It's not that I don't have any friends. With 6 vehicles, I am looking for a efficient, reliable way to do it at my convenience. I found this asvertisement while surfing the net. Has any one tried this product or wish to recommend another product? Thanks in advance .... sdtsdt

http://www.trackhaus.com/category-exec/category_id/7/?source=overture

It's nothing new, used a similar one years ago, back when gas stations actually did service. Definately convenient and easy to use. Those prices don't look too bad. I was going to get those Speedbleeders, about $22, but that's only good for one car.

I can vouch for the speedbleeders, just attach a small clear hose to a collection bottle, works great. But again, they're only good for one car.

I tried that exact bleeder, worked pretty good but had problems getting a good seal over master.Go slow and keep it around 10 lbs. of pressure. I ended up finishing with the Mity Vac using Dot 5 fluid and works great!!! Mike

Originally posted by 1967talldeck427:
I can vouch for the speedbleeders, just attach a small clear hose to a collection bottle, works great. But again, they're only good for one car. I may still go that way, Chevelle is the only car I have to worry about.

Thanks for the replies ... Some people have commented that maintaining a seal can be a problem sometime and certainly, no one want to get brake fluid on paint ... It may be a little more work, but I may break down and just go with the speed bleeders ( and make some friends ) to minimize the potential mess factor ... thanks again ... sdtsdt

Just get yourself a mitivac pump. http://www.mityvac.com/kits.html It bleeds brakes, tests vacuum switches, advance canisters EGR valves and a lot of other stuff to boot.

Or a tool thats called the phoenix injector. Does the same thing and I understand works great. I had a chance to get one for a great price and didnt do it last week. Too late now. Oh, well.

Chris.

Haven't used the Mityvac (will probably buy one before I swap to disc brakes), but I would think it's easier and safer to use vacuum than pressure. I can just imagine what a mess you can make with pressurized brake fluid and a bad seal. :D

Don't buy the small, cheap plastic bleeders they sell at Auto Zone and other places. The plastic is not compatible with brake fluid, so it can only be used once. Mine crumbled to pieces two days after I used it :rolleyes:

My Mityvac kept pulling air around the bleed valve. I now just gravity bleed. Very easy and doesn't take very long or cost anything.

Build this (link below), it's cheap and easy. The only mod I did is a metal plate (insead of the plasic cap) that I C-clamp to the Master.
I do my brake work quick with this and change my brake fluid every year. It been shared with a bunch of friends that swear by it.
BTW, I use stock bleed valves and change them every 3-4 years.

http://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm

Originally posted by HawaiianChevelle:
Build this (link below), it's cheap and easy. The only mod I did is a metal plate (insead of the plasic cap) that I C-clamp to the Master.
I do my brake work quick with this and change my brake fluid every year. It been shared with a bunch of friends that swear by it.
BTW, I use stock bleed valves and change them every 3-4 years.

http://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm That is one of the BEST links I've seen posted...thanks a lot!!! Only one problem....how do you get that to work with dual resivoir (sp?) master cylinders?

Instead of the plasic cap, I use a flat metal plate with the hose/nipple off center, on one side. I C-clamp that plate with the hose on the primary side of the Master. Pump it up to about 10-20 lbs.

I agree with Pat Kelley. Gravity is cheap and easy and usually works well. Another trick that I use if gravity is not working is to put a "stick" between the pedal and steering wheel (after pushing down the pedal) and opening the bleeder screw. My "stick" is two pieces of metal tube that telescope and are clamped with a hose clamp at some convenient distance.The steering wheel is pretty springy and will push the pedal down when the bleeder is opened. Others here have used a stick between the pedal and the seat.

Originally posted by JWagner:
I agree with Pat Kelley. Gravity is cheap and easy and usually works well. Another trick that I use if gravity is not working is to put a "stick" between the pedal and steering wheel (after pushing down the pedal) and opening the bleeder screw. My "stick" is two pieces of metal tube that telescope and are clamped with a hose clamp at some convenient distance.The steering wheel is pretty springy and will push the pedal down when the bleeder is opened. Others here have used a stick between the pedal and the seat. When doing it that way, I'd usually have my wife or my dad, depending where I'm at, just sit in the driver's seat, push hold the pedal down, then I open the nipple and let it squirt. It seems that this is the best way for me to bleed them, but no matter what I still end up with air or unbalanced bleeding :confused: graemlins/clonk.gif

Thanks for mentioning the link to our page. I’m not trying to sell anything here but brake bleeding is a subject that I am fairly knowledgeable about so I thought I’d pipe in and give my practical experiences with you. We started selling the Motive Products Power Bleeders because I go to the track and needed a tool that could do the job quickly and affordably without assistance.

