Brake Bleeding: How To

[.RJ]

*disclaimer* This is how I do it. This method has caused me no problems in several years of doing it. I do it this way because its easy, requires only myself, and I think pressure/vacuum/etc systems are a waste of money and complexity. */disclaimer*

Now, lets get started.

Put your whip on stands and take your Dayton's off



Give your poop fluid the salute



Get out your bling Motul RBF600 - 2 bottles, I order mine from HMS Motorsport, but JE Import Performance (ECHC Sponsor/Racer) sells Motul product as well (I will be ordering from James from now on)



I use vacuum t00bing from Home Despot. Tie a l00p in the t00bing with a zip tie, and set it up on the caliper like this with a catch bottle. I set it in the spokes of my Daytons, so the bottle doesnt go anywhere.



Put the cap on the master cylinder reservoir, crack the bleeder, and let gravity do its thing



I then give it a few pumps from inside the car - slow, even pressured strokes with the stopper pedal is the ticket. I will usually drain most of the master cylinder reservoir through the LF caliper before adding fresh fluid. You can use a turkey baster to get the old fluid out as well. Just remember to put the cap back on before you open the bleeder.

When you get new fluid out of the bleeder, close it up.

The order on ITR's is LF, RF, RR, LR. Repeat for each caliper, fill reservoir as needed (If it runs dry... well have fun with that). Verify the bleed order on your car, they are often different.





Top off the reservoir and you're done!

[Evan]

add check valve, or 2 man open-close method.

[Sijray21]

perfect!!

i was just researching this b/c i'll be doing it for the first time.

[ScottyB]

sweetness, thanks yarrrRJ

[white_2kgt]

Yea. Ryan, I'm suprised you haven't had problems w/ that. Do you pump while the bleeder is open? If so you are giving up a lot in your brake system. You need to close the bleeder on the up stroke of the brake pedal, this requires another person (girlfriends or wife works) or speedbleeders (which I have, wife hates brake fluid).

For all those other NON ITR drivers the order will be, start w/ furthers caliper from the master cylinder, the go to next furtherst, then next, then closest.

Just for kicks lets do a 2 man bleed at VIR and see how you like it compared to the 'one man' system.

-c

[.RJ]

Do you pump while the bleeder is open? If so you are giving up a lot in your brake system

Yes. Gravity bleed, pump, then it will gravity drain some more by the time I get the bleeder closed.

I dont know what I'm giving up, I've done it both ways and dont notice a difference. With the tube on with nothing but fluid in it (hence the loop, air travels to the top), I am 99% sure there is no air getting in there.

Just for kicks lets do a 2 man bleed at VIR and see how you like it compared to the 'one man' system.

Sure

[BLINGMW]

For all those other NON ITR drivers the order will be, start w/ furthers caliper from the master cylinder, the go to next furtherst, then next, then closest.

yeah, I was a little confused by that too... the few cars I've bled (with the good 'ol 2 man pump method), you start with the furthest away caliper and work your way towards the master. RJ, are you backwards because it's an ITR, because gravity bleeding works better that way, or because you're wrong? :lol:

[.RJ]

RJ, are you backwards because it's an ITR

Just what the factory service manual says. Maybe if I had a stick axle it would be the other way around

[white_2kgt]

RJ, are you backwards because it's an ITR

Just what the factory service manual says. Maybe if I had a stick axle it would be the other way around

:lol:

-c

[.RJ]

I'm going to see if JE can bring some motul stuff to me @ VIR, since I need trans fluid and 2 more bottles of brake fluid as backup, I am open to doing another bleed saturday evening just to see if I am full of shit

[Littleton]

Nice write up RJ, I guess my confusion comes after you bleed the brakes at a track. Let say I bleed the brakes and then change pads...Do I need to bleed them again? Do I need to bleed after every track session? And after hitting the NOS come down a front stretch what's the best way of disposing of the sneaky Pete?

[.RJ]

No need to bleed after changing pads.

Spray the rest of the sneaky pete onto your rotors to cool them going into Turn 1

[Dave]

WTF is sneaky Pete?

[white_2kgt]

WTF is sneaky Pete?

small bottle of NOS. you can hide it easily, hence sneaky. I guess some guy named pete was the first to do it...

Littleton, depending on how you change your pads you may need to rebleed. say if you have to crack a bleeder valve to screw the caliper back in (aka mustang's rear) then you should rebleed (you may have introduced an air bubble into the system while the valve was open). When changing pads is the prime time to bleed anyway, so just do it.

I say rebleed once a day (just the caliper, not the whole system) at a track event or anytime after you KNOW you have cooked the brakes.

-c

[Dave]

i'd only recommend bleeding your brakes when changing pads and when you've cooked your fluid, unless you are changing to a new brand/type, in which case you'd do a full flush. You might as well while your changing your pads since you're down there anyways. I don't like the idea of mixing two brake fluids together either. Obviously, if you've boiled the fluid, you want to bleed, but I don't see why you would want to otherwise. I went all weekend at Summit and VIR and never bled while I was there or any time after unless I was doing brake work.

[Sijray21]

ok, i'll be doing this before next weekend, just wanted toget the jist of it down:

open cap to master cylinder
fill with new fluid
attach vacuum hose to brake line being bled
close MC cap
crack bleeder
few pumps from brake
check MC
fill up MC if getting low
do it for all lines until new fluid bleeds out each one

:?: :?: :?: :?: :?:

How much brake fluid do you usually go through, ala, how many bottles should i get?

on a side note, should i use brake quiet on my calipers, pads and shoes when replacing the pads?

[Dave]

for a full flush, I usually use 1 container, but I keep another around just in case. Once you flush out the old shit, you won't need to bleed again till you change pads or boil your shizzle. Otherwise, it looks you're good to go.

[Mike]

FWIW - no reason to do fluid when changing pads.

[Sijray21]

I then give it a few pumps from inside the car - slow, even pressured strokes with the stopper pedal is the ticket. I will usually drain most of the master cylinder reservoir through the LF caliper before adding fresh fluid. You can use a turkey baster to get the old fluid out as well. Just remember to put the cap back on before you open the bleeder.

When you get new fluid out of the bleeder, close it up.

The order on ITR's is LF, RF, RR, LR. Repeat for each caliper, fill reservoir as needed (If it runs dry... well have fun with that). Verify the bleed order on your car, they are often different.
[/img]

bringing this back up, just trying to completely understand this when i do it sometime later

you said to drain the master cylinder, but you said not to let it run dry? i don't understand this part.

I thought that when you are bleeding the old fluid you add the new fluid to the resevoir so no air get's in the tubes and just keep pumping/holding till the new fluid runs through the bleeding tube?

If you drain the old fluid then add the new fluid won't that allow air in the lines?

do you just drain then fill it with new fluid before it completely runs out?
then repeat the process for each corner?

pump/hold
crack
drain
(fill up mc as needed)
close
release pedal
repeat till new fluid runs out
?

[.RJ]

I meant get most of the old fluid out of the master cyl reservoir. You cant get all of it out, but if you get most of it out (just have to be careful about the level) its easier.