really is! Thank you, sir!
Man your video helped. I went to Oreillys last night to get rotors turned. My closest store has jerked me around for 2 weeks, so drove to 2nd closest which is about 40 minutes away. I pull rotor off and it cant be turned. They seemed like they didnt really want to do it there either. At first stated cant promise they can do 2 front ones last before closing. I stated I called before driving and was told yes. Pissed off, I walked 3 businesses down to Auto Zone. I bought a caliper 2 rotors and set of pads and a coke to drink. I also bought the bleeder kit for one man, well it tipped and hose popped off. The store had closed and I'm still there solo in a crunch so I used tubing and coke bottle. I had watched your video the other day. I was able to get one side done rotor pads and caliper. I just did my pads 1000 miles ago but re did since I'm adding a new rotor. I will do the other side today in the comfort of my yard. Video definitely helped.
Thank you for the video on how to do this. I've been doing my own brakes for 50 years. Always had someone help me bleed them. Now I don't have to bug my wife for help anymore. LoL!!
Great video. I'm not a mechanic but I do know from experience if you fear your bleed screws are fused to the caliper (common) you can use some PB Blaster on them the night before to hopefully penetrate the rust. Then before trying to break them loose, heat well with a butane or hotter torch then hit it with the PB Blaster to shock the bleeder by fast cooling it. Repeat a couple of times to be safe and use a bleeder wrench (6 sided), 6-sided open-end wrench or line wrench. The heat/cool method can also be used if you strip the bleeder to avoid having to get a new caliper. Just shock it a couple of times and as someone posted below, if the bleeder is stripped using this heat method you should be able to get it out using vice grips at that point.
Great video to the point! and very humble when explaining that the release valve broke when trying to open, then had to buy another caliper, plus having the name of our Lord present. God bless You too.
Thank you so much. I was fretting about finding a buddy off from work. I managed to do it all on my 2013 Dodge Dart by myself, and it came out perfectly. You really are awesome.
Worked like a charm, thank you for the easy to understand and informative video. I soaked my bleeders overnight with PB Blaster and they came off super easily. Also, I used a socket/ratchet to just barely loosen the bleeder before attaching the tubing which helped as well!
I've run into a wall trying to bleed my dad's trailblazer after replacing both from calipers, rotors, brakes, and the caliper bracket. This was very helpful. Now it's the to go do it.
I use the same tubing to bleed brakes. But I put a self tapping screw in the end of the hose to block it off, then cut a small lengthwise slit near the screw. This acts as a non-return valve. When you push down on the pedal, brake fluid is forced through the slit into the bottle, but when you release the pressure air can't get back into the pipe.
Great video. I’m a DIY person myself, and really appreciate money saving tips. The only thing I would do differently is drill the holes with the cap off the bottle so I don’t have to clean the bottle out again.
@@elcompamartinez2647 look at his username. How the hell are shavings going to work themselves up from the bottle into the brakes? If that happens your definitely doing something wrong and wouldn't want you working on a wheelbarrow.
Somebody showed me this in my teens -- I'm 51 now, been bleeding my brakes by myself ever-since! Still fun watching others discover this though. I use one of the large/tall pill bottles and keep it as my brake bleeder -- drill a small hole in the top so it fills easier.
Lol quick to share with us that you “did it first” but wouldn’t share “how to” in your 40 years of knowing… Thanks for sharing, I can say that’s one good thing about my generation is the free information and data transfer
Excellent video and great camera work. I was going to do a two person bleed with my wife hitting the brakes but decided to try this instead. I used a one quart Mason jar and drilled the lid for the tubing and vent. The Mason jar was a little heavier and less prone to tipping and I didn't have a plastic soda bottle anyway. Thanks for a very helpful video !
You can also use a deadman to hold the brake pedal down in the Silverado/Sierra. About 24” piece of 4x4 wedged between the pedal and the front of the seat. Works like a charm every time.
This was clever. I spent the money to buy a "one way valve" that goes on the brake bleeder hose. Supposedly it prevents air from getting back in the bleeder hose when you release the brake pedal. But what you created does the same thing in that IF anything is pulled back into the brake line it will be some fluid not air. A guy who worked a professional brake shop told me they just open the bleeders and let gravity work. That way they can just stay up by the master cylinder and keep it topped off. Something else occurred to me. Several years ago the left rear caliper in my car seized and would not release. One day I got out and smelled hot metal. I knew right away what it was. Got new caliper and rotor before going home. Guy at the parts store told me bleed brakes every couple years and this won't happen. Any moisture that gets in the brake line will migrate to the caliper because of the heat and cool cycles of driving. That means rust in the caliper so it gets stuck. So, when I am on my game I bleed all four calipers every even numbered year.
