Re: Brake Bleeding

Posted by Ross On 2012/3/26 19:31:36

Your master cylinder has check valves in it to hold a light pressure on the wheel cylinders, if indeed the master cylinder is for drum brakes. These valves make it very hard to vacuum bleed a system, and there is always the problem of air leaking in around the bleeder screw threads. Air is a lot less viscous than brake fluid!

Bleeding brakes is easy as pie once the master cylinder has been bled--sounds like you did that just fine. NO expensive equipment is needed, just a jar with a bit of brakefluid in it, and a length of rubber hose that fits well to the bleeder; the other end just submerge in the fluid in the jar. Then its just pump the pedal slowly til you have no bubbles coming in the jar. You might get some small ones because of air leaks around the bleeder, but no major eruptions. No need to keep opening and closing the bleeders--that's why we submerge the hose.

If the master cylinder is stroking properly, ie pushrod adjusted correctly, it usually takes about 12 strokes to get the right rear clear, then maybe 5 for the left rear. The fronts around 8 on the right and 5 on the left. I include this count so if you've pumped 50 times and one wheel still isn't bled you'll have a hint.

I've bled 100s of Packards using no more than a plastic peanut butter jar and 2 feet of hose. Alone.