Brake Flush DIY
 

Is there a DIY with pics on flushing the brakes?

a friend is printing various DIY pages for me in color for a file I'm going to keep.

A good alternative to fitting your calipers with speed bleeders is to get a speedbleeder or any one-way check valve thats got good flow and place it inline with the hose you will use to direct fluid into an empty container.

When your assistant takes there foot off the pedal, the check valve will shut and you can just pump away..... remember to start from the caliper that is the farthest from your brake master cyclindar and work your way to the closest caliper to the Master.

That's why the good lord made Power bleeders. Makes it a nice and easy one person job ;)

Is a power bleeder the valve you replace your stock bleeder with? if so, i suggested this because I've seem threads on other forums where people complain of the power bleeders leaking after they've been tightened.

With my suggestion, you would just need to attach the hose with the inline one-way check valve attached and open the bleeder and you can sit in your seat and pump yourself and then get out and walk over to close your bleeder valve when your done... the inline bleeder should give you that freedom if it doesnt leak when in the closed position.

How about I make one and make a parts list of what i bought and how i made it and make a DIY here....

Buy a Motive power bleeder ($50-$60). I've done it the old fashioned way and now that I have the power bleeder I can't even fathom anyone doing it the old fashioned way (meaning I will never be pumping the brakes again for this job). :)

It is SOOOOOOOOOO worth the money and after tomorrow NickCats and djomlas should have a review for you on the power bleeder and how easy it is to do (except for bleeding the clutch which is a PITA regardless of how you pump fluid through).

if all goes to plan maybe we will have a write up tomorrow, Patrick will be the one with dirity hands :) and ill take pics

I have a Motive power bleeder, and to me, it is most useful for flushing old fluid out, however, I still do 5 or 6 old fashioned pumps per caliper with an assistant to ensure no air in the lines before I call it a done job.

The professional power bleeders have a membrane that separates the brake fluid from the air pressure, thus ensuring you are not pushing air (and moisture) into the new brake fluid. The Motive bleeder does not employ this, and I don't entirely trust it to not at least mildly aerate the brake fluid.

I realize this goes against the wisdom of most who very happily use the Motive unit, but to me, it is worth considering.

Patrick

Flushing and bleeding are two different things... similar, but different.

With a set of speed bleeders, flushing the brake system should be relatively easy. Start on your passenger rear wheel, and pump until the reservoir gets low. Top it off, and repeat until the new fluid is coming out at the caliper (helps if you use a different color fluid).

I need to do that sometime this summer.


Actually a good idea is to open the reservoir, suck out the fluid in there and all the sediment, then top it up with new fluid before pumping any.

Anyone know how to get that white plastic screen out of the top of the resovoior?

Yes I do. Get some pliers and pull it out. It's useless,it just catching objects from falling inside the tank,I have no clue why anything would even be near the region though.

I do not remove the screen because sometimes you can break it when trying to get it out. Since I do not remove it I do not start by sucking the fluid out of the reservoir.

Instead I hook up an empty Motive, pump it up, and drain the reservoir down to the level sensor switch area by opening a RR bleed nipple. This is the same as sucking it out of the reservoir. Do not drain it so that it is empty or you can get air in the system.

Then remove the motive, fill it with fluid, hook it up, and bleed in the normal way. You start bleeding with the RR so that is why I drain the reservoir from the RR.