Hey Dan, just wanted to say what a great video this is. I'm about to replace a cylinder and this is by far the best video on how to bleed brakes that I've found. I'm in a similar situation to yours, so thank you for passing on what you've learned. It really does make a difference.
Great lesson, 1st one I watched, and feel I don't have to look any further. One tip though, that I recently learned from youtube, on removing the bleeder, or any other stuck blots, is to really heat the hell out of them, then cool it quickly, with a spray bottle, or a hose. Has worked great so far on my Northern (read: rusty) 2000 Jimmy. Did it on all my bleeders, as there is nothing rubber there to get damaged. Using a MAP gas torch - it's hotter than propane. Thanks!
You should use the oportunity to clean off the top of the reservoir around the opening using a clean paper towel and a little fresh brake fluid and siphon out the reservoir before adding fluid to it. That permits you to do a proper line flush, not just a bleed. Start with the shortest line and you assure that all the old fluid is replaced. Doing the longest one first will allow old fluid from the companion line to mix with new at the proportioning valve.
Awesome video. I'm fixing to bleed my brakes on my 71 Nova after changing out the master cylinder. I'm also changing over to silicone brake fluid. I'm gonna try your method and see if I can do it by myself.
finally a tutorial with nice visuals! thx dude, you definitely saved me some money cause i was weighing would i go to mechanic or doing it myself, and i basically decided to go mechanic when i saw your tutorial and now i am sure i can do it myself (probably even better than pro mechanic, cause i have more time and a lot more love for my old-ish car... thx again and have a nice day
Wow!!just saved me at least 50 dollars, was going to order a pneumatic brake bleeder, that had some sketchy reviews..even the vacuum type bleeders didn’t have the best reviews. At the end alls it took was a sprite bottle and some clear hose for bleeding the brakes. Great job, “keep it easy stupid” as we use to say in Army.
if you have a stuck bleeder try tapping a finishing nail all the way down into the opening in the bleeder before crimping the vice grips on, that way the bleeder will not collapse when you grab it with the grips. a bleeder is much cheaper then a new caliper ;) they are notoriously fragile mainly because they are hollow, if you fill that hole with something it will be much stronger and give you a better chance of getting it out with vice grips or a pipe wrench or whatever your favorite tool is. obviously you will have to replace the bleeder but they are cheap and good to replace anyways. use antiseize when you replace them. PS great video, great idea
Very much thanks The Daninator. Your video could help. I often ask someone to push the brake pedal while I'm doing on the bleeder. I will try your method, I will be replacing a worn bleeder this week.
Your fitment from the bottle cap to the hose has to be sealed perfectly. Great video. 👍 but i had to just buy that tool for 60 after a shop wanted 250 to bleed my pt cruiser brakes. Ended up getting the tool to bleed and new calipers. Split ceramic pads. Fluids and im set now. Had to flush out my system in the front just as a precaution
This was great I just spent a while with my ten year old kid pumping the breaks a bunch of times and his legs are dead now he had to do it more bc it was empty so alot of air got in ,anyway thanks bud I will be using this from now on
Excellent video. I've been reluctant to switch out brake calipers for years because of past nightmares bleeding brake lines. This was easy as pie. Hillbilly ingenuity is as American as you can get. Thank you for the video.
I'm highly impressed! I saw another video where you had to buy a $25 tool, and had to keep the pressure between a certain range, but this looks way easier, and you explained it nicely! I have never bled brakes by myself before, my dad always used to do it, and I need and want to change it out next week. Thanks!
That was a great video man. I bled my brakes yesterday because i had to replace the power booster on my cavalier. I had help. Next time i will try your method. Great job man! Thank you for making this video.
I've done this for years. A tall wobbly bottle like that keeps falling over, I use an old Cointreau bottle - heavy and squat. I dont sit in and pump, I lay on the ground and push the pedal with my hand, so I can see the tube bubbling. I work the pedal quite slowly to avoid sucking air back in around the bleed screw. I find fluid flows out (with air) and down from the reservoir without pumping at all, but I finish with some pumping.
I'm using 5mm ID tubing x 8mm OD. Fits nice and tight over every nipple I've encountered. My Goldwing has 7 bleeding points for the two wheels, plus a clutch bleeder.
Works well. Excellent video..I added a zip tie around the hose under the cap. This step assists in keeping the hose from backing out of the position you have chosen in the bottle. Ps: Start your break bleeding with brake fluid in your bottle. To save brake fluid, I drained old fluid from reservoir and placed it into my bottle and refilled the reservoir with fresh new. The fluid placed in the bottle prevents air from being drawn back the brake lines when you start your brake bleeding. It dont need to be fresh fluid to work properly.
