Had very old brake fluid so we decided to change the fluid.
We took all we could through the bleeding nipple but it was coming out too slow so we decided to try draining it through the lines so we took apart the lines and put them back together and then not fluid would come out the nipple at all.
What can we do to finish draining the reserve and create pressure in the lines again?
Thank you in advance
You're in for a fun night. You need to start pumping new fluid in. Fill up the reservoir then pump the lever a couple of times to get fluid to start to flow into there. Then... you'll have to bleed them.
Pump pump pump, squeeze, open nipple, close nipple, release, pump pump pump, squeeze, open nipple, close nipple, release.
Do not let the reservoir empty out. Keep doing this until you get clean brake fluid through the lines and no bubbles. It's going to take a lot of worth though.
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I may need a bit more clarification, but I am assuming the lever is 'spongy'?
The simplist thing to do first is to tie the front brake lever back (ie make it stay on) using a zip tie. Leave this overnight/24 hours and it will allow the trapped air to rise.
Failing this, you can bleed the brake in reverse. Get a large syringe (ebay/chemist) and some pipe that fits over the bleed nipple and the syringe. Remove the master cylinder cover and **** out (use the syringe) the brake fluid. Now fill the syringe with fresh brake fluid and connect to the bleed nipple on the caliper. Open the bleed nipple and slowly push the syringe in, to force the fluid up to the reservoir. Be careful that the fluid doesent come out of the reservoir and splash on your paint work. Lock the bleed nipple up whilst still slowly forcing the fluid in. This normally works.
hi, if you look at the back of the brake drum you will see a little bleed nipple just sticking out think its an 8ml or 10ml spanner fit, what you then need to do is find a piece of plastic pipe that will fit over the top of this to catch any fluid then make sure the brake fluid is topped up, you then need someone in the car to operate the brake pedal and some one at the back where the bleed nipple is once you have this you need to do the following
1 undo bleed nipple a couple of turns 2 get person in the car to push brake pedal to the floor and hold it on the floor. 3 when pedal is at floor tighten the bleed nipple up and get the person to let the brake pedal come up. 4 when pedal is up all the way undo bleed nipple and get person in car to push pedal to floor. 5 when pedal at floor tighten bleed nipple up 6 let pedal up 7bleed nipple undo a bit 7 pedal down to floor 8bleed nipple do up 9 pedal up 10undo bleed nipple
now keep doing that until all you have got coming out is fluid and no air when you have this do bleed nipple up and check the brakes to make sure they are not spongy.
whilst doing this you need to make sure the brake fluid level dont drop to low as you will have to bleed the front as well so keep checking the level and make sure its well topped up throughout the whole process
OK, there are little nipples or bleeder screws that when not rusty and new can be turned with a small wrench or socket.
The problem is that when they get old and rusty, they can shear off or round off the hexagonal sides and corners of the bleeder screw.
Therefore, you sometimes need some oxy acetylene torch heat pinpointed on the bleeder screw to let air and brake fluid out of each wheel's bleeder screw (through the hole in the center).
If you only add brake fluid, then air bubbles can still exist in the sensitive brake lines, causing a spongy pedal and endangering anyone who drives it.
One wants a hard pedal that pumps up in a couple of tries, not a spongy pedal that goes to the floor board, which doesn't generate much braking force.
FIrst, pump up the brakes to maximum pressure by pumping the brake pedal up and down.
Then, on the down cycle (a friend or assistant can do this), open the bleeder screw counter clockwise until fluid comes out. Don't allow any in your eyes. Then tighten the bleeder screw and ask the assistant to pump up the brakes again, and then repeat the cycle on the 4 different wheels, until it has a 'hard' pedal and not 'soft.'