I didn’t want to spend $500+ on a professional brake bleeding system but I required something that did the job well and was affordable. I bought several kits before buying the Power Bleeder and they just didn’t do the job as well. Every system has its strengths and weaknesses and none are perfect.

I have created a web page http://www.trackhaus.com/index-exec/view/bleeder_types which compares some of the brake bleeding systems commonly available.

While TrackHaus sells almost every type of brake bleeding system, my personal favorites are the pressure bleeding systems. Because they do the job so effectively I use one myself and even though each application is different, I generally recommend pressure bleeding systems.

There are many pressure systems available but the Motive Products Power Bleeder units work and they are very affordable. Power Bleeders start at $45 which is considerably less expensive than other pressure bleeding systems which can cost hundreds of dollars. It is simply a good buy.

Since there were several complaints in this thread about adapter seal I thought I’d provide some tips on how to improve that. The Motive Products Adapters work very well. One of their adapters is tricky to install however. The one I refer to is the 1101 adapter which is the large round universal adapter which fits many Asian and North American vehicles. Here are some tips to make the process easier:

1. You are generally only going to need 10 – 20 psi of pressure to bleed your brakes using this system. You could very will put your finger over the adapter and hold that much pressure. We aren’t talking a lot of pressure. Therefore the adapter does not need to be excessively torqued down. If you tighten it too much you will bow the adapter and therefore you will lose pressure.
2. If you do not tighten the adapter enough you will not achieve pressure. Do a dry run (no fluid in bottle) and use light finger pressure until you have a seal. Once you have experienced accomplishing a seal it will be easier to duplicate at the next bleeding.
3. The gasket material works best dry. If you have brake fluid on the adapter, use a clean rag and Isopropyl Alcohol (Rubbing Alcohol) to clean the gasket. Use a dry portion of the rag to clean the top of the master cylinder reservoir opening before you replace the adapter.

I hope this helps. Any questions, please let me know.

-Greg

Greg ...... Thanks for the link and info I was looking to buy the Motive Power Bleeder but did not know where ......

"" Tube Frame Creeper "" cool! don't need it but want it smile.gif a little pricey for me with my CDN dollars but if you ever have a " special" on it or if any interest here maybe a group buy.
Bill

What I'm not seeing in the link in the original post, and the link to the "build it yourself from a garden sprayer" in another post:

Non-Silicone brake fluid absorbs moisture. It is very good at that. They recommend that brake fluid be stored in metal cans, because even with the much more commmon plastic bottles, moisture is (slowly) pulled in through the plastic. Brake fluid will pull moisture past the rubber seals in your brake system given enough time. That's one of the primary reasons to flush the old fluid out periodically.

So why on earth would you pressure bleed using a system where there is NOTHING seperating the moisture-laden pressurized air from the brake fluid? The better bleeders use a rubber diaprhagm, with fluid on the top, pressurized air on the bottom. No direct contact between air and fluid. With the garden-sprayer style, you'll have to throw away any remaining fluid, and wipe the inside clean to prevent contamination of the next batch of fluid. You won't be able to store fluid in that container.

You can buy a REAL pressure bleeder, which comes with the two most popular adaptors, for about $325 at trackhaus or any NAPA store.
http://www.trackhaus.com/category-exec/category_id/165

You can effectively bleed brakes at 5 psi, perhaps even less. You certainly don't need more than 15, unless you want to "hose down" the neighbor's kids in the process.

If you can't afford a diaprhagm style pressure bleeder, gravity bleeding works just fine, and costs nothing except time.

Originally posted by Chris R:
Or a tool thats called the phoenix injector. Does the same thing and I understand works great. I had a chance to get one for a great price and didnt do it last week. Too late now. Oh, well.

Chris. Save your money. I have one and the best tool I have for bleeding brakes is still apiece of hose and an old soda bottle. I use the Pheonix Injector as more of a transfer pump than anything.
The "Reverse Bleed" feature is OK but I don't think it's "better" than gravity. It might be nice for a completely empty "new" system but how often do you do that? :rolleyes:

Jeff

Hi Gang,

Thanks Schurkey for mentioning us!