Excellent job Dan. I find many videos lacking in quality and include unnecessary or hard to hear content. I also love how you add fun clips to increase the production values. Back to finding why its taking me so long to bleed these brakes. Your video gave me two ideas where I went wrong.
thanks a lot I was just about to bleed my chevy silverado brakes after replacing a leaky cylinder and forgot about stuck bleeder valves I'll be cautious might just bleed at the tee juncture where new lines and fittings are loose need a fatter hose. And now onto the chevy R.V. with hydro-turbo assist fun getting the air out !
So glad I found your video…about to change brakes and rotors all the way around on a 2005 grand Marquis g5…thx so much for such a simplistic yet detailed explanation 💕💕
thanks for the video, man, it was extremely helpful. especially since you made sure to show exactly where everything was and exactly what you were doing. i found that it's also important to use something like a 2x4, long screwdriver, pole, etc to wedge between the brake pedal and front seat to hold the pedal down when you tighten the bleeder valve and remove the tube. that way there won't be any air sucked back into the valve when you tighten it.
Actually that's nonsense because his tube goes down into fluid he pumps it until there's no air to be drawn back because the fluid in the bottle would be the only thing to draw back until it's tight don't pay attention to that nonsense
@@thomasquinn5537 When he releases the brake pedal to get out of the truck, there could be some air bubbles that came out of the system close to the bleeder valve which are sucked back into the system due to releasing the brake pedal. By the time he views the tube, he may see only fluid in the vicinity of the bleeder valve and the sneaky air bubbles have disappeared back into the system. So I am going to use a 1 inch diameter PVC pipe with a spring inside which pushes a 3/4 inch wooden dowel against the brake pedal when I get out of the car to check the bleeder tube. It will be braced against the driver's seat. This simulates the technique when you have a helper pumping the brakes. The helper pumps a few times and HOLDS while you close the bleeder valve. Any bubbles originating from the system that are visible while the brake pedal is held are not sucked back into the system.
Yeah my box wrench rounded(partially) a bleeder on me too. Used a MAP gas torch and squirt bottle to heat shock it, then put on a long socket (had to tap it on with a hammer cuz of the rounding). Saved me a new caliper.
The key to this working is having the pipe in an upside down U from the bleed valve to the bottle, that stops air going back into the system, also keep the pipe submerged in the fluid in the bottle.
I was stuck on bleeding the brakes by myself and could not figure a way to do it. First thing morning got in UA-cam and your vid showed up first! Thank you! Appreciate it!
@Buick Regal I finally did figure it out. Aftermarket parts are not cut the same. I was able to make small adjustments untill I got them on perfectly. Now I have to do my other vehicles drums. The second wheel was a piece of cake after the 1st wheel.
I bought a Power Ade the other day for the sole purpose of making a DIY brake bleed/flush kit. I never thought I’d look at a plastic bottle in that way lol.
Nothing hillbilly about basic science and simple tools. I've been using a glass spaghetti sauce jar to do this for years. You correctly point out that you MUST have a vent in the lid of the collection jar. Also you correctly point out to make sure you keep adding as required to the reservoir during the process. No need for special vacuum tools or gimmicky devices when atmospheric pressure and simple knowledge of fluids will work perfectly!
This looks like flawless. Blake bleeder tool companies hate you right now. Genius idea. Thanks. I'm about to do brakes alone and this is what I will do.
Thank you ! Thank you !You are a good man.. I have learnt a lot..God Bless and Greetings from Guyana South America.Come visit my beautiful country some day .
Great job , easy to understand ! I bought a little bottle with a magnet and some line fittings for different size bleeders! They should sell the plastic tubing with the different size bleeder adapters. Plenty of soda bottles out there and as you showed as long as you keep the hose above the bleeder screw it'll purge the air!
before draining brake reservoir,mark the fluid level with tape ,so when the prcedure is complete fill the reservoir at the same level when you started,because the fluid lowers as the brake lining wears
That makes no sense What if the master is too low to start with. There is only one level you fill to on any vehicle & there is no topping of fluids in any vehicle system. If you need to add you have a leak to repair
Not necessarily. As your pad wear more fluid is taken into the caliper causing lower fluid levels. When you go to change your pads and push brake cylinder in that fluid will return to master cylinder. If you have topped off your fluid you may have a mess on your hands.
Man, its like pulling teeth to get help to bleed my brakes. Thanks for this. I'm doing a complete brake system install. Master cylinder, booster and calipers.
Good video man. May I recommend that you don't use both feet to pump the brake. There shouldn't be any back pressure . Also don't push the pedal any further than it usually travels . Push down. Slowly release up . Cheers
Thanks!!!! I had a good idea of this method already but for some reason I can't get brake pedal pressure on my new calipers and your video helped me find what I was doing wrong!!!
