trouble bleeding brakes

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You don't pump them up and then open the bleeder. That is the sure way to fail.

You get someone to assist you:
1. You open the bleeder and tell the operator to push the pedal down hard and hold it down.
2. Then the pedal is down, the operator yells "down" and you close the valve before the fluid stops flowing.
3. Then you yell "up" and the operator lets up on the pedal and yells "up" when it is all the way up.

Repeat until bubbles stop coming out.
 
listen to Pin_Head :beer:
 
Vacuum pump

If your working solo a small handheld vacuum pump is the way to go. Just crack the bleeder and start pumping. Don't forget to keep adding fluid to the master while you are doing this or you will pull air into the system and you get to start all over :crybaby:
 
You can take a long piece of small vacuum hose and place it over the bleeder and run the other end to the reservoir. Just keep fluid in it and keep pumping. When stops bubbling the system is free of air. Close bleeder and go to next
 
Don't you guys have any friends or family to help you bleed brakes?

The two person method always works if it is done properly without letting air back into the system.

exactly! and if you're having trouble getting all the air out of the system ( and this applies to clutch hydraulics as well ), then tap on the cast iron components ( master cylinders, slave cylinders, brake calipers and wheel cylinders ) with the handle of a screw driver. sometimes the casting is pretty rough on the inside, allowing air bubbles to grab hold. tapping the part creates vibration which will knock the air bubble loose.

i've never encountered a system i could'nt get bled this way.

of course the master need to be bench bleed first.......

georg
 
Don't you guys have any friends or family to help you bleed brakes?

The two person method always works if it is done properly without letting air back into the system.

Why impose on others, when you don't have to? I always default to one person solutions, when they are available, and speed bleeders work very well. And they also don't raid my beer fridge.
 
I have just spent a month of Sundays on this exact issue; this is how I finally fixed it.

You need a 1 pint ball jar with two holes through the lid into which go 1/4 inch clear flex
lines about 18 inches each run to the bottom of the jar

Starting rear driver brake single bleeder, connect 1/4 inch tube and crack bleeder and
start engine. Then sieze that pedal with both hands and drive it to the floor and then quickly pull
it towards you as fast and hard as you can repeatedly watching as the res quickly empties
fill res asnd repeat until the pint jar is full. Repeat for rear passenger. For the fronts starting
with passenger connect both hoses and crack both bleeders then really get all your frustration
out on that pedal, all the pain and frustration these dam brakes have given you. When the jar
is full close the bleeders and move on to the drivers front and repeat.

This is will work, takes 15 minutes costs a couple bucks

Good luck all
 
I have just spent a month of Sundays on this exact issue; this is how I finally fixed it.

You need a 1 pint ball jar with two holes through the lid into which go 1/4 inch clear flex
lines about 18 inches each run to the bottom of the jar

Starting rear driver brake single bleeder, connect 1/4 inch tube and crack bleeder and
start engine. Then sieze that pedal with both hands and drive it to the floor and then quickly pull
it towards you as fast and hard as you can repeatedly watching as the res quickly empties
fill res asnd repeat until the pint jar is full. Repeat for rear passenger. For the fronts starting
with passenger connect both hoses and crack both bleeders then really get all your frustration
out on that pedal, all the pain and frustration these dam brakes have given you. When the jar
is full close the bleeders and move on to the drivers front and repeat.

This is will work, takes 15 minutes costs a couple bucks

Good luck all
That's great you had success bleeding your brakes, but posting in 7 or more different threads with the same text is a little over kill. A lot of the post you pulled up are 10 yrs old or older, and none are from this decade. I'm pretty sure most of those folks have resolved their issues. Its surprising you couldn't find something more recent because this is a common subject.
 
That's great you had success bleeding your brakes, but posting in 7 or more different threads with the same text is a little over kill. A lot of the post you pulled up are 10 yrs old or older, and none are from this decade. I'm pretty sure most of those folks have resolved their issues. Its surprising you couldn't find something more recent because this is a common subject.
I posted it in all the threads I have been reading for the last year trying to figure this out none of which have any resolutions or success posted. I figured if I hit the ones that show up at the top of the list so when others go looking they will find it. Sorry if you had to read it so many times.
 
Gravity is your friend, fill er up open the offending bleeder and vibrate as georg noted, steal the wifes toys if you gotta. put a little clear hose on the bleeder down to a water bottle with some brake fluid already in it that way you can see the air go thru tube and bubble in bottle, good way to tell when your getting air out of system. check master and refill if nec, continue to let gravity work and keep going til no bubbles. If that don't work you will need someone to pressure it up, crack bleeder with tube & bottle on, it will work, you'll see and hear the air come out and when its all fluid it will just fill bottle smooth, no bubbles. remember to refill master as nec.
 
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