A bleeding nuisance.

[sidecar]

Have just fitted two new rear brake cylinders to my 1964 Morris. All the usual problems, everything siezed etc. After bleeding there is still far too much travel on the brake pedal, the fluid is coming through clear, with no air bubbles.
My question is, how is the air bled from the cylinders, when the bleed nipple is between the master cylinder and the rear cylinder. Surely air will be trapped in the rear cylinder. Should not the bleed nipple be on the cylinder itself. Or is this not a problem.

[sidecar]

To answer my own question ,it seems from an earlier post that this is not a problem ?

[Alex'n'Ane]

Well i've never heard of this being a problem. I know some people prefer to 'lock up' the rear brake shoes to help with bleeding but don't think this is related.

[mike.perry]

Are you closing the bleed valve before releasing the brake pedal?
Have you checked the fluid level in the master cylinder?
Sorry if this is a bit obvious but you never know the level of mechanical competence.

[katy]

when the bleed nipple is between the master cylinder and the rear cylinder

That's puzzling, as I've never heard of this before.
All that should be between the MC and the rear wheel cylinders is the tubing, a flex hose and the "T" piece.
Bleeder nipples are always on the wheel cylinders or the calipers on disk brales.

[sidecar]

Katy,
I thought my wording might cause confusion. The bleed nipples are of course attached to the rear cylinder, but they are on the master cylinder side of it, thus I wondered if a small pocket of air might be trapped in a new rear cylinder.

[bmcecosse]

It works fine - but do disconnect the handbrake cables (or wind the adjustment at the lever right back) - then adjust up the rear brakes tight - is there a pedal now after bleeding? Could be a bubble of air has gotten into the front circuit - so bleed that too. And then finally reconnect and adjust the cables at the lever.

[mike.perry]

Roy, I am curious to know why you disconnect the handbrake cables before adjusting the back brakes. I have never done this, just checked that there is slack in the cables with the handbrake released, adjusted the brakes then adjusted the handbrake if necessary, not forgetting a squirt of oil on the ends of the inner cables.
As they say "it works for me"

[bmcecosse]

Yes that's fine -IF the cables are slack. Easy way to be sure though is to disconnect the cables - should be simple enough since new cylinders fitted.......