I use this same method, minus the vent hole. You can squeeze the bottle and stick the tubing into the reservoir to suck out the old fluid while the bottle expands.
At minute 3:50 I saw the white Newbalances and I knew I could trust this man
You know there's nothing in this world that I appreciate more than simplistic genius. Thank you good sir for being so intelligent and for sharing it with the rest of us. I'd like to ad how much I appreciate the fact that you don't over explain or try to play at being some sort of rocket scientist while explaining a simple procedure. Basically thank you for being smart not cocky and just plain cool. It is a rarity and very refreshing.
It's good that he shared this, but it is an old trick. I've done it since he was in nappies, but I don't claim to have thought it up either.
Do I need to let the pedal in "rest" position before I tighten the valve?
Thank you.. for an easy to understand demo..
@@dukenukem5768 I doubt you are older than this bloke if you cover photo is duke nukem.
@@dukenukem5768 and course you shared before. Sharing helping others that is make grateful to the people.
Been bleeding brakes for years with two people, today I have no assistant. Thank you very much. Great video.
I feel like I owe you money. This is the best trick ever. Mechanic for 32 years and I never seen this. Worked perfectly.
Honestly one of the best videos on UA-cam for brake bleeding
Chrisfix?
@nordinm6792 nah.
Guy you're a genius. I spent like 40 bucks last year and did my brakes in my minivan, the kit didn't worked properly and my lack of knowledge was enough to crash the minivan against my neighbor. Yesterday i replaced the caliper of my car using your method and it went perfect, i was scared at the beginning, even after finishing but i drove around the blocks and the brakes were perfect. You are the best. And i owe you this one. Thanks.
Bled my brakes today using the method you showed on this video and it worked like a charm! Thanks for the info without a bunch of non-essential things that make watching other videos a chore 😁
"If *Plan A* fails, you got 25 letters left."
🤣🤣🤣🔥🔥🔥👍👍👍👍
You just saved some people a good chunk of change with this video👍.
my lingo have even 30 of them left, lol, but definitely he saved me some change, and more importantly - made the job done better, cause i am sure a lot of local mechanics would just top the fluid or change only the reservoir and not bleed the entire system
If you are a pirate your alphabet is more limited, there is r and the seven c’s.
YOU CAN THERMAL SHOCK THE BLEEDER VALVE BY USING A TORCH TO HEAT AROUND THE CONNECTION, THEN HIT THE VALVE WITH A SHOT OF SPRAY FROM A CAN OF "FREEZE IT". This will expand the hole and shrink the valve allowing you to separate the two. It might take a few times of thermally shocking it but it works well. A new valve is a lot cheaper than an entire caliper. I've been doing this since the sixties! Also add a little transmission fluid to the point of connection to help lube get in there and help loosen it too. Good video!
Brilliant comment, and thank you for your input. I've use water after using a torch. What is a can of freeze it?
I have been working on brakes since 75 thank you for for teaching an old dog new trick bottle bleed was great I changed a little fo r myself but just wanted to say thanks
If you see fluid at the bleeder screw threads it means air can be drawn back in when the pedal is released. On the final pump hold the pedal down with a stick between the pedal and the seat then tighten the screw before removing the stick. I like to tap on the caliper/wheel cylinder with a rubber mallet to knock air bubbles loose.
That's a good tip. Is 7 or 8 pumps of the brake pedal usually enough?
That's what I do (lifelong mechanic here) and it works very well. If the vehicle has a "club" lock they make good pedal holders (though as locks, they are easy to break).
If you make sure there is no more air in the tube, and the tube is submerged in fluid in the bottle, then only fluid will be draw back in on the final pump.
eric shofe not if it is leaking around the bleeder screw when loose which is 99 percent
Proximity Symbol Final pump on all four is how I was taught but is kinda hard by yourself
Love it when I watch a DIY video and I don't have any questions. If a picture is worth a thousand words, your video must be worth a whole library! Admit I was a bit skeptical at first (I've done a ton of these in my yard and had varying degrees of success with other methods), but now I see how fool-proof this really is! Thank you, sir!
Man your video helped. I went to Oreillys last night to get rotors turned. My closest store has jerked me around for 2 weeks, so drove to 2nd closest which is about 40 minutes away. I pull rotor off and it cant be turned. They seemed like they didnt really want to do it there either. At first stated cant promise they can do 2 front ones last before closing. I stated I called before driving and was told yes.
Pissed off, I walked 3 businesses down to Auto Zone. I bought a caliper 2 rotors and set of pads and a coke to drink. I also bought the bleeder kit for one man, well it tipped and hose popped off. The store had closed and I'm still there solo in a crunch so I used tubing and coke bottle.
