Bleeding Brakes

About to change my rear disks & pads next week and see from my service history that it's time to change the brake fluid. It says to use a pneumatic brake bleeder, which of course I don't have! Can you do it without it or am I better off getting an indy to do it for me? Idea on costs?

http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=49848&highlight=bleeding :thumb:

Nice one, I'm doing mine next week and that has just answered all my questions :thumb: Jim

I replaced my discs and pads last year.. get a bleeder that pressures the fluid cylinder using tyre pressure cost about £20 bleed the furthest wheel from the fluid cyclinder first... it will take you about 15 minutes and you can do it on your own... just make sure you keep topping up the brake fluid.. it easy with the right gear i think my bleeder is made by gunsons... take you longer to remove the wheels... word of warning... depending on how old your car is you may discover that you need to remove the calipers to clean if so you will find that the back rigid brake pipe is siezed in the caliper.. and the nipples are also siezed... my advice change all the nipples for new ones and replace the two rigid pipes and flexis at the same time especially if you car is pre 2000... do this and save time and trouble in the future... to get the siezed nipples out use heat but only after you have removed the from the car... any problem let me know... Brake fluid burns so no flames near brake fluid...

Excellent, thanks for both of your informative replies, halfords have the gunsons eezibleed so looks the best value method for me. Thanks guys

[anorak n] Looking at the bleeding sequence in the workshop manual, there is a slight difference between cars with ABS/TC and PSM: ABS/TC: Rear Right > Rear Left > Front Right > Front Left PSM: Rear Right > Rear Left > Front Left > Front Right I wonder why? No mention of differences in RHD or LHD in the sequence either. [anorak ff]

I have both the Gunson's and the Sealey pressure bleeder and the latter is much easier to use. They cost about £50 now and you can fill it with the required amount of brake fluid so there is no interruption. Be careful when you remove the gauze in the brake fluid reservoir as it can be stiff then it gives sending brake fluid everywhere. Hold some kitchen roll over it as you remove it. Suck out the old fluid with a syringe/old turkey baster and fill it with fresh fluid. Do connect your bleeder dry and pressurise it to enure it seals properly as the last thing you want is a boot full of brake fluid leaking from a poor seal on the power bleeder's car. Don't ask me how I know this or how I know how to remove all the carpet in my boot to give it a good clean. If all's well, after filling the brake fluid reservoir with fresh fluid, fill the bleeder with about 1 litre of brake fluid and then start with the whell as stated in Richard's post above. Start with the outer nipple first. I let about 200 mls flow through then closed it and let another 50 mls flow through the inner nipple. Repeat with each wheel. When you get to the last wheel and finish the job, tip the bleeder slightly so that it sucks air then open a bleed nipple to let more brake fluid through. Like this the level in the reservoir will drop slightly before you de-pressuirse and disconnect the bleeder. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but this method wouldn't let air into the system if you let the level just drop a little. My last wheel was the driver's so I could actually see the level in the reservoir drop to before closing the nipple again. If you don't do this, while you disconnect the bleeder, the brake fluid will be at the top of the reservoir and some is bound to spill. I hope it doesn't sound too complicated!

I would also recommend those with ABS go out after the change and stamp on the brakes a few times to get the ABS to trigger. To do most cars brake fluid changes properly with ABS requires you to connect up to the ABS and trigger the different ports to allow fluid through. The way around that for the backyard mechanic is to activate the ABS after a change to let some new fluid in, old fluid out to "mix". The small amounts won't affect the new fluid too much and better to have it all around the same age by mixing...... I'm not sure if it's the case with all ABS systems, but I know a couple of cars I've owned have states to activate the ABS channels via the plug in computer when doing the change.....