• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

power bleeder

Share this page

I prefer the usual method with the wife working the pedals but have had a couple of situations where pressure bleeding was needed. I made my own by finding caps that fit the reservoir and adding an air connection to them.

This set-up applies air pressure to the fluid in the reservoir rather than pumping fluid. Parts should be clean but don't have to be brake fluid safe (I used a barbed fitting and hose for 1/4" irrigation line). Air pressure is kept low (about 18#) using a small HF air tank. Probably lots of ways to do this, I just cobbled it together from what I had on hand and it worked a treat.

The cap I made that fits the TR3 reservoir:

BrakeBleedCap_zps51194103.jpg
 
airlifter said:
that looks something I could do. The TR6 has a plastic reservoir. How much pressure will it stand?
Click to expand...

I'd keep the pressure low (maybe 12# or so) -- I would be more concerned about the hose from the reservoir to the M/C popping off rather than the plastic bottle itself (I have no idea how they are connected on a TR6, maybe it isn't a hole but just a rubber fitting?).

Doesn't take much pressure to do the job.
 
Less than #10, and I highly recommend an EeziBleed (Gunnison).
 
which works better, power bleeder or vacuum bleeder? I know there are different opinions. What are the pros and cons of each?

Thanks, Pete
 
Maybe they did better for others; I had no luck at all using a vacuum bleeder on my TR3. It didn't seem to be able to pull fluid past the residual pressure valve (which I later disabled but didn't try the Mityvac again).

What did work slick for me on the rear brakes was a pair of Dorman "Speed Bleeders", which are bleed screws that have a built-in check valve and sealant on the threads.
(Not sure if these are the right ones, I just took one of my old bleed screws to FLAPS and matched it up)
https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-21623-12701.aspx

And without the RPV, the front calipers bleed pretty easy by gravity.
 
No personal experience with one but I would think you'd need to center the shuttle valve in the TR6 PDWA after using a power bleeder. Seems like it would sense the bleeder pressure on one side and the lack of pressure (from the open bleeder) on the other side and shift the shuttle valve.
 
cheseroo said:
No personal experience with one but I would think you'd need to center the shuttle valve in the TR6 PDWA after using a power bleeder. Seems like it would sense the bleeder pressure on one side and the lack of pressure (from the open bleeder) on the other side and shift the shuttle valve.
Click to expand...
Could be, I haven't tried it on a Stag yet (and neither one has a working PDWA switch anyway)
Do you have to recenter the PDWA after using the normal bleeding technique (open valve, push pedal, close valve, release pedal) ?
 
TR3driver said:
Could be, I haven't tried it on a Stag yet (and neither one has a working PDWA switch anyway)
Do you have to recenter the PDWA after using the normal bleeding technique (open valve, push pedal, close valve, release pedal) ?
Click to expand...

I never did but some have reported having to. When I've used power bleeders on other cars, the fluid comes out of the bleeder with more velocity than the up/down method which is why I was guessing that the shuttle might come into play.

When silicone fluid first came out, some people complained that it was much harder to get all the air out, is that still the case? I'm still a GT-LMA kind of guy.

BTW, some guy in LA called me out of the blue a couple days ago looking for TR3 seats. I didn't have your contact info handy so I told him to look it up on the TRSC/SCTOA website (I can never remember who is in what club) as I seem to recall you were listed as the TR3 technical contact there. I told him he could have my TR4 seats for 100 bucks which he was all over but never heard from him again. So if you sold some TR3 seats to a random guy this week, you'll know how he found you.
 
There is a thing in the shops here called Easibleed. Takes pressure from a spare tire

A fully pumped tire is too high pressure in my experience. I use it almost flat at 4psi.

This gadget is supposed to be filled with fluid and fills the reservoir as you go.
This wastes fluid. I just use the air pressure.

Advantages to this method:

1. nobody needed to pump the pedal
2. if you pump too vigourously you can mix air into the fluid and never get a firm pedal
3. somtimes the pedal does not return fully and you finish up short of motion, applies to clutch bleeding really
4. rapid pumping can spoil the seals in the master cylinder

Al.
 
cheseroo said:
...When silicone fluid first came out, some people complained that it was much harder to get all the air out, is that still the case?...
Click to expand...

It is still the case that DOT5 seems to hold air bubbles in suspension longer than traditional brake fluids. Care must be taken to not get the bubbles in the first place: careful handling of the product, possibly pouring the fluid down the length of a clean screwdriver, etc.

I just top up the reservoir well and leave it be for a few days (maybe over night is enough) and do not add more until the bleeding is done. Of course, that is only practical when you're doing a modest bleed -- not a whole system replacement.
 
cheseroo said:
I never did but some have reported having to. When I've used power bleeders on other cars, the fluid comes out of the bleeder with more velocity than the up/down method which is why I was guessing that the shuttle might come into play.

When silicone fluid first came out, some people complained that it was much harder to get all the air out, is that still the case? I'm still a GT-LMA kind of guy.

BTW, some guy in LA called me out of the blue a couple days ago looking for TR3 seats. I didn't have your contact info handy so I told him to look it up on the TRSC/SCTOA website (I can never remember who is in what club) as I seem to recall you were listed as the TR3 technical contact there. I told him he could have my TR4 seats for 100 bucks which he was all over but never heard from him again. So if you sold some TR3 seats to a random guy this week, you'll know how he found you.
Click to expand...
I've never had much trouble with air in DOT 5. Like Geo, I give it a chance to "breathe" after adding to the MC, but generally no more than an hour or two (long enough to take a break, have a cold one, etc). I have sometimes noticed that the pedal wasn't quite as high as usual right after bleeding, but there has always been plenty of pedal and it comes up after a few days of driving. YMMV

Since for me at least, using DOT 5 means I mess with the brakes a whole lot less often (it's been literally decades since I've had to rebuild calipers), I'm willing to spend a little extra time on it.

Didn't hear from anyone, although there have been a couple of calls with caller ID blocked. I don't answer blocked calls, they can talk to the machine. Don't have any seats for sale anyway. Albert Roth might have some though.(arothrbb at ix.netcom.com might still work for Albert, but I haven't confirmed it in many years). John Nichols would be another possibility, if he's still around.

FWIW I belong to both clubs, but I think my phone number is only in the SCTOA newsletter, not on the web site.
 
I have an expensive vacuum bleeder that I sometimes use, but I also put speed bleeders on on my cars.
wayyyyyyyyy easier.....my wife doesn't like cars much!
 
Back
Top