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Brake bleed Blues

3K views 31 replies 12 participants last post by  malstrom 
#1 ·
Hi Friends


I have a 199o Tempo. I have been working on the brakes and I am exhausted. I do not relish the day soon when I make the Conversion from drums on my 66 Mustang to Disc here's why.


The tempo had a sudden brake drop. I checked the master and by my neglect I let the Master dry out. why ?? I checked the rear right cylinder and all the fluid is everywhere , tire, drum etc. I replaced a failed wheel cylinder/ I did the pads as well.


I started the brake bleed from the rears on the longest run and they bled find with a foot pedal game and a bottle.


I go the front left ( yes out of order) but I did the foot game and got clear fluid. but with engine on its just poor pedal response. I did the left front again but putting on my Brake bleed gun/guage and bottle. Before I could even hand pump I noticed that the bottle was fluid full by gravity alone. No air back to the nipple. I closed the nipple


Started the engine again. same stuff .. If I pump several times the pedal comes up strong. let it rest a while and it goes to the floor.


So I'm exhausted I'm not a young man anymore. I think I might have a shop do the work. would they have a miraculous vacuum motor tool . Am I in the cave age?
 
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#2 · (Edited)
I'm not a young man anymore.
Same here - getting harder to work on any of my cars due to age and worsening back problems.

Before you started all this where the brakes OK (no soft pedal)?

Paul

(BTW - I love the old Tempo/Topaz cars)
 
#4 ·
Or a bad MC - thats why I asked how this all started.

Paul
 
#7 ·
Yup youse reakon good. Tee Hee Hee. Thanks paul for lovin the tempo. I feel privileged to own it.

Bartl. You said as pedal gets harder when i pump i have air in the lines. Hmmmm guess thats right. If i pump the brake get out of the car and close the nipple. I,m sorta positive i have no air.

But if its a. Two persons job ..... Its pump and hold the pedal down .....second person close the nipple an let up on the brake ...repeat........this to prevent back flush. Right?
 
#8 ·
FYI my son & I have owned 2 Tempo's,93 & 94 plus 89 Topaz. A good better but rust boxes.


Anyway long and short your current brake problem maybe bad MC.
Yrs ago I did brakes, wheel cyl on a 2001 Sable. Done brakes TONS of times. Bled them all was good. A week later my wife tells me brake pedal goes to the floor but car stops. So I look everywhere and don't see ANY leaks... Stumped I research brake problem on line.


I come up with this: If over several yrs a brake system is not well maintained, meaning brakes bled once in a while to replace old fluid, that it's possible when you do finally have to replace a part and do a brake bleed to where pedal has to be pushed to the floor, you then cause the new failure. Reason is that for yrs old fluid inside the unused (full travel area) of MC, corrosion takes place. So once you now press pedal to floor to bleed brakes, you are pushing piston with "o" ring thru this corrosion damaging the "o" ring which is causing MC to fail.


Made sense so I replace MC, did bench bleed, then hand bled full system, problem solved. Brakes good again.


It's a thought...
 
#10 ·
You can not manually bleed the brakes with one person. When you let off the pedal and get out to close the bleeder it pulls air back into the system.

If you have a line off the bleeder that goes into a half full bottle and the end is submerged, it would theoretically expel the air bubbles into the container and draw fluid back in. IN THEORY I said...

I prefer the father daughter tag team effort where I say 'down slow sweetheart'.... and subsequently take a bath in brake fluid!! It's still F/D bonding time, right?!?
 
#11 · (Edited)
If you have a line off the bleeder that goes into a half full bottle and the end is submerged, it would theoretically expel the air bubbles into the container and draw fluid back in. IN THEORY I said...
Well ... the theory has worked pretty well for me for over 35 years. :smile2:

Paul
 
#16 ·
I have one of these:

Text Font


I have used it several times for various projects but not yet for actually bleeding brakes. I'll be able to tell you how well it works in a couple weeks for actual brake bleeding.

Supposedly a 1 man job. Directions say suck 2" into the reservoir then refill master cylinder. Keep repeating until all air is out.

The thing is pretty sweet though. I've used it to suck out power steering fluid. Check the vacuum advance on a distributor, and various vacuum troubleshooting on my wagoneer (everything is vacuum on that thing).
 
#18 ·
I also use the "hose submerged in fluid" one-man bleeding method. I DO remove the bleeder and TEMPORARILY wrap the threads with teflon tape to avoid sucking air down between the threads and when done, I remove the bleeder, pull the tape, and reinstall tight.
 
#21 ·
that's a good idea too . I worry that just removing the Bleeder will allow the fluid to drip and cause air pockets.
 
#20 ·
Thank you Mike that sounds like a good plan if I cannot find a helper.


BUT I guess my question is answered .....best to close bleeder nipple when pedal is pushed down.
 
#23 ·
Yeah, theyrr called one man brake bleeder screws.
They work just like any regular bleed screws except there's a check valve inside of the screw. When you're r to blleed your brakes you loosen the screw a 1/4 turn, then gdt inthe cI'llar and press the brake pedal as you normally would to bleed your brakes. The fulid comes out bfinished bleeding wheel tighten bleed screw and move on to next wheels,e chd k valve doesn't allow air back in, when finished move on to next wheel. You need four bleed srews.
 
#24 ·
Sorry for all the typing errors.

Yeah, they're called one man brake bleeder screws.
They work just like any regular bleed screws except there's a check valve inside of the screw. When you're ready to bleed your brakes you loosen the screw a 1/4 turn, then get in the car and press the brake pedal as you normally would to bleed your brakes. The fulid comes out but the check valve doesn't allow to enter. When finished bleeding wheel, tighten bleed screw and move on to next wheels.
 
#28 ·
Hi Guys


So Help me get the process right for a one man job. .


I Bleed from wheels in order RR<lr<rf<lf.
, LR, RF,LF

Top off Master cylinder


1. loosen bleeder screw and empty into clear line/bottle. Filled with Brake fluid if fluid should black flush.


2 Pump Brake pedal to floor several times to get a flush.


3 Jam 2x4 wood or other tool into Pedal to keep pedal to the floor.


4 Close bleed screw


5 Release pedal Brake .


Move to next wheel repeat.....</lr<rf<lf.
 
#30 ·
When using the method you describe you don't have to use a board to jam the pedal IF you can see what you are doing. Pump until the bubbles are gone and simply go and shut off the bleeder. The trick is seeing. I bought a big square of polished stainless steel at a swap meet for no good reason. Later found out it made a good mirror for this. You also need to use a clear jar and I use clear tubing like for aquarium use.
Doing the passenger side can be tricky. After positioning the fluid jar and tubing I've been known to pump the pedal with a broom handle while I watched under the car, almost standing on my head.
Getting and using speed bleeders or simply a helper is a lot easier. :)
 
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