Having trouble bleeding the brakes (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Nov 4, 2022
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Location
California
Just finished rebuilding the front calipers, replaced all the soft brake lines and the rear wheel cylinders and now i topped off the reservoir and am trying to bleed the lines but I can’t get any fluid from any of the bleeders. Pumping the brakes seems to do nothing, the fluid level in the reservoir isn’t changing. What am I doing wrong here?
 
Well, are you bleeding your breaks by yourself? Or is someone helping you?
 
New master as well?
 
Well, are you bleeding your breaks by yourself? Or is someone helping you?
I’m by myself. I figured gravity would at the very least take some brake fluid through the lines but doesn’t seem like it. I hooked up my mightyvac with the check valve reservoir to suck it through the rear driver side bleeder and no such luck either.
 
New master as well?
I didn’t replace the master. The brakes worked fine before i started replacing parts. I went to just replace the front pads initially but then realized the calipers needed some love so decided just to rebuild them and replace the cylinders while I was at it.
 
So no fluid coming out of the master, or is it not reaching the calipers and wheel cylinders? If you crack the bleeders and leave them open for a while, nothing is coming out?
 
I’m by myself. I figured gravity would at the very least take some brake fluid through the lines but doesn’t seem like it. I hooked up my mightyvac with the check valve reservoir to suck it through and no such luck either.
So no fluid coming out of the master, or is it not reaching the calipers and wheel cylinder? If you crack the bleeders and leave them open for a while, nothing is coming out?
Doesn’t look like any fluid is leaving the master, the level in the reservoir is unchanged since I first topped it off before opening the bleeders. Nothing has come out of the bleeders when I leave them open.
 
Doesn’t look like any fluid is leaving the master, the level in the reservoir is unchanged since I first topped it off before opening the bleeders. Nothing has come out of the bleeders when I leave them open.

Interesting. Have you tried cracking the lines at the master and seeing if fluid is coming out there? Sounds like there might be a blockage or the master quit if it went dry during the swap. If you are able to pump fluid out from the master, I would start checking at other fittings. Something may be funky in the calipers. Are the rear cylinders new, or did you rebuild those as well?
 
Rear cylinders are new. I haven’t cracked any lines on the master yet. But I think I might have just figured it out. I shook the truck a bit then went at the driver rear bleeder with the mighty vac, got some dribble coming through the hose then I pumped the brakes and the level in the master reservoir went down!
 
Rear cylinders are new. I haven’t cracked any lines on the master yet. But I think I might have just figured it out. I shook the truck a bit then went at the driver rear bleeder with the mighty vac, got some dribble coming through the hose then I pumped the brakes and the level in the master reservoir went down!

Good! I always start at the farthest bleeder first, then work around.
 
What’s the ambient temperature where you’re doing the work? Like said above start furthest away work forward. My rear calipers a few weeks ago were really slow and got some pretty good trash that settled.
 
I bleed brakes solo quite often.
I have a small tube that will fit snug over the bleeder
open the bleeder
attach tube/hose
place other end of hose into a clear container with brake fluid in it, make sure the end is submerged
place container where I can see it looking under rig
reach in and depress pedal with hand while watching container
you will see bubbles come out and as it sucks back it sucks in fluid
when bubbles stop coming out, I probably go a few extra pumps after no bubbles
be certain not to let the master run dry
hold hose and tighten bleeder
remove hose and make certain bleeder is tight
go onto next brake

you use more fluid but it doesn't take much time and I don't need anyones assistance

I also do the clutch system the same way
 
Got it all done, once I got the fluid coming out the passenger bleeder it was smooth sailing. Once I got it out of the rear driver bleeder I then proceeded how i normally would starting with the rear driver screw with a tube submerged in brake fluid. Thanks for the help, it was seemingly air stuck in the lines.

Took it for a test drive and brakes are working. I also just finished putting new seals in my steering gear box so that was exciting to try out as well!
 
Got it all done, once I got the fluid coming out the passenger bleeder it was smooth sailing. Once I got it out of the rear driver bleeder I then proceeded how i normally would starting with the rear driver screw with a tube submerged in brake fluid. Thanks for the help, it was seemingly air stuck in the lines.

Took it for a test drive and brakes are working. I also just finished putting new seals in my steering gear box so that was exciting to try out as well!
Sometimes just saying it out loud is all it takes.
 

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