Bleeding brakes the Pro-Drive way

[Andy]

Really interesting thread that I picked up from the Roadrace-AutoX.com forum.

It continues to amaze me how little I know about the simplest of things...

Two weeks ago at Firebird, I pitted next to a friend of mine who's a former Pro-Drive mechanic and World Challenge crew chief. After suffering some brake issues, he offered to bleed my brakes with me. I'd already done it and was sure the peddle height/firmness was as good as ever, but I DID have some crappy fluid that needed to be flushed, so we did the deal.

My clever British pal and his crew guy come over with two brake-bleeding bottles. He tells me its best to do one front and one rear at the same time so that the master cylinder piston goes all the way to the bottom of the bore. I nod like I understand what he's taling about and get in the car. So I'm ready for the usual pump & hold, yell & release crap when he says, "Right. Pump away." Recognizing from my hesitation that I am an ignorant Yank who was obviously confused by this simple directive, he speaks more slowly. "Just push the peddle all the way to the floor and release. Keep at it until I tell you to stop." Hard to miss that kind of clarity. So I proceed.

During this process, I notice two things... Thing One: he's got both bleeders on the driver's side wide-open the whole time and there is NO resistance. The fluid's just gushing right out. Thing Two: the peddle travel feels like it is going all the way to the fucking radiator, it is going so far. After it seems like I must have pumped a quart or two of fluid thru the system he says, "Hold it all the way down." He locks the bleeders and they both move to the other side and we repeat. With that done and the new fluid in the system, I figure we're gonna go around now and actually bleed the air out...

He then comes over to the driver's door, looks at me and says, "How does it feel?" I mash the peddle expecting it to be completely full of air from all the open-bleeder pumping. But it is hard as chinese arithmetic and all the way at the top of the travel. I feel like an idiot. All the bullshit I've learned about three pumps and hold, start at the right rear, yadda, yadda, yadda... all of it... is now totally out the window. And the brakes have NEVER felt better.

Fucken amazing.

Thawley

[white_2kgt]

When I'm alone I do that. You just have to be sure there is fluid in the lines when you let off the pedal, this can be accomplished by prefilling the line w/ some fluid and hanging it up high. Never tried doing both sides at the same time, that just seems stupid, maybe both rears at the same time. With 1 bleed valve open I can bottom out my MC, if I wanted to, which I don't.

This is the same basic concept as using speedbleeders, minus the pump 3 times hold.

Oh and I see no difference in how the pedal feels.

[ViPER1313]

Question:

Vacuum Bleeding - works ok or not as effective as pumping pedal??

[white_2kgt]

Question:

Vacuum Bleeding - works ok or not as effective as pumping pedal??

sucks. much more than a PITA than the above process if you only have 1 person, just stupid if you have a helper. I haven't tried the pressure method where you pump up the MC reservoir.

[PDenbigh]

Question:

Vacuum Bleeding - works ok or not as effective as pumping pedal??

I have actually found it to be useful if one has a lot of fluid they need to get through the lines, for example, flushing or filling a new system. I have also found that it works best if at the very end you do the traditional pedal pump way once or twice.

[Maengelito]

Question:

Vacuum Bleeding - works ok or not as effective as pumping pedal??

i havent had any problems with a handheld vacuum pump for bleeding brakes. its just more of a pita, but it seems to work fine for me.

[white_2kgt]

Question:

Vacuum Bleeding - works ok or not as effective as pumping pedal??

i havent had any problems with a handheld vacuum pump for bleeding brakes. its just more of a pita, but it seems to work fine for me.

I can never get a good seal on the bleeder screw and it takes way to long to sit there and pump up the pressure using that little vaccum pump. The pedal works great as long as the MC is blead properly.

[Evan]

Question:

Vacuum Bleeding - works ok or not as effective as pumping pedal??

sucks. much more than a PITA than the above process if you only have 1 person, just stupid if you have a helper. I haven't tried the pressure method where you pump up the MC reservoir.

my vacuum bleeder works great. I use it when Im alone and the pedal is rock solid. Its powered by air, and pretty fast. No hand pumping (even though Im sure you're well practiced in that art)

[white_2kgt]

Question:

Vacuum Bleeding - works ok or not as effective as pumping pedal??

sucks. much more than a PITA than the above process if you only have 1 person, just stupid if you have a helper. I haven't tried the pressure method where you pump up the MC reservoir.

my vacuum bleeder works great. I use it when Im alone and the pedal is rock solid. Its powered by air, and pretty fast. No hand pumping (even though Im sure you're well practiced in that art)

Which one do you have? I'm sure you needed an air powered one, gotta save that wrist for other thing.

[Evan]

I already made that joke, come up with something original

Im not sure which model it is, and its too late right now to look it up, but it cost about $60
Im sure googling around will find some good ones

[Jeff]

my vacuum works great. I use it when Im alone, rock solid.

Thats what I thought it said under a fast read :oops: :lol: