One man brake bleeder kit

[Belle427]

Yes it's quite an involved procedure apparently but I've never tried it.

 

[DIYspanner]

Someone told me you need vw software to activate the abs valves to do it properly but ive not had any issues personally, this may be needed when doing a fluid change though.

Surely the pressure (about 20 psi) applied by the Eezibleed on the system is the equivalent of pressing the brake pedal to activate the ABS valves. Unless the ignition needs to be on too while bleeding?

 

[Belle427]

I'm not sure tbh, I did read that some cars the required pressure was more like 30 psi which the gunson won't do.

 

[DiyNutJob]

Rather than guessing, best to find a service manual. For some cars, the ABS needs a special procedure to bleed, and it's not just the pressure. For normal brake bleeding, you shouldn't need to mess with the ABS.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Rather than guessing, best to find a service manual. For some cars, the ABS needs a special procedure to bleed, and it's not just the pressure. For normal brake bleeding, you shouldn't need to mess with the ABS.

In my own case, you can bleed most of the lines without the ABS, but that still leaves old fluid in the ABS block. A thorough bleed, needs access to the gubbins, to open the ABS ports.

 

[robinbanks]

It’s a fair idea to bleed at least some of the fluid through every couple of years

Mmm.. For this I've taken to removing the calliper from the carrier, put a piece of wood in the calliper the same thickness as the disc plus two pad backing plates, pump the pedal to move old fluid into the calliper, open the bleed nipple and use a G clamp to push the piston back slowly, pumping the old fluid out of the nipple instead of into the system (but preventing air entering via the nipple) .

I haven't used it in a few years but somewhere I have an old gas strut from a boot lid that I can wedge between seat and pedal to push on the pedal, then do an open bleed nipple/close bleed nipple cycle, then reset the gas strut. More tedious than a helper, but sometimes needs must

 

[DIYspanner]

Disaster!

The Gunsons Eezibleed I got from ECP is faulty!

I was going to start with the rear drums. The n/s nipple broke off so took the the drum off to take a photo of the cylinder and it was shot. The shoes were covered in fluid so a complete refit needed on the rear. Got that done and thought I was on the home straight.

Dropped one of the tyres to 19psi to use for pressure, hooked up the Gunsons and it started hissing air out of the pipes set into the pressure bottle's cap. I checked the pipe fittings in the cap but no go, its faulty, so back to ECP it goes.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

I feel your pain. I gave up on pressure bleeding and now use vacuum/suction but as said before it does need a compressor

 

[Belle427]

I find they all leak a little, try reducing the pressure see if it helps.

 

[robinbanks]

so back to ECP it goes.

I'd probably just find a bit of hose lying around the garage!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I'd probably just find a bit of hose lying around the garage!

Yep - sometimes it is more cost effective, time, fuel and convenience saving, to just fix minor problems, if you possibly can.

 

[DIYspanner]

Had a look at the Eezibleed this morning and managed to get a slightly better seal on the bottle's pipe connections. Basically I pulled them off, cut the pipe ends back a bit and pushed them back on to the metal glands. The sealing relies on the pipes tight fit into the bottle's lid. Still got a bit hiss of air when pressurized though. The product could be so much better with little effort.

Used it to bleed the rear cylinders. Having been left overnight with reservoir cap loose seems to have gravity bled the pipes on to the master. Went for a test drive and had good firm brake pedal.

 

[Belle427]

I've had varying degrees of success with one tbh but I still try it.
I've been meaning to look for a better one.
I usually resort to the old fashioned way being gentle on the pedal, some say you can flip seals on the master but ive never seen it in 30 years touch wood.

 

[DIYspanner]

I usually resort to the old fashioned way being gentle on the pedal, some say you can flip seals on the master but ive never seen it in 30 years touch wood.

I've only flipped the master's seals once on an Astra back in the 80s. My practice of pushing caliper pistons back in the day was by using a lever which I believe pushed the fluid back up into the master too fast for the seals to cope with.

Gently pushing the pedal down to bleed surely puts less pressure on the seals than applying the brakes when driving.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

I've only flipped the master's seals once on an Astra back in the 80s. My practice of pushing caliper pistons back in the day was by using a lever which I believe pushed the fluid back up into the master too fast for the seals to cope with.

Gently pushing the pedal down to bleed surely puts less pressure on the seals than applying the brakes when driving.

I've only managed to do it once. That was on astra too. Mid 90's model.

I think it was how far the pedal travelled rather than the pressure involved.