Gary's Brake Bleeding Tool

[Gary Lewis]

Today I made a tool to bleed brake systems that use the later master cylinders with screw-on lids, like the one I put on Big Blue.

I started with this low-pressure regulator and gauge that I had been using for powder coating.  I removed it from the fixed position in the air line on the wall and put a female quick disconnect fitting in its place and added a male fitting to this setup.  That way I can plug it into the air hose at the truck.




Then I moved on to the lid.  The pic below shows the parts, including a 1/8" pipe to 1/8" hose barb and a 1/8" pipe fitting.  But note that red line on the fitting - I cut the fitting there and used the hex-shaped part as a nut to secure the barb.





I drilled and tapped the lid for 1/8" pipe to take the barb.




Then I cut the rubber gasket to just pass over the threaded side of the barb and secured the barb with the "nut".




And here's what the thing looks like:




So, does it work?  Yes!  It works well.  I put about 4 psi on the master cylinder and started bleeding the brakes from the farthest away to the closest.  The system was essentially dry so it took quite a while and I made three rounds to get all of the air out.  But the brake pedal is very firm.

However, I did learn something in that process that I want to pass on.  You need to have clear tubing at the bleeder valve so you can tell if there's any air coming out.  And, that tubing needs to fit the valve tightly.  The hose I have fits the front valves very well, but not the back ones as they are smaller.  So it looks as if there may be air getting sucked in at that joint and causing bubbles.  Tomorrow I'll get an assortment of clear tubing and see if that fixes it.

[Rembrant]

Cool stuff Gary. I like it.

I have a homemade tool myself, but it's a constant hands free vacuum kit hooked up to a pickle jar...lol. I usually just put the tubing over the ends of the bleeder screws and then fill the system that way. Been having really good luck with it up until last weekend when I installed two new calipers on the old RV. My tubing was too small to fit over the ends of the bleeder screws on those big two piston calipers. Had to get a friend to help pump the pedal the old fashioned way.

[Gary Lewis]

Cory - My Mityvac was supposed to be the cat's meow on bleeding, and it worked the same way as yours.  But unless you pull the bleeder screws and coat the threads with some kind of sealant the vacuum pulls air around the threads when you crack open the bleeders.  So you don't know if you've gotten all the air out 'cause you are always seeing bubbles.

This way the fluid is being pushed by air and, assuming you have a good connection to the bleeder screw, if you have air bubbles you need to bleed some more.

And, it is so easy to use.  It is still sitting on the master cylinder as I type with 4 psi.  Won't hurt anything.  So when I get the new brake fluid and smaller hose I'll just crack a bleeder and make sure there's no air in the system.

[Gary Lewis]

Ok, 'tis done.  The kit, as shown below, works well.  The clear hose on the left is 3/16" ID and fits the smaller bleeder screws that are on the back of Big Blue.  The piece of clear hose that's on the orange hose on the right is 1/4" ID and fits the larger bleeders on the '95 calipers on the front of Big Blue.  And the hose in the middle snaps into the regulator, shown, and screws onto the master cylinder.

[1986F150Six]

Very nice prototype, Gary! Perhaps someone [reamer?] will consider producing?

[Gary Lewis]

Janey thinks I need to sell it to someone.  I tried to 'splain that others have done this, although typically w/a hand pump sprayer.  The advantage of mine is that it stays pressurized for a long, long time so you don't have to worry about pumping it up.

Yes, if Ron wanted to make them, go for it.  

Now, if I just had a good lid for the clutch master.  

[1986F150Six]

Gary Lewis wrote

Now, if I just had a good lid for the clutch master.  

Aren't you thankful you are not using this clutch M/C!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Clutch-Master-Cylinder-LuK-LMC370-fits-00-11-Ford-Focus/124270144096?epid=74943877&hash=item1cef13ea60:g:fu0AAOSw6WJeQo9v

[Gary Lewis]

WOW!  But, the shipping is free.  

So, the clutch master cylinder is worth more than the car?  Surely you can't tell me there's an 00-11 Ford Focus worth that much.

[1986F150Six]

[swampedout]

Mityvac makes an assortment of adaptable lids that use chains to tighten around generic MCs.
Im not a huge fan of their method but you can get a purty good seal with one if you fool with the chain length long enough.

Maybe its a design you could improve on.

I like your tool a lot. Also I dont understand why front and rear bleed valves are different sizes but Im no engineer

[Gary Lewis]

Yipes!  The Mityvac MVA6850 Pressure Bleed Adapter Kit is $167!  I thought I wanted a set, but I don't think so.  However, I may go to the salvage and see if I can find a cap and gasket from a clutch master cylinder that will fit Big Blue.  That's basically all I need at the moment in addition to the one I made for the brakes.

As for the different bleeder sizes, I can tell you aren't up on the changes to Big Blue.    That's a 1995 D60 solid front axle under there, with bigger brakes and larger calipers.  And apparently they come with larger bleeder screws.

[swampedout]

I am not up to date on all youre doing with Big Blue, Gary. Maybe if you would slow down, I could catch up

But even the calipers on my measly TTB are bigger than the rears.

[Gary Lewis]

No!  I don't wanna slow down!  You'll just have to forget the background and read the daily digest.  

[FuzzFace2]

That looks to work a little better than mine but remember my master you cant see the level so I made a holding tank.
The tank with fluid, the line from it to the master all has fluid and psi on it so when you remove it you et a mess


IIRC I used see thru plastic hose into a glass bottle to see the air bubbles.

I first did a gravity till I got fluid at each wheel.
Then used my SnapOn vacuum bleeder that uses shop air.
Then did the M. Jackson dance / bleed.
And the last the PSI bleed.
My system was also dry to start with as the best lines were taken from each truck, wheel cyl & calipers were new.
Dave ----

[ArdWrknTrk]

Gary,

You have the aluminum slave with a bleeder, right?
Just back bleed.
Force fluid from the slave into the master.

There are no check, residual pressure or proportioning valves in the clutch system.

[Gary Lewis]

Dave - The ability to see how much fluid you have is one of the many reasons I changed from the cast iron master to the aluminum/plastic one.

Jim - Good point.  Now that the brakes are bled I can use Bill's method to back-bleed the clutch.  

[ArdWrknTrk]

I usually just force it up with a 100cc irrigation syringe.

But with your pressure tool I'm sure it would be as easy.
Be sure you don't run the brake master dry.
It is split in the middle.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, with my brake bleeder tool it'll be easy.  And, in fact, I have a bit too much fluid in the brake master, so this will help me resolve that problem.  But I won't run it dry.  That big master holds a full quart, so you can do a lot of bleeding before getting even a bit low.  And, I have a ladder beside the truck with the truck on the lift, so it is easy to go under and bleed then climb the ladder to check.