"bleeding" brakes

[Big Ian]

anyone bled thier brake's (all round) on thier car?, what methode did you use?....... i was going to fit my braided hose kit today (thank's to Sean ) but then remebered about being told before by a "brake technician" that they have to be presure bled .

i was going to do it with the good ole one man methode!

[Wodjno]

anyone bled thier brake's (all round) on thier car?, what methode did you use?....... i was going to fit my braided hose kit today (thank's to Sean ) but then remebered about being told before by a "brake technician" that they have to be presure bled .

i was going to do it with the good ole one man methode!

You can have them pressure bled, but it's deffo not compulsory. I have done a complete brake fluid change on both my Leggys. Did it the old fasioned method.Use one of those 1 man bleed kits with the non return valve. Start with the nearside rear then the offside rear, nearside front then lastly offside front. It makes it easier if you are using a brake fluid thats a completely different colour as then you can see the new stuff coming through. Alternatively i was told you can colour the brake fluid with a few drops of food colouring. Main thing is to make sure you keep the fluid reservoir topped up while your doing it. I used 1 litre of fluid to change mine, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a reserve bottle just in case. It took around 20 mins and that was with taking wheels off individually while bleeding each brake.. Good luck

[wirdy]

Ian, I used the good ol' two-man method with my Dad on the pedal, when I changed my lines. No problems at all. just keep the pedal strokes small (NOT to the floor!)

If it's of any use, it helped me to screw the new line into the caliper first, then prime the caliper & new line with new fluid using a syringe, tapping it to get all the bubbles to the top of the line, then screw the new line onto the rigid pipe. Doing it this way introduced only a tiny bit of air into the line which was soon expelled.

I read the other day, in Car Mechanics, an older method that some people still use, even with ABS, etc - apparently, if you just put the fluid jar on the ground and a bit of pipe into it from the bleed nipple (good fit req'd), just by cracking the bleed nipple and leaving it alone, it'll bleed itself by gravity. You just mark the jar with a line, then go away & have a cup of tea - in 20 mins there will be new fluid in the line. It's slow but reliable & you can check on the jar how much fluid has been drawn through by looking at the line drawn previously. I'm gonna try this next time, if I have the patience .

I also have a 'Mityvac' vacuum bleeder that I tried using with partial success. It was just so slow to draw the fluid through the ABS unit, that I got my Dad to do the pedal method instead. Oh well, I really bought the vacuum pump to check for leaks in my induction / boost pipes, the brake bleed function was just a bonus.

Glenn is spot on with the order - rears first (longest run), then fronts.

Good luck.

[Big Ian]

cheer's guy's, i'll do it the ole fashion one man way then since i'm on my own at the moment and have a kit for this methode .......... as soon as ive gloss'd the bathroom, that is! .......who say's a woman's work is never done?......what about us poor bloke's too

[Polabear]

Ok heres how mine were done when I done my hoses, two man op if possible, ok here goes... before bleeding anything remove all but a very small amount of fluid from the master cylinder, then top up with fresh fluid of your choice so that you are pushing fresh fluid immediately, its takes half the time and uses half the fluid, I only used approx 3/8ths of a liter of fluid (one full 1/4 of a litre and about a half another one)..hope this is of some help Ian...

[wirdy]

Ok heres how mine were done when I done my hoses, two man op if possible, ok here goes... before bleeding anything remove all but a very small amount of fluid from the master cylinder, then top up with fresh fluid of your choice so that you are pushing fresh fluid immediately, its takes half the time and uses half the fluid, I only used approx 3/8ths of a liter of fluid (one full 1/4 of a litre and about a half another one)..hope this is of some help Ian...

Yep, forgot to say that. Good advice Sean. Another use for the good ol' turkey baster (don't tell the missus).

[enigma]

When I fit my rears I shall be running the rest of the Castrol SRF through the system, but at £40 a litre its a bit expensive to just slop around

[Big Ian]

went from "bleeding brake's" to "them bleed'n f*ck'n brakes"

both rear's are solid and when i try and turn the 10 mm nut on the pipe the whole pipe turn's (metal brake pipe)....so seen as ive no patience for stubbern thing's ive packed all the part's in the boot and it's getting done on monday night not by me though

i got so pissed of with it that ive put the standard 14" alloy's back on and was ready to trade it in for a V6 2.2 Vectra

[Wodjno]

went from "bleeding brake's" to "them bleed'n f*ck'n brakes"

both rear's are solid and when i try and turn the 10 mm nut on the pipe the whole pipe turn's (metal brake pipe)....so seen as ive no patience for stubbern thing's ive packed all the part's in the boot and it's getting done on monday night not by me though

i got so pissed of with it that ive put the standard 14" alloy's back on and was ready to trade it in for a V6 2.2 Vectra

I think an 8 pack is called for ..


