ivan
09-03-07, 03:56 PM
How to Bleed Brakes the Correct Way
Firstly let’s look at what the function of brake fluid is and what it does. Brake fulid transfers the force from the paster cylinder to the brake callipers. A vital characteristic of brake fluid is its ability to resist compression. To keep the performance of your brakes optimum, we bleed the brakes.
How-To
To fully understand the need behind bleeding your brakes please follow through the appropriate articles in this section here (http://www.ep91.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8).
Note that unless you are replacing your master cylinder, the procedure is the same whether you have a vehicle equipped with ABS or not.
Supplies Required
You will need the following tools:
8mm ring-end spanner. An offset head design works best. Some of the larger cars use 10mm nipples.
Extra brake fluid. It can be a different brand, but then it is recommended to replace it all rather than just topping up.
14-inch long section of 3/16 in. ID clear plastic tubing.
Disposable bottle for waste fluid.
A clear hose to fit snug over the bleed nipple.
One can of brake cleaner.
One assistant (to pump the brake pedal.)Vehicle Preparation and Support
Loosen the lug nuts of the road wheels using a wheel brace and place the entire vehicle on jack stands. Be sure that the car is firmly supported before going ANY further with this procedure! Note I can bleed my car without needing to jack the car up. I just turn the wheel to give me more room.
Remove all four wheels.
Install one lug nut backward at each corner and tighten the nut against the rotor surface. Note that this step is to limit calliper flex that may distort pedal feel.
Open the hood and check the level of the brake fluid reservoir. Add fluid as necessary to ensure that the level is above the seam of the reservoir. Do not let the reservoir become empty at any time during the bleeding process or you will have to start all over again.Bleeding Process
Begin at the corner furthest from the driver and proceed in order toward the driver. (Left rear, right rear, left front, right front.)
Locate the bleeder screw at the rear of the calliper body (or drum brake wheel cylinder.) Remove the rubber cap from the bleeder screw – and don’t lose it!
Place the ring-end wrench over the bleeder screw (8mm)
Place one end of the rubber hose over the nipple of the bleeder screw.
Place the other end of the hose into the disposable bottle.
Place the bottle on the ground close to the calliper/hub. Make sure you have enough length of the clear rubber hose.
Instruct the assistant to "apply." The assistant should pump the brake pedal three times, hold the pedal down firmly, and respond with "applied." Instruct the assistant not to release the brakes until told to do so.
Loosen the bleeder screw with a brief ¼ turn to release fluid into the waste line. The screw only needs to be open for one second or less. (The brake pedal will "fall" as the bleeder screw is opened. Instruct the assistant in advance not to release the brakes until instructed to do so. Also note that the pedal should not hit the floor as this may damage the seals of the master cylinder)
Close the bleeder screw by tightening it.
Instruct the assistant to "release" the brakes. Note: do NOT release the brake pedal while the bleeder screw is open, as this will suck air back into the system!
The assistant should respond with "released."
Inspect the fluid within the waste line for air bubbles.
Continue the bleeding process (steps 11 through 16) until air bubbles are no longer present. Be sure to check the brake fluid level in the reservoir after bleeding each wheel! Add fluid as necessary to keep the level above the seam line. (Typically we repeat this process 5-10 times per wheel when doing a ‘standard’ bleed.)
Move systematically toward the driver – left rear, right rear, left front, right front - repeating the bleeding process at each corner. Be sure to keep a watchful eye on the brake fluid reservoir! Keep it full otherwise it will suck in air!
When all four corners have been bled, spray the bleeder screw (and any other parts that were moistened with spilled or dripped brake fluid) with brake cleaner and wipe dry with a clean rag. (Leaving the area clean and dry will make it easier to spot leaks through visual inspection later!) Try to avoid spraying the brake cleaner DIRECTLY on any parts made of rubber or plastic, as the cleaner can make these parts brittle after repeated exposure.
Test the brake pedal for a firm feel. (Bleeding the brakes will not necessarily cure a "soft" or "mushy" pedal – since pad taper and compliance elsewhere within the system can contribute to a soft pedal. But the pedal should not be any worse than it was prior to the bleeding procedure!)
Be sure to inspect the bleeder screws and other fittings for signs of leakage. Correct as necessary.
Properly dispose of the used waste fluid as you would dispose of used motor oil. Important: used brake fluid should NEVER be poured back into the master cylinder reservoir! Dispose of the fluid as you would motor oil.Vehicle Wrap-Up and Road Test
Re-install all four road wheels.
Raise the entire vehicle and remove jackstands. Torque the lug nuts to 140 Nm (103 ft-lb) using a wheel brace.
With the vehicle on level ground and with the car NOT running, apply and release the brake pedal several times until all clearances are taken up in the system. During this time, the brake pedal feel may improve slightly, but the brake pedal should be at least as firm as it was prior to the bleeding process.
Road test the vehicle to confirm proper function of the brakes. USE CAUTION THE FIRST TIME YOU DRIVE YOUR CAR AFTER MODIFICATION TO ENSURE THE PROPER FUNCTION OF ALL VEHICLE SYSTEMS!Regards,
Ivan
Note: This article may have been copied from another website and revised to better suit the Starlet community. If you are the owner of the original article and would like us to remove it, please contact me via email with the subject "Remove Article" and i will remove it from this website as soon as possible.
