Bleeding brakes: this normal? What am I messing up?

[e9999]

hmmm....
proceeded to bleed all the old fluid out of the reservoir and calipers.
Haven't done this job in many years (other trucks way back when) but did not work out like I remembered.
I was expecting that the fluid would come gushing out of the bleeder plug but no, it would come out less than a tablespoon or so at a time and then stop. I would then close the bleeder plug and have my assistant (!) pump the pedal up and down again. Then open, take out a tablespoon and so on, at quasi infinitum. I only opened the plug about 1/4 turn. More didn't seem to make any difference. Took a very long time to do this.

Is this normal? Did I miss something?

Also, in the FSM under caliper bleeding it says to "bleed the bypass pipe". What the heck is that?

geez, I'm getting old...

E

added: had the reservoir lid on loosely when bleeding so air should have been able to get in and out easily if that makes any difference

 

[Gold Finger]

Looks like the bleed valve is gummed up.

 

[e9999]

Looks like the bleed valve is gummed up.

??

what bleed valve?
it did this with all 5 bleeder plugs...

 

[RavenTai]

I think the bypass pipe is what gets bled when you bleed the LSPV, when I bled the brakes it was more than a table spoon each stroke for sure, IIRC more in the fronts than out the rear's is there a lot of free travel in the pedal? possibly something wrong in the MC? could you "assistant" be stopping when they reached resistance and not following through when the bleed screw opened?

 

[e9999]

yea, probably their "bypass pipe" is the BV part of LSPBV so just the 5th plug?

come to think of it, the reason for the small volume on each stroke must be that I put a block of wood under the pedal to limit the travel to no more than full deflection under normal driving. Wanted to avoid damaging the cylinder. A good idea I think, but takes much longer (and could suck air back in?)

 

[turbocruiser]

E, I do not know how to post threads here but search for Motive Products Power Bleeder; its the only way to totally flush the fluid out (and we know how you love to flush things!), its totally fool proof and makes the job into a one man job. The block of wood you are using is likely doing two things, one good, one bad; the good thing is that it is indeed preventing you from pushing past the seals in the MC, the bad thing is that it is not letting you really push any fluid out. I dont think it would pull in air unless your helper allows the pedal to rebound off the block. HTH

 

[RavenTai]

What am I messing up?.....................

..............come to think of it, the reason for the small volume on each stroke must be that I put a block of wood under the pedal........................)

I think you found your problem,

I have seen MC's faill when bleeding. the explanation I have heard is the seals travel where they ushually do not where corrossion and junk may live and get damaged, hoe to get one of those motice power bleeder's oen of these day's

 

[Riley]

The bleeder plugs get gummed up and then it's hard to push much fluid through them. Mine were gummbed up and it made it almost impossible to bleed the brakes. Have your assistent remove the plug and hold his finger on it while you clean it out with a piece of wire or dental pick.

Or order new ones from the man.

 

[e9999]

I remember reading about these power bleeders earlier. Sounded neat although not inexpensive and weren't there some problems with lid attachment...

Yes it would have helped cuz I only used up about 1/2 liter of fluid and the rest of the bottle will probably go bad, but I didn't feel like spending another hour to get more through...

 

[e9999]

does your local parts store carry the little rubber caps that fit over the bleeder plugs or is that strictly an OEM thing? These things don't last long...

 

[RavenTai]

Dan has them, they were cheap. a parts store may have them, big question is will the guy behind the counter know how to find them.

 

[floydturbo]

brake bleeding, engine on!!

I attempted to bleed the brakes on my 96 TLC yesterday using the two man method. After an inital gush of fluid out of the RR nipple, only a dribble would come out at each pump. We then turned the engine on and proceeded to bleed all the brakes normally and quickly. What is the LSVP and how do I bleed it?
Thanks

 

[flintknapper]

I attempted to bleed the brakes on my 96 TLC yesterday using the two man method. After an inital gush of fluid out of the RR nipple, only a dribble would come out at each pump. We then turned the engine on and proceeded to bleed all the brakes normally and quickly. What is the LSVP and how do I bleed it?
Thanks

The first thing I did was remove every bleeder screw (5) and clean them by running a wire into the small hole at the bottom and then also at the top. Then cleaned them up on the wire wheel on my bench grinder, blew air through them, coated threads with anti-seize and reinstalled. Bled brakes after that.

