brake bleeding

[phil63]

Hello everybody, I have re rubbered my brake cylinders and now I am having a lot of trouble bleeding the brakes . After going round them the pedel seems better but a few seconds later its as bad as ever . The brakes will lock the wheels on the road with a good pumping . Any tips on getting a good result ?
Regards Phil

[Alec]

Hello Phil,
Assuming you are bleeding each wheel, starting with the furthest from the M\C and ending with the nearest. Are you getting only fluid out of the bleed nipples when you achieve a good pedal? If you are, on all wheels then losing it there must be a fault letting air in. I would double check the M\C piston assembly.

Alec

Alec

[rayofleamington]

I used to have a nightmare with it too.

If the brakes work fine when pumped up - all you will be doing is holding some pressure in the system (one way valve in the M/C). Slowly the fluid returns to the M/C and you have to pump up again. That only prooves that air is in the sytem and that your 1 way valve is normal.

The cylinders don't not self bleed very easily. It often helps to dissassemble the brake drum etc.. then push the pistons out a bit using the brake pedal (not too far!!) then push them fully by hand. Do this a couple of times per cylinder and you will have most of the remaining air pushed out from around the pistons.
Then re-bleed as normal.

Then, to get minumum brake travel, push the shoes into the shape of the drum as much as possible and adjust the brakes so they are v.close to rubbing.

[Willie]

If the brake pedal feels more solid with each pump it is usually
a sign that the shoes are too far from the drums(if pumping
produces a 'hard' pedal) if they still fell spongey then try
setting all the adjusters so that the shoes are locked tight
on the drums. This should give a pretty solid pedal feel,if not,
you would appear to have air in there as RAY says.

[Arfron]

I found that the easiest way to bleed the brakes ,is to invest in Gunsons Easibleed system . Saves getting the wife to pump the pedal . Also you don't need to fill the M/C as you have a 1/2 ltr of silicone/or Dot 4 fluid in the supply vessel. Best tool I have bought in years !! Arfron

[57traveller]

No standard cap fitting for the Minor master cylinder though in the "Eeezibleed" kit. I had to drill and tap a spare filler plug to accept the plastic pipe, 1/8"BSP if memory serves, with a backing nut on the underside. Works a treat now.