When you stand on the brakes does the pedal feel soft or hard? If soft the chances are you still have air in the system. Tighten (not too much just enough to prevent the escape of brake fluid) all the bleed nipples. Now make sure there is fluid to the maximum in the master brake reservoir. Stand on the brakes to extend all the slave pistons as far as they can go with the current situation. Starting with the the right back (as you correctly did originally) put your finger tip over the end of the nipple and undo it with an open ended spanner by only a quarter of a turn. Have a friend step on the brake pedal. When he has got to the bottom of travel push your finger hard on the nipple tip and tighten the nipple gently with e the spanner. Your friend can now release the brake pedal slowly. Again ask your friend to press on the pedal and then you undo the nipple a quarter of a turn to bleed of the fluid (and bubbles). When your friend reports that the pedal is on the floor, again tighten the bled nipple. Again your friend can only now release the brake pedal slowly. There will come a point when your friend will notice some resistance to the pedal before you slacken the bleed nipple to bleed the fluid. Keep bleeding this brake until a quarter of a pint of fluid has been pushed through and now tighten the bleed nipple firmly. Add fresh brake fluid to the brake reservoir under the hood. Now repeat this process with the back left wheel, then front right and then front left. The important thing is 1) ensure that the brake pedal is never lifted until the bleed nipple is tight otherwise air is sucked in through the nipple; having your finger tip on the end can help avoid this and 2) to ensure that the reservoir is always full of brake fluid so that only fluid can enter the system and not air 3) that you bleed plenty of fluid through the system, when you replace brake lines it is surprising just how many little pockets of air can hide in it. Good luck
remove brake fluid resovior cap, get jar and lenght of flexable tube that will fit on bleed nipple of brake calipar, put some brake fluid in jar fit tube to bleed nipple, open nipple and put tube in jar below the surface of the fluid, apply the brake on and off while keeping the lfluid full on the bike, continue untill the new fluid has filled the system and entered the jar, hold the brake lever in when tightening the bleed nipple. test brake works, job done
Brake fluid will eat away at plastic and paint! Wipe any spilled fluid
with the rag and lots of water.
Tools needed:
Wrench/Spanner (average 10mm)
Brake bleeding kit (rubber fitting, clear hose, small container)
Brake fluid overflow container (to put the brake bleeding kit small container
in)
Rags
Brake Fluid
Attach the brake bleeding kit to the brake fluid nipple located on
the brake caliper.
Loosen the nipple so the fluid is free to flow down the brake bleeding
kit tube and into the small container
Remove the master cylinder cap (top) so you can monitor and refill
more brake fluid into the master cylinder as you bleed the brakes.
Pump the brake lever so the old/new brake fluid is forced through
the tube into the brake bleeding kit fluid container
Keep the volume of the master cylinder constant (near full) as to
not have it empty. Keep pumping on the brake lever until the fluid coming
out is clear (rather than the old brown/black colour).
Once all the tiny air bubbles are gone hold pressure on the brake
level and re-tighten the brake fluid nipple to close it off.
Replace the master cylinder top cover.
Remove the brake bleeding kit from the caliper and use the rag and
water to clean up any spillage.
Alternately, you can pump the pedal once, open the bleeder then shut it, pump the pedal again, open the bleeder and shut it and continue (adding as necessary) until the fluid is clear.
The advantage to doing it this way is much less pumping to get the air out of the lines you created when you first started on the first method.
Attach bleeder tube to nipple place open end in bottle Open reservoir fill with proper fluid With nipple closed squeeze brake handle then open nipple Close nipple before releasing brake Repeat until no air comes out and breaks feel good Without a power bleeder this will take some time
Pump the lever 5 or 6 times w/ bleeder closed
while holding lever, open bleeder
close bleeder, pump the lever.
Repeat as necessary - works best w/ 2 people.
If you really want to get the fluid flowing fast, Loosen the banjo bolt instead of the bleeder the first couple of times. Have lotsa rags on hand..
you're in for a fun night. You need to start pumping new fluid in. Fill up the reservoir then pump the lever a couple of times to get fluid to start to flow into there. Then... you'll have to bleed them.
Pump pump pump squeeze open nipple close nipple, release, pump pump pump, squeeze, open nipple, close nipple, release.
Do not let the reservoir empty out. Keep doing this until you get clean brake fluid through the lines and no bubbles. It's going to take a lot of worth though.,,,
check to see if this car has a brake equilisation valve in the line somewhere, as they normaly stick when there has been a fluid loss at the rear of the vehicle. this brake presure protection valve shuts off the fluid coming to the rear brake after there is no resistance in the rear line to keep from loosing all brakes entirely.
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