I had watched your video the other day. I was able to get one side done rotor pads and caliper. I just did my pads 1000 miles ago but re did since I'm adding a new rotor. I will do the other side today in the comfort of my yard. Video definitely helped.
Thank you for the video on how to do this. I've been doing my own brakes for 50 years. Always had someone help me bleed them. Now I don't have to bug my wife for help anymore. LoL!!
Great video. I'm not a mechanic but I do know from experience if you fear your bleed screws are fused to the caliper (common) you can use some PB Blaster on them the night before to hopefully penetrate the rust. Then before trying to break them loose, heat well with a butane or hotter torch then hit it with the PB Blaster to shock the bleeder by fast cooling it. Repeat a couple of times to be safe and use a bleeder wrench (6 sided), 6-sided open-end wrench or line wrench. The heat/cool method can also be used if you strip the bleeder to avoid having to get a new caliper. Just shock it a couple of times and as someone posted below, if the bleeder is stripped using this heat method you should be able to get it out using vice grips at that point.
GREAT VID! What sucks is bleeder kits run anywhere from $25 to over $100. I love this simple, affordable solution. Thank you!
And you can use the kits from the auto store you just have to get the deposit and you get the money back
Great video to the point! and very humble when explaining that the release valve broke when trying to open, then had to buy another caliper, plus having the name of our Lord present. God bless You too.
Thanks for watching!
Honestly, you explained how to do it better than a car part brands video. They showed how to do it but not to watch for air. Great job!
Thank you so much. I was fretting about finding a buddy off from work. I managed to do it all on my 2013 Dodge Dart by myself, and it came out perfectly. You really are awesome.
That ending thought DEFINITELY stuck in my head! Thank u so much for this video!!
Worked like a charm, thank you for the easy to understand and informative video. I soaked my bleeders overnight with PB Blaster and they came off super easily. Also, I used a socket/ratchet to just barely loosen the bleeder before attaching the tubing which helped as well!
I've run into a wall trying to bleed my dad's trailblazer after replacing both from calipers, rotors, brakes, and the caliper bracket.
This was very helpful. Now it's the to go do it.
I use the same tubing to bleed brakes. But I put a self tapping screw in the end of the hose to block it off, then cut a small lengthwise slit near the screw. This acts as a non-return valve. When you push down on the pedal, brake fluid is forced through the slit into the bottle, but when you release the pressure air can't get back into the pipe.
Great 👍 idea sir 😊
A smart way of doing something instead of buying what you don't need. Making use of what you have around you.
Great video. I’m a DIY person myself, and really appreciate money saving tips.
The only thing I would do differently is drill the holes with the cap off the bottle so I don’t have to clean the bottle out again.
why clean the botle??
@@elcompamartinez2647 There’s a chance that any contaminants in the bottle could get sucked back into the brake line.
@@elcompamartinez2647 look at his username. How the hell are shavings going to work themselves up from the bottle into the brakes? If that happens your definitely doing something wrong and wouldn't want you working on a wheelbarrow.
Somebody showed me this in my teens -- I'm 51 now, been bleeding my brakes by myself ever-since! Still fun watching others discover this though. I use one of the large/tall pill bottles and keep it as my brake bleeder -- drill a small hole in the top so it fills easier.
Lol quick to share with us that you “did it first” but wouldn’t share “how to” in your 40 years of knowing… Thanks for sharing, I can say that’s one good thing about my generation is the free information and data transfer
Excellent video and great camera work. I was going to do a two person bleed with my wife hitting the brakes but decided to try this instead. I used a one quart Mason jar and drilled the lid for the tubing and vent. The Mason jar was a little heavier and less prone to tipping and I didn't have a plastic soda bottle anyway. Thanks for a very helpful video !
That works!
Finally a real mechanic like me works on a gravel driveway! Thank you sir pretty good idea!
You can also use a deadman to hold the brake pedal down in the Silverado/Sierra. About 24” piece of 4x4 wedged between the pedal and the front of the seat. Works like a charm every time.
This was clever. I spent the money to buy a "one way valve" that goes on the brake bleeder hose. Supposedly it prevents air from getting back in the bleeder hose when you release the brake pedal. But what you created does the same thing in that IF anything is pulled back into the brake line it will be some fluid not air.
A guy who worked a professional brake shop told me they just open the bleeders and let gravity work. That way they can just stay up by the master cylinder and keep it topped off.
Something else occurred to me. Several years ago the left rear caliper in my car seized and would not release. One day I got out and smelled hot metal. I knew right away what it was. Got new caliper and rotor before going home. Guy at the parts store told me bleed brakes every couple years and this won't happen. Any moisture that gets in the brake line will migrate to the caliper because of the heat and cool cycles of driving. That means rust in the caliper so it gets stuck.
So, when I am on my game I bleed all four calipers every even numbered year.
