Bleeding Brakes!

Post by **katiekat** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:52 pm

Hi everyone. Thanks for all the help you've given me!

Can anyone explain how to bleed the brakes?

I adjusted the brakes but they are very spongey so I thought they might need bleeding.

What diameter bleed tube do I need?

Thanks again for the advice!

Post by **Dean** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:32 pm

I've been told several ways you can bleed your brakes, I suppose you do it the way you feel most comfortable.

1) Undo all the bleed nipples and let the fluid flow, topping up the master cylinder under the floor at the same time. Do not pump pedal, when clear fluid appears lock the nipples back up. This way can be messy though, it is quick and tends to be the way garages do it. Can make a mess of your garage floor.

2) Buy a self bleed kit (£2 from local motor factors) push pipe onto nipple, lock it on, undo nipple and pump brake pedal until clear fluid comes through. Lock nipple back up. Remember to keep topping up master cylinder. Repeat for remaining wheels.

Good luck

Post by **katiekat** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:44 pm

Thanks Dean!

I'll have a go tomorrow!

linearaudio · Post by **linearaudio** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:11 pm

katiekat wrote:Thanks Dean!

I'll have a go tomorrow!

And the best of British

Not wishing to insult your intelligence, did you adjust BOTH adjusters on each front brake? The chap who sold me mine assured me he had adjusted the brakes, but hadn't realized the front is tls!!

The whole brake bleeding thing seems steeped with Folkore and cups of coffee

Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:31 pm

1) Undo all the bleed nipples and let the fluid flow, topping up the master cylinder under the floor at the same time. Do not pump pedal, when clear fluid appears lock the nipples back up. This way can be messy though, it is quick and tends to be the way garages do it. Can make a mess of your garage floor.

sorry but no! how are you going to stop air getting into the system? you will have brake fluid everywhere ready to melt your paint!

method 2 is fine the other way is to get somebody that you can have a screaming match with and still get on with 5 minutes later ( or is it just me and my dad that fall out when doing this?) I use plastic pipe from a brewing suppliers.

push the pipe on to a bleed niple and the other end goes into a jam jar / coffe jar underneath some brake fluid you put in the jar. get a person in the car to top up the master cylinder and then push on the brake and keep their foot down. You then release the bleed niple and out comes the old fluid and any air bubles. whilst the person in the car keeps their foot on the brake you retighten the bleed niple. the person in the car then takes their foot of the brake pedal, top up if needed and press the brake pedal again repeat until you have clean brake fluid and no air bubles. then move on to the next wheel. I tend to go around twice just to make sure.

one thing lneraudio forgot is chocolate biscuits

linearaudio · Post by **linearaudio** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:44 pm

[/quote] one thing lneraudio forgot is chocolate biscuits[/quote]

And the ambassador steering column

(private joke

)

Post by **mike.perry** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:29 pm

The syphon method is recommended by several people on this forum.
Attach a length of plastic tube to one bleed nipple and dangle the other end into a jam jar. Slacken off the bleed nipple and give one pump on the brake pedal to start the syphon, and have a cup of tea whist waiting for the air bubbles to clear. It is recommended that you start at the wheel farthest from the master cylinder. Top up the master cylinder as necessary.

Post by **eastona** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 12:27 am

I find Charlie's way the easiest and best, although you do need 2 people.

I also tend to omit the falling out with Dad bit. I can do that without the use of brake fluid!

Using the one way valve type of arrangement I always seem to suck air back in through the threads of the nipples and never get a really good solid pedal.

I've never tried the gravity/siphon way as Mike described, but no reason why it shouldn't work. It also works single handed and while imbibing hot/cold* beverages, so it must be good!

Andrew
*delete as applicable

Post by **katiekat** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:04 am

Thanks a lot everyone!

I'm taking her for her MOT today. Scarey!

Post by **jaekl** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:04 pm

A point or two about the siphon method. The fuller the system the easier it will be to start. An empty system will require some pumping to get the fluid over the high spots. With the master cylinder at about the same level as the bleeders it will be important to have a long hose on the bleeder so that the catch container is low. With some fluid in the hose and a good height difference to the M/C, you should be able to pull the air out of an empty system if the hose has more volume of fluid than the length of line to the M/C.
Personally, I use the idea I saw in Minor Matters years ago. I modified a M/C cap to accept a air line. Set the pressure at about 5 psi and open one bleeder at a time. Done in no time.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:00 pm

Yes -gravity (or 'syphon') bleeding works well for me. But I just do one wheel at a time - all 4 together could get messy.
Presumably - if it's going for MOT it's now starting ok ? What was the solution ??
Edit - I see now it was the condenser ! Well done - be sure to throw the old one away - don't keep it as a 'spare'! Good luck with the MOT!

Post by **katiekat** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:52 pm

Thanks. I haven't tried it yet as Molly is still at the garage getting her MOT work.

I might be able to have a try Saturday so I'll get some more tea bags in!

Post by **bmcecosse** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:12 pm

The brakes would need to be properly bled before the MOT!

Post by **katiekat** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:10 pm

I got the garage to sort them for me. I thought I'd better as I'm a rubbish mechanic!

Post by **Dean** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:53 pm

katiekat wrote:I thought I'd better as I'm a rubbish mechanic!

Not really, you managed to get it started...

Post by **katiekat** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:19 pm

Dean wrote:
katiekat wrote:I thought I'd better as I'm a rubbish mechanic!
Not really, you managed to get it started...

Thanks Dean, that's very kind of you!