The LSPV (Load Sensing Proportioning Valve) actually (LSP-BV in the FSM) is located in the rear of the vehicle (above the axle and in front of the LR shock on mine) and it has a bleeder screw also. I got a lot of air out of it.

 

[elmariachi]

I was expecting that the fluid would come gushing out of the bleeder plug but no, it would come out less than a tablespoon or so at a time and then stop. I would then close the bleeder plug and have my assistant (!) pump the pedal up and down again. Then open, take out a tablespoon and so on, at quasi infinitum.

I am not trying to debate semantics here, but I want to be clear on EXACTLY how you did this. Did you:

A. Have your helper push the pedal down to the bottom, THEN you opened the bleeder, or;

B. Have your helper push the pedal down and as the pedal was going down you opened the bleeder.

The way I read your post, you didn't open the bleeder until the pedal was down. The proper way to do this is as the helper starts down, THEN open it and be sure to close it just as the helper gets to the bottom. Then have the helper let it up, and start again. With this method you should get a burst of fluid or bubbles as the pedal pressure forces the fluid out. All this being done farthest wheel away from the MC first, and with the cap off of the MC.

No insult intended.

 

[tarbe]

I have a vacuum pump that I use to bleed my brakes. Works like a charm. I can do all 4 plus the LSPV by myself in 20 - 30 minutes and that includes dumping the pump reservoir and refilling the master. With a helper to keep the master full it would go even faster.

Mine is a Mighty-Vac...darn thing looks exactly like the breast pump my wife used 15 years ago to........well, you know!

 

[flintknapper]

I have a vacuum pump that I use to bleed my brakes. Works like a charm. I can do all 4 plus the LSPV by myself in 20 - 30 minutes and that includes dumping the pump reservoir and refilling the master. With a helper to keep the master full it would go even faster.

Mine is a Mighty-Vac...darn thing looks exactly like the breast pump my wife used 15 years ago to........well, you know!

Thats what I use also, it comes with different hoses, a million fittings, and will pull about 30 hg vacuum. When you open the bleeder valve it WILL pull the fluid through as long as the bleeder screw is clean. They are not terribly expensive and can be used for lots of other things on your vehicle.

And Tarbe.....sorry to hear you have a 15 yr. old..... (boy or girl) they're terrible at that age.

 

[Bear80]

EMotive Products Power Bleeder

F***k'n pice of crap! I have one and had to modify the top so brake fluid wouldn't come gushing out when I pumped up the pressure. Yeah they tell you not to exceed 20psi but you can't get s*** for fluid flow at that psi. All shops use 30psi in there bleeders. If you pump the Motive bleeder to 25-30psi you get a good flow but the damn top won't clamp solid to the master cylinder cup and fluid will start to gush....I mean gush aske me how I know. I had to cut a pice of metal to put over the plastic top so it woudn't deform when clamped and under pressure.

 

[santiagol]

All I got when I tried to bleed the brakes using a vaccum pump was a stream of bubbles. As soon as I loosened the bleeder plug, air came in through the screw threads. Never could get it to work, had to revert to the standard method.

I am sure, however, that it looks nothing like my wife used or ever would use - this thing has a pistol grip...

 

[alia176]

Eric,

When I bled mine, I got the same results as you. My nipples weren't plugged . Then I had the wife turn the IGN on (engine running) and then step on the brakes. This way, lot of more fluid came out and the process went must faster.

My motive bleeder doesn't fit the LC master cylinder. I have adapter caps for all of my other vehicles so nothing leaked. Unfortunately, I couldn't find an adapter to fit our MCs so I think we're hosed. http://www.motiveproducts.com/03adapters.html

Ali

 

[elmariachi]

When I bled mine, I got the same results as you. My nipples weren't plugged . Then I had the wife turn the IGN on and then step on the brakes. This way, lot of more fluid came out and the process went must faster.

I don't ever bleed brakes with the key on and I cannot see how that would matter after the first pump unless the truck were running and building booster pressure. I have a small plastic brake bleeding cup and lid with 24" of clear tubing attached. I put the 10mm wrench on the nipple then the tubing. I have my helper start down with the pedal and I crack it open. I leave it open about three seconds and I close it before the helper gets to the bottom. I do this on PS rear, DS rear, PS front and DS front and have NEVER had a Cruiser not bleed properly the first time. I also use this method to actually flush old fluid out and new fluid in every 24,000 miles.