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View Full Version : DIY - 1 Person Brake Bleeding



JMoney
03-18-2007, 03:57 AM
Usually when you bleed your brakes it helps to have one person inside the car and one person at the bleeder to crack it when pressure is applied to the pedal.

Well, I didn't have anyone today so I had to do it myself.

I had made this:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/03/IMAG0002-1.jpg
A while back as my bleeder catch can thingy. It consists of a milk carton, some *IIRC 1/4in vacuum line*, a hole in the lid and some glue. You'll also need a 10mm wrench.

Step One
Jack the car up and remove the wheel. While you're at it pop the hood and loosen the brake fluid reservoir.

Step Two
Fill your nifty little brake fluid collector with enough fluid so that your hose can be connected to the bleeder and be emersed in the brake fluid that you just put in.

Step Three
Walk over to the drivers side door and pump the brakes up so that the pedal is good and stiff. Walk over to whatever side you're doing, hook the vacuum line to the bleeder valve and crack it a bit. Leaving the valve open, walk back to driver side and pump the brakes firmly 3-4 times all the way down. Go back over to your brakes and close the bleeder valve. If you did this correctly the brake fluid will have ran though the vacuum line with air if - there was any - into the brake fluid on the other end. The air bubbles - if any - wll rise to the top of the fluid leaving just fluid to now return in the line back to the caliper on the upstoke of the brake pedal.

Step Four
Tighten the bleeder and repeat the steps for the remaining 3 calipers.

Notes/Comments
This isn't a full proof way to eliminate air from your system but if you are careful this should pretty much be a closed loop operation.

Make sure to keep an eye on the fluid reservoir and fill it accordingly. If you don't watch it then it will dry up and suck the air in which is exactly the opposite of what you want.

I'm poor and without a good set of tools. I loosened the lugs, took out the jack in my car, jacked it up and removed the wheel. This isn't the easiest way to do it, but if you're in a pinch then it'll work. Total time for me was about 45 minutes and roughly $5.00 in supplies - not including the wrench.

If someone had already done a write up like this then sorry to repeat.

Results
Amazing pedal feel! Then again I've got stainless lines, new rotors and pads. :lol: . You're probably going to notice a difference anyways. Get rid of the "spongy" feel and bleed'em.