Firstly let’s look at what the function of brake fluid is and what it does. Brake fulid transfers the force from the paster cylinder to the brake callipers. A vital characteristic of brake fluid is its ability to resist compression. To keep the performance of your brakes optimum, we bleed the brakes.
How-To
To fully understand the need behind bleeding your brakes please follow through the appropriate articles in this section here (http://www.ep91.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8).
Note that unless you are replacing your master cylinder, the procedure is the same whether you have a vehicle equipped with ABS or not.
Supplies Required
You will need the following tools:
8mm ring-end spanner. An offset head design works best. Some of the larger cars use 10mm nipples.
Extra brake fluid. It can be a different brand, but then it is recommended to replace it all rather than just topping up.
14-inch long section of 3/16 in. ID clear plastic tubing.
Disposable bottle for waste fluid.
A clear hose to fit snug over the bleed nipple.
One can of brake cleaner.
One assistant (to pump the brake pedal.)Vehicle Preparation and Support
Loosen the lug nuts of the road wheels using a wheel brace and place the entire vehicle on jack stands. Be sure that the car is firmly supported before going ANY further with this procedure! Note I can bleed my car without needing to jack the car up. I just turn the wheel to give me more room.
Remove all four wheels.
Install one lug nut backward at each corner and tighten the nut against the rotor surface. Note that this step is to limit calliper flex that may distort pedal feel.
Open the hood and check the level of the brake fluid reservoir. Add fluid as necessary to ensure that the level is above the seam of the reservoir. Do not let the reservoir become empty at any time during the bleeding process or you will have to start all over again.Bleeding Process
Begin at the corner furthest from the driver and proceed in order toward the driver. (Left rear, right rear, left front, right front.)
Locate the bleeder screw at the rear of the calliper body (or drum brake wheel cylinder.) Remove the rubber cap from the bleeder screw – and don’t lose it!
Place the ring-end wrench over the bleeder screw (8mm)
Place one end of the rubber hose over the nipple of the bleeder screw.
Place the other end of the hose into the disposable bottle.
Place the bottle on the ground close to the calliper/hub. Make sure you have enough length of the clear rubber hose.
Instruct the assistant to "apply." The assistant should pump the brake pedal three times, hold the pedal down firmly, and respond with "applied." Instruct the assistant not to release the brakes until told to do so.
Loosen the bleeder screw with a brief ¼ turn to release fluid into the waste line. The screw only needs to be open for one second or less. (The brake pedal will "fall" as the bleeder screw is opened. Instruct the assistant in advance not to release the brakes until instructed to do so. Also note that the pedal should not hit the floor as this may damage the seals of the master cylinder)
Close the bleeder screw by tightening it.
Instruct the assistant to "release" the brakes. Note: do NOT release the brake pedal while the bleeder screw is open, as this will suck air back into the system!
The assistant should respond with "released."
Inspect the fluid within the waste line for air bubbles.
Continue the bleeding process (steps 11 through 16) until air bubbles are no longer present. Be sure to check the brake fluid level in the reservoir after bleeding each wheel! Add fluid as necessary to keep the level above the seam line. (Typically we repeat this process 5-10 times per wheel when doing a ‘standard’ bleed.)
Move systematically toward the driver – left rear, right rear, left front, right front - repeating the bleeding process at each corner. Be sure to keep a watchful eye on the brake fluid reservoir! Keep it full otherwise it will suck in air!
When all four corners have been bled, spray the bleeder screw (and any other parts that were moistened with spilled or dripped brake fluid) with brake cleaner and wipe dry with a clean rag. (Leaving the area clean and dry will make it easier to spot leaks through visual inspection later!) Try to avoid spraying the brake cleaner DIRECTLY on any parts made of rubber or plastic, as the cleaner can make these parts brittle after repeated exposure.
Test the brake pedal for a firm feel. (Bleeding the brakes will not necessarily cure a "soft" or "mushy" pedal – since pad taper and compliance elsewhere within the system can contribute to a soft pedal. But the pedal should not be any worse than it was prior to the bleeding procedure!)
Be sure to inspect the bleeder screws and other fittings for signs of leakage. Correct as necessary.
Properly dispose of the used waste fluid as you would dispose of used motor oil. Important: used brake fluid should NEVER be poured back into the master cylinder reservoir! Dispose of the fluid as you would motor oil.Vehicle Wrap-Up and Road Test
Re-install all four road wheels.
Raise the entire vehicle and remove jackstands. Torque the lug nuts to 140 Nm (103 ft-lb) using a wheel brace.
With the vehicle on level ground and with the car NOT running, apply and release the brake pedal several times until all clearances are taken up in the system. During this time, the brake pedal feel may improve slightly, but the brake pedal should be at least as firm as it was prior to the bleeding process.
Road test the vehicle to confirm proper function of the brakes. USE CAUTION THE FIRST TIME YOU DRIVE YOUR CAR AFTER MODIFICATION TO ENSURE THE PROPER FUNCTION OF ALL VEHICLE SYSTEMS!Regards,
Ivan
Note: This article may have been copied from another website and revised to better suit the Starlet community. If you are the owner of the original article and would like us to remove it, please contact me via email with the subject "Remove Article" and i will remove it from this website as soon as possible.