Rant: No brakes

[saabmp3]

Now this is a rant. I'm a little dissapointed in my healey, but it's all my fault, and I'm well aware of that.

The lead to this story is that I'm hosting family on the west coast this weekend. To try and be a good host, I gave my Jeep away to save them from renting a car. This basically meant that the Healey would get her first time to shine, driving me back and forth to work for 3 straight days. It's about a 20 mile drive one way, I've done it many times before, usually once a week when I feel like enjoying the trip.

I spent a good amount of time last week tuning the engine (basically working on the idle speed, I'm not a carb guy yet), cleaning her out, trying to get the speedo to work again, for free (close but no cigar) and ... I bled the brakes.

It was all under good intentions, the pedal was weak, I knew it had to be done. I went to the store and the only self bleed system they have didn't use a hand pump.

The ordeal was a nightmare, the hoses never fit, when they did they would pop off again, brake fluid was squirting out, etc. I finally got the pedal back to the orginal state, squishy and weak at best, but it was all I could do on my solo team.

Well this morning I'm driving over to my relatives for coffee before work, going down a hill in Tacoma when my brake pedal goes to the floor. I knew it right when it happened, there was just too much air in the lines and I was done for. I down shifted, pulled the E brake and managed to gracefully come to a stop on the side of the street (side of a hill none the less).

Luckly, (now this is great fortune), I looked over to the other side of the street and see my distinct bright yellow Jeep. I had managed to get this failure right next to the B&B where they were staying. After some quick coffee I left the car on the street in gear, borrowed a ride to work in my Jeep (hard to say that) and arrived here safe and sound.

Now my job for tonight is to get a real brake bleeder, some fluid and an assistant to bleed the entire system a couple times over. Hopefully I can get the pedal nice and firm again.

Ben

 

[RobSelina]

bleeding brakes is one of those jobs I really hate, but get that helper and you'll have it done in no time.

The only vehicle I can do really well by myself is the jeep. For some reason I can open up the bleeder screws and they naturally flow fluid. Basically open them in the correct sequence, watch the fluid and close when you're ready. Couldn't be easier.

The MG on the other hand was a PITA since I had to use the hand pump bleeder deals and that little kit didn't seal worth a darn on the bleeder screws.

Anyway, better luck tonight!

 

[Biff]

Ben,

Here are plans for a real one person clutch & brake bleeder. I built one and will never go back to any other method.
https://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm

 

[GB1]

Ben:

Sorry to hear your misfortune.

Could you get one of your relatives to sit in the car and pump the pedal for you?

Patrick

 

[Morris]

You may already know this, but...

Check your rear cylinders and make sure you adjust the rear brakes. These cars do not have self adjusters in the drums like most cars. The adjuster is a square head bolt on the back of the dust plate.

 

[saabmp3]

Morris,

Actually, that adjustment might have been what saved me. I did that the last time I bled the brakes and it restored my emergency brake. I used it so much that I'll have to re-adjust tonight.

Ben

 

[Morris]

Cool. I thought you probably already knew that, but I wanted to throw it out there just in case. That adjuster was a real shock to me when I discovered it. Even my 62 T-bird had self adjusters!

 

[aeronca65t]

I bleed my brakes "solo" with no problem.

I use a 3 foot wooden stick (roughly 2" X 2"). I pump the pedal with the stick until it gets as high as it will go (usually less than 10 pumps) and then I jamb it against the seat back and proceed to loosen and then tighten a bleeder screw. I may have to do this several times to get "pure fluid" (no air bubbles) squirting out.
Then I pump the pedal with the stick again, jamb it against the seat, and move on to the next bleeder screw....and so on.
With respect to the master cylinder, I always bleed from farthest to nearest first (in other words, I start with the right rear brake and end with the left front).

A pretty low-tech method and sort of tedious, but it works fine for me.

 

[drooartz]

I tried one of those self bleeder pumps, and wound up using the tried-and-true wife method. Sit the wife in the car, and have her pump the brakes. Mine proved to be willing to help, and it went quickly. The pump was useless.

 

[RobSelina]

[ QUOTE ]
Ben,

Here are plans for a real one person clutch & brake bleeder. I built one and will never go back to any other method.
https://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm

[/ QUOTE ]

neat link! Might have to find a spare MC cover and also one for the clutch. That could really make bleeding 1500 clutches a lot easier!

 

[zimmy]

aeronca has the method....i used a retractable shower rod about 4 ft long to bleed my clutch...even gave my buddy a name-Rod ; ) haha....zzimmmmy