Hey Dan, just wanted to say what a great video this is. I'm about to replace a cylinder and this is by far the best video on how to bleed brakes that I've found. I'm in a similar situation to yours, so thank you for passing on what you've learned. It really does make a difference.
I must have seen one hundred videos of doing this and this video was the best video. Great job. Very descriptive, where the others didn't cover it.
Great lesson, 1st one I watched, and feel I don't have to look any further. One tip though, that I recently learned from youtube, on removing the bleeder, or any other stuck blots, is to really heat the hell out of them, then cool it quickly, with a spray bottle, or a hose. Has worked great so far on my Northern (read: rusty) 2000 Jimmy. Did it on all my bleeders, as there is nothing rubber there to get damaged. Using a MAP gas torch - it's hotter than propane. Thanks!
my1after909 excellent tip. Thank you!
@@TheDaninator
What’s the diameter size of the tubing???
This really did work. Bleed all four brakes bye myself in under 45 minutes. Thanks for the video.
You should use the oportunity to clean off the top of the reservoir around the opening using a clean paper towel and a little fresh brake fluid and siphon out the reservoir before adding fluid to it. That permits you to do a proper line flush, not just a bleed. Start with the shortest line and you assure that all the old fluid is replaced. Doing the longest one first will allow old fluid from the companion line to mix with new at the proportioning valve.
Awesome video. I'm fixing to bleed my brakes on my 71 Nova after changing out the master cylinder. I'm also changing over to silicone brake fluid. I'm gonna try your method and see if I can do it by myself.
finally a tutorial with nice visuals! thx dude, you definitely saved me some money cause i was weighing would i go to mechanic or doing it myself, and i basically decided to go mechanic when i saw your tutorial and now i am sure i can do it myself (probably even better than pro mechanic, cause i have more time and a lot more love for my old-ish car... thx again and have a nice day
Wow!!just saved me at least 50 dollars, was going to order a pneumatic brake bleeder, that had some sketchy reviews..even the vacuum type bleeders didn’t have the best reviews. At the end alls it took was a sprite bottle and some clear hose for bleeding the brakes. Great job, “keep it easy stupid” as we use to say in Army.
if you have a stuck bleeder try tapping a finishing nail all the way down into the opening in the bleeder before crimping the vice grips on, that way the bleeder will not collapse when you grab it with the grips. a bleeder is much cheaper then a new caliper ;) they are notoriously fragile mainly because they are hollow, if you fill that hole with something it will be much stronger and give you a better chance of getting it out with vice grips or a pipe wrench or whatever your favorite tool is. obviously you will have to replace the bleeder but they are cheap and good to replace anyways. use antiseize when you replace them. PS great video, great idea
Very much thanks The Daninator. Your video could help. I often ask someone to push the brake pedal while I'm doing on the bleeder. I will try your method, I will be replacing a worn bleeder this week.
Thanks for the hose trick brother! I’m going to try that so I don’t make a mess in my driveway.
Your fitment from the bottle cap to the hose has to be sealed perfectly. Great video. 👍 but i had to just buy that tool for 60 after a shop wanted 250 to bleed my pt cruiser brakes. Ended up getting the tool to bleed and new calipers. Split ceramic pads. Fluids and im set now. Had to flush out my system in the front just as a precaution
This was great I just spent a while with my ten year old kid pumping the breaks a bunch of times and his legs are dead now he had to do it more bc it was empty so alot of air got in ,anyway thanks bud I will be using this from now on
Excellent video. I've been reluctant to switch out brake calipers for years because of past nightmares bleeding brake lines. This was easy as pie. Hillbilly ingenuity is as American as you can get. Thank you for the video.
I don’t need to bleed my brakes but this video is so good I almost want to try it just for kicks 🤓
Nice one with the added touch of showing the old fluid coming out. The camera positioning was perfect around 4:57.
“If plan A fails, you’ve got 25 letters left”…I like that! 😷👍🏼
I'm highly impressed! I saw another video where you had to buy a $25 tool, and had to keep the pressure between a certain range, but this looks way easier, and you explained it nicely! I have never bled brakes by myself before, my dad always used to do it, and I need and want to change it out next week. Thanks!
Using water lock in the bottle was a pure genious!
Did a awesome job, great points, and glad you mentioned the size of the tubing, that was helpful. 👍
Thanks, glad the video helped!
WOW!! This video is right on time. I will try this on my car to see If I can get the rest of the air out!
That was a great video man. I bled my brakes yesterday because i had to replace the power booster on my cavalier. I had help. Next time i will try your method. Great job man! Thank you for making this video.
thecoolrockerdude awesome. Glad the video helped!
That was awesome. My lazy kids wont help when I need this done so I greatly appreciate this.
