Brake bleeding frustration

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

JPS0284

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2023
Posts
190
Reaction score
123
Oh, it pulled fluid out like there was no tomorrow, even after adjusting the pressure down. I went through 3 30 oz bottles of fluid and seeing nothing but a stream of bubbles. I used a zip tie at the nipple, the old axle grease trick. Nothing. Maybe I got a lemon.
The bubbles have to be coming from somewhere upstream, the tools just creating a vacuum. If it was spongy before there must be a small leak somewhere or a cracked line.
 

mikez71

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2023
Posts
1,369
Reaction score
1,606
I have had a couple times where after bleeding, it just wasn't fully bled. Had to go around again..
Need to do this in my truck as well, good job!

Did you have a helper pushing the pedal or using a mityvac or gravity bleed? If using the vacuum, it is common for air to leak past bleeder threads...
Want to try a pressure bleeder because I hate refilling the master cylinder constantly.
... more importantly won't have to find a helper to pump the pedal and worry that they are pumping too fast, or too deep or letting off before I close the bleeder..
 

donjetman

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Posts
1,531
Reaction score
2,714
when using a vacuum bleeder, the air gets in around the threads of the loosened bleeder. it's not actually in the system.
Yeah, I had the same issue with a vacuum bleeder. In the trash it went.

Never have figured out how to make a positive pressure power bleeder work because they don't come with a master cylinder lid that you can hook the pressure to.

Gravity and/or pumping the pedal has always worked for me.
 

Larryjb

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2016
Posts
1,159
Reaction score
1,087
I've been doing brakes for decades on my own vehicles, and I had the same thing happen to me a couple of years ago. Embarrassingly, I have to admit I put the left front caliper on the right wheel, and the right caliper on the left side. This means my bleed screws were on the bottoms of the calipers, leaving a pocket of air above. DOH!

Did you, by any chance, make the same mistake as me?
 

Larryjb

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2016
Posts
1,159
Reaction score
1,087
Another possibility not yet mentioned, did you have a rusted brake line open up?
 

mikez71

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2023
Posts
1,369
Reaction score
1,606
OK, but it's confusing because it says..

Screenshot 2024-01-25 190521.png
Yeah, I had the same issue with a vacuum bleeder. In the trash it went.

Never have figured out how to make a positive pressure power bleeder work because they don't come with a master cylinder lid that you can hook the pressure to.
This the one I'm looking at, it says for GM..

 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,309
Posts
1,865,736
Members
96,897
Latest member
Trin
Top