Don't believe the bit about the Vectra thou ..

[Big Ian]

I think an 8 pack is called for ..


Don't believe the bit about the Vectra thou ..

12 can's of miller are now in the fridge .........Vectra: in a fore court along from my house


http://www.lomondcarcentre.co.uk/Get...14490&pageid=1
VAUXHALL Vectra 2.2 SRi 150 , 5 Doors, Manual, Hatchback, Petrol, 2001 Y Reg , 38,000 miles, Metallic plum. ABS, Adjustable seats, Adjustable steering column/wheel, Air conditioning, Alloy wheels, Computer, Driver airbag, Electric mirrors, Electric windows, Foglights, Front armrest, Head restraints, Folding rear seats, Lumbar support, Immobiliser, Passenger airbag, Power assisted steering, Rear armrest, Remote locking, Side airbags, Radio/CD, Rear headrests, Sports seats, Service Histroy. Insurance Group:13, half leather
£4,995

mine at the moment minus it's 17"

[ANTHONY]

but its a vauxhall ..... every body has a vauxhall ...not saying there not any good ....my mate has a gsi .... but come on ian

[Kieran]

Have to say that looks kinda cool with 14s on, in a 1970's performance yank car kind of way where you've got low suspension and fat tyres.

Stubborn bolts are fun, aren't they!!!

Oh, and as for trading it for a Vectra...................

[I-S]

Have to say that looks kinda cool with 14s on,

Aha, there's hope for me yet!

[Big Ian]

no worries..........1 vauxhall in our drive is quite enough ...and ive some plan's in-store for the GLS's future.
The guy (Donald) doing the work for me on monday has had a look at my brake pipe's & connection nut's it aint good ....he recon's it'll be best to renew the pipe's back to the first straight part and add a new connection and pipe work, save's time and probably easier for him to do.

i hate giving in like this but my paitence aint what the use to be?

as for the 14'z...they can stay on till the job is done (give's me time to get my 17'z cleaned proper)...i may give it a blast and see how the speedo read's with the 14'z

[DUNLY]

woooohooooo on yersel ian, now looks like my motor . apart from it being lowered, looks so much better when its lowered even with the 14's. i'll buy yer 17's off ya.


lol only kidden

[wirdy]

The guy (Donald) doing the work for me on monday has had a look at my brake pipe's & connection nut's it aint good ....he recon's it'll be best to renew the pipe's back to the first straight part and add a new connection and pipe work, save's time and probably easier for him to do.

i hate giving in like this but my paitence aint what the use to be?

Mine were the exactly the same Ian, a normal spanner just won't budge them unions.

A small monkey wrench freed them off with a crack - it was (qty 4) of those "oh well if it doesn't budge it'll be new rigids anyway" moments.

They do loosen though. The only drawback is that you have to do them back up with the monkey wrench again, but since these braided lines should be there for the life of the car, I ain't bothered.

[Big Ian]

took it out and .....ehh gave it a blast WTF...it felt better? till i got to a corner and...the back end stepped out! it also had slightly more comfort (due to the balloon tyre's) if also felt quicker, but hit the same speed's in the same gear's as with the 17z.
so all in all i think i prefer my 17z as they hold far better and look a hell of a lot better tooooo

[Big Ian]

Mine were the exactly the same Ian, a normal spanner just won't budge them unions.

A small monkey wrench freed them off with a crack - it was (qty 4) of those "oh well if it doesn't budge it'll be new rigids anyway" moments.

sound's about the same ...i was also worried that i'd twist the pipe to much and crack or break it?........then i'd have to nurse it along using the hand brake to get me to a garage to make a new pipe don't know what's up with me as i'd normaly tackle this type of work ........ i must be getting old and carefull

[Nick Mann]

Mine were the exactly the same Ian, a normal spanner just won't budge them unions.

A small monkey wrench freed them off with a crack - it was (qty 4) of those "oh well if it doesn't budge it'll be new rigids anyway" moments.

They do loosen though. The only drawback is that you have to do them back up with the monkey wrench again, but since these braided lines should be there for the life of the car, I ain't bothered.

Pretty much exactly the same thoughts and incidents as me!! I couldn't find a monkey wrench, though, so had to use a pipe wrench instead.

[wirdy]

I couldn't find a monkey wrench, though, so had to use a pipe wrench instead.

/confused.

Same thing aren't they?

In any case, as long as it gets tighter the more it's turned then something HAS to give.

......Castrol SRF through the system, but at £40 a litre........

...and you must have too much blinkin' money!!