I've done this for years. A tall wobbly bottle like that keeps falling over, I use an old Cointreau bottle - heavy and squat. I dont sit in and pump, I lay on the ground and push the pedal with my hand, so I can see the tube bubbling. I work the pedal quite slowly to avoid sucking air back in around the bleed screw. I find fluid flows out (with air) and down from the reservoir without pumping at all, but I finish with some pumping.
I'm using 5mm ID tubing x 8mm OD. Fits nice and tight over every nipple I've encountered.
My Goldwing has 7 bleeding points for the two wheels, plus a clutch bleeder.
lol "Brakes WORK!" going to try this tomorrow for sure... good vid
lol it worked!
I kept waiting for a friend or relative to pump the brakes for me...Didn't know I could do it myself, now I know...appreciate the video.
I’m a Missoura hillbilly and I’m sold . Glad I found your channel. I can’t believe I haven’t seen it before .
Nice job keeping the complex simple. I just did my first wheel and it went great. Thanks so much. Now I am on to my other 3 wheels. Have a great day!
Happy repairs!
Make sure its a sprite bottle, I tried it with a dr. Pepper bottle now i have a bad master cylinder.
I use a Cointreau bottle, its better still.
Gatorade, it has electrolytes.
@@alexnelson8 Comacho approves this message
I used a cheerwine bottle. Now my car speaks japanese in a carolinian accent
Since it's Hillbilly ingenuity, it should be Mountain Dew
Works well. Excellent video..I added a zip tie around the hose under the cap. This step assists in keeping the hose from backing out of the position you have chosen in the bottle. Ps: Start your break bleeding with brake fluid in your bottle. To save brake fluid, I drained old fluid from reservoir and placed it into my bottle and refilled the reservoir with fresh new. The fluid placed in the bottle prevents air from being drawn back the brake lines when you start your brake bleeding. It dont need to be fresh fluid to work properly.
I think he does have a little fluid to start but forgot to mention it. The zip tie is a good step to prevent the hose slipping out of position.
use a turkey baster to remove fluid from resevoir
Excellent job Dan. I find many videos lacking in quality and include unnecessary or hard to hear content. I also love how you add fun clips to increase the production values. Back to finding why its taking me so long to bleed these brakes. Your video gave me two ideas where I went wrong.
Do Unto thank you. Best of luck with your repair
As a Nigerian who just bought theor first used car (Pontiac g3 2010), this video is gonna be so helpful. Thanks a lot, sir.
Very good explanation - now I'm ready to bleed my brakes.
Glad the vid helped!
thanks a lot I was just about to bleed my chevy silverado brakes after replacing a leaky cylinder and forgot about stuck bleeder valves I'll be cautious might just bleed at the tee juncture where new lines and fittings are loose need a fatter hose. And now onto the chevy R.V. with hydro-turbo assist fun getting the air out !
The home alone reference was superb (;
So glad I found your video…about to change brakes and rotors all the way around on a 2005 grand Marquis g5…thx so much for such a simplistic yet detailed explanation 💕💕
thanks for the video, man, it was extremely helpful. especially since you made sure to show exactly where everything was and exactly what you were doing. i found that it's also important to use something like a 2x4, long screwdriver, pole, etc to wedge between the brake pedal and front seat to hold the pedal down when you tighten the bleeder valve and remove the tube. that way there won't be any air sucked back into the valve when you tighten it.
Actually that's nonsense because his tube goes down into fluid he pumps it until there's no air to be drawn back because the fluid in the bottle would be the only thing to draw back until it's tight don't pay attention to that nonsense
@@thomasquinn5537 When he releases the brake pedal to get out of the truck, there could be some air bubbles that came out of the system close to the bleeder valve which are sucked back into the system due to releasing the brake pedal. By the time he views the tube, he may see only fluid in the vicinity of the bleeder valve and the sneaky air bubbles have disappeared back into the system. So I am going to use a 1 inch diameter PVC pipe with a spring inside which pushes a 3/4 inch wooden dowel against the brake pedal when I get out of the car to check the bleeder tube. It will be braced against the driver's seat. This simulates the technique when you have a helper pumping the brakes. The helper pumps a few times and HOLDS while you close the bleeder valve. Any bubbles originating from the system that are visible while the brake pedal is held are not sucked back into the system.
Yeah my box wrench rounded(partially) a bleeder on me too. Used a MAP gas torch and squirt bottle to heat shock it, then put on a long socket (had to tap it on with a hammer cuz of the rounding). Saved me a new caliper.
"Brakes work !!!" @ 6:29 LOL !!!!
Thanks for the tips !!!
Dude, my man I've been driving on only the front breaks so long now I have rear thanks to this tip appreciate it !!!!