I wouldn't worry about the Motive brake bleeders introducing air into the system. I have had two road race cars and use the system myself. Having good brake fluid in a track car is critical and I've had no problems whatsoever. The exposure is for a short duration and the air volume is small.

There is no affordable method which does not expose the fluid to air. Keep in mind there is always air above the fluid in a properly filled master cylinder anyway. And every time you open the cap you're exchanging air. The idea is to keep the exposure to a minimum.

The best way to keep fluid dry is to never store it in the brake bleeder (This does not apply to Branick as they use a bladder to separate the fluid from the air). When using, pour brake fluid from the can into the bleeder. When done pour it back into the can it came from and seal it tight. You'll probably want to dispose of it before it gets too old.

You are right. The Branick system is awesome - probably the best out there but I generally only recommend them to busy professional shops because it's $300 and then you'll have to start buying adapters.

It is worth the money when you are using the same fluid to fill car after car (IE a production quick lube or repair shop). It can save a lot of money and time (which is money) for a production shop.

I would love to sell Branick systems all day long but I don't think it would be fair to do so for someone who is using one only occasionally. It is also bulky. If you want the best however, this is it.

I also recommend to pro shops that they buy a KD system if they are using a variety of brake fluids like in a race shop. It allows quick fluid changes without a lot of effort. Works like the Motive system but is $180 plus adapters so it is a lot more expensive. Good equipment though.

For most of us though, in my opinion, I think the Motive system is the best bang for the buck currently available. I sell them all and have used most of them so I'm merely speaking from personal experience.

I use the Motive unit. But that suits me because I've tried other systems and I don't want to spend a lot of money to do a simple task. And I don't want to wait forever (gravity system) to get the job done.

You are also right about the pressure requirment. Most cars I do need only 10 psi. I generally start at 12-1/2 and pump back up when I get to 10. Some cars need 20+ however because they have valves which require a lot of pressure before they open. I recall one repair guide suggesting 50 psi on one particular vehicle.

It can be a very bad thing to put this much pressure into a system unless the repair manual says it is safe to do so. If you stick to the 10-20 psi range you should be safe for most vehicles. If you need more than 25 or 30 then the Motive won't do the trick. I'd recommend KD. I prefer the least amount of pressure to do the job.

Jeff, the Injector units are very nicely made. I personally own one. I have thought about the reverse flush feature of the tool and I think that could be a good feature for a very problematic car. When you've pulled your hair out using every other method known that might be a good option. I haven't really bumped into this situation however. And...

In my humble opinion before I did a reverse flush I would want to do a thourough regular flush. If you don't I could see that you would be pushing, and therefore introducing, ALL the contaminants and moisture from your calipers and brake lines through the the most critical components of your system. Namely the Master Cylinder and ABS systems (if you have). Flushing, then going back and reverse flushing seems to be ineffecient and wasteful (say goodbye to a lot of brake fluid). I'd rather get the job done right once.

Gang, thanks again for the kind words and the links. I hope the information I have posted is helpful and provides you with the information you need to make the right decision.

Hopefully the winter won't be too long and we can get back to driving soon!

Best Wishes & Happy New Year!

-Greg

Now that I'm done with my two cents on brake bleeding I forgot to reply to CDN SS about the Creepers.

Here's my answer and I'm sorry for the shameless plug: ;)

They are cool. The creepers are coming down in price to $185 starting late January. A lot of people loved them but they were too expensive. You know something is expensive when you sell something and you can't afford one! ;)

It's a good buy at $185. It is still expensive I know but it is now a lot closer to the high end units we sell. Nothing out there is as sexy as this thing though.

I'll have the prices fixed on the site in the next few days.

-Greg

Originally posted by jpete:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Chris R:
Or a tool thats called the phoenix injector. Does the same thing and I understand works great. I had a chance to get one for a great price and didnt do it last week. Too late now. Oh, well.

Chris. Save your money. I have one and the best tool I have for bleeding brakes is still apiece of hose and an old soda bottle. I use the Pheonix Injector as more of a transfer pump than anything.
The "Reverse Bleed" feature is OK but I don't think it's "better" than gravity. It might be nice for a completely empty "new" system but how often do you do that? :rolleyes:

Jeff </font>[/QUOTE]I didnt realize that then. Never seen one used before and it looks like a nice kit. Glad I didnt spend the money on it then.

Chris.