Proper brake bleeding?

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I was wondering if the way I bleed my brakes is ok or not. it has always seemed to work for me, but is not the recommended method.

I always seem to be alone when bleeding my brakes so I do it this way.

I connect a clear plastic hose to the bleeder valve, open the valve, and put the other end in a large container of brake fluid. I then pump my brake, never letting the master cylinder run dry, after a good bit of pumping I close the valve. I continue this from wheel to wheel, starting with the nearest and progressing to the farthest.

then I repeat the whole process a 2nd time. its a lot of in and out, but it seems to get the job done.

is this ok?

2

When I do it by myself, I use a similar set-up as you, but I don’t pump on the brake pedal. I just open the bleeder, push the pedal gently with my hand stopping before it reaches the floor, and I use an appropriate length stick between the pedal and the seat to hold the brake pedal in that position while I close the bleeder. Then I remove the stick, open the bleeder, and repeat.

3

thanks George. it s a looong way to the back of my 75 ford supercab.

4

That’s how I use to bleed brakes before I got my pressure bleeder.

As long as the hose is immersed in brake fluid, only fluid can be drawn back into the hydraulic system when the brake pedal is released.

Tester

5

Try gravity bleeding. It’s slow, but you can’t get it wrong (outside of letting the MC go dry which is always the #1 no-no). You just attach the hose, crack the bleeder and let it drip. If you’re in a hurry its no good, but I’ve often just done this while I was busy with other things.

6

Correct. As long as the end of the hose in your jars is in fluid, you can slowly pump the brakes.