Cheers mate. I’ll be doing this on my 73 Honda Civic to get pedal feel back again! Your video is much appreciated.
Now im gonna think of home alone when i mess something up 😂 Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
The key to this working is having the pipe in an upside down U from the bleed valve to the bottle, that stops air going back into the system, also keep the pipe submerged in the fluid in the bottle.
what pipe size to buy (diameter)?
I was stuck on bleeding the brakes by myself and could not figure a way to do it. First thing morning got in UA-cam and your vid showed up first! Thank you! Appreciate it!
My new motivational speech "if plan A fails you got 25 letters"
Word!
with my current drum brake hardware replacement, I'd say I'm on plan F =)
@Buick Regal I finally did figure it out. Aftermarket parts are not cut the same. I was able to make small adjustments untill I got them on perfectly. Now I have to do my other vehicles drums. The second wheel was a piece of cake after the 1st wheel.
I stopped at the Flintstone plan method😄
Okay everybody don't be like that guy. take the cap off the bottle. Before you drill it out the bottle has to be clean. So I get A+ plus
Reminded me of my dad. RIP. Thanks for the great video
Thanks my friend this is what I call a excellent video short full of important information and straight to the point.
Gracias 😊
I bought a Power Ade the other day for the sole purpose of making a DIY brake bleed/flush kit.
I never thought I’d look at a plastic bottle in that way lol.
Suggest that a few days before you try bleeding, spray some PB Blaster on the bleeder screw area. Might help free up rusted bleeder screws...
Good suggestion
Dan - good video, will use your technique soon!!!
Billie Bob Norton III I used it on a Civic and worked well, i was able to drive to work right after.
Car skills are great to have for anyone who owns a car.
Nothing hillbilly about basic science and simple tools. I've been using a glass spaghetti sauce jar to do this for years. You correctly point out that you MUST have a vent in the lid of the collection jar. Also you correctly point out to make sure you keep adding as required to the reservoir during the process. No need for special vacuum tools or gimmicky devices when atmospheric pressure and simple knowledge of fluids will work perfectly!
Idiots, he shared how to bleed the brakes and you have clowns hitting the thumbs down button. Well, I'm grateful for the video. Thanks so much.
Awesome, the home alone reference to that bleeder screw reminded me of feelings I've had so much myself, one little thing fucks up your entire day :D
Andrew Hope Haha, yep!
"If plan A fails, you've got 25 letters left" --- words to live by. Very useful video for my upcoming brake job! Thanks for sharing.
Great work Dan! Simple. Reliable and VERY effective!
"If plan A fails, youve got 24 letters left" never heard that one before, but i love it! Thanks for your videos bro.
Classic home alone clip!!
This looks like flawless. Blake bleeder tool companies hate you right now. Genius idea. Thanks. I'm about to do brakes alone and this is what I will do.
Brakes work 😂 perfect end
Yup
I would recommend checking the brake lines for corrosion. Good video.
The birds chirping in the background were a nice accessory.
hey bud i watched like 200 vids this week and after watching ur video im ready to bleed now . ty
Glad the vid was helpful! 👍
Thank you ! Thank you !You are a good man.. I have learnt a lot..God Bless and Greetings from Guyana South America.Come visit my beautiful country some day .
Great job , easy to understand ! I bought a little bottle with a magnet and some line fittings for different size bleeders! They should sell the plastic tubing with the different size bleeder adapters. Plenty of soda bottles out there and as you showed as long as you keep the hose above the bleeder screw it'll purge the air!
before draining brake reservoir,mark the fluid level with tape ,so when the prcedure is complete fill the reservoir at the same level when you started,because the fluid lowers as the brake lining wears
That makes no sense
What if the master is too low
to start with.
There is only one level you fill to on any vehicle
& there is no topping of fluids in any vehicle system.
If you need to add you have a leak to repair
Not necessarily. As your pad wear more fluid is taken into the caliper causing lower fluid levels. When you go to change your pads and push brake cylinder in that fluid will return to master cylinder. If you have topped off your fluid you may have a mess on your hands.
Man, its like pulling teeth to get help to bleed my brakes. Thanks for this. I'm doing a complete brake system install. Master cylinder, booster and calipers.
😬.......me too I'm doing 2 trucks,late 90s Chevy and GMC
Good video man. May I recommend that you don't use both feet to pump the brake. There shouldn't be any back pressure . Also don't push the pedal any further than it usually travels . Push down. Slowly release up . Cheers
Thanks!!!! I had a good idea of this method already but for some reason I can't get brake pedal pressure on my new calipers and your video helped me find what I was doing wrong!!!
I use this same method, minus the vent hole. You can squeeze the bottle and stick the tubing into the reservoir to suck out the old fluid while the bottle expands.