lazy brake fluid change?

You can do that and it can be helpful, but primarily for the master cylinder. To get clean fluid all the way back to the rear wheels, you need something like this:

You can do that and it can be helpful, but primarily for the master cylinder. To get clean fluid all the way back to the rear wheels, you need something like this:

Now that you mention it...

I took the 10-yr-old car (137k miles) for a brake fluid flush for the first time ever last winter. The guys at Brake Masters said that the stuff was "like syrup" coming out, and would need *another* flush in about 3 months' time.

Sure enough, although the fluid was clear at the time, 3 months later, it turned dark again.

So it's due for its, um, 2nd flush. Was just wondering if I could save a bit on the logistics by doing it myself, turkey-baster style...

Btw, brake fluid is the nasty stuff that can dissolve car paint right off, right?

Thanks,

Michael

The Power Bleeder from Motive Products works great. They posted the instruction on their web site. You may want to check it out. It's not much more than a set of Speed Bleeders. I use the universal reservoir adapter version.

Don't know how I got along without it. Others use the MityVac pump. But turkey baster won't do, because brake fluid doesn't recirculate to the caliper/wheel cylinder.

Do this once a year on all cars with 1 qt of brake fluid. Castrol GT LMA (Low Moisture Activity), Valvoline Syntech Dot-3/4, or Pyroil Dot

Yeah, in general we shade tree mechanics start with the simple stuff, and gradualy take on the more difficult ones. One step at a time.

An 8 mm box wrench (at least on my car), 2 feet of 3/16" ID rubber hose, a $4 one way check valve from Pep Boys and an empty windex bottle with spray pumper plus an hour of your time (first time) is all you need. Pump the resevoir dry with the pump from the Windex bottle and pumping old stuff into the bottle itself. Fill resevior with new fluik. Take off you left rear wheel, open the bleed valve, attach hose with check valve, stick valve in bottle fluid. Go pump pedal nice and slow and no farther down than pedal/piston normally travels. Watch level in resevoir, it will fall fast. You must refill and not let it get too low or you will introduce air into system and have to start over. Check the resevoir about every 10 pumps just to be safe. Check condition of fluid coming out at wheel. When it flows clear, you are done with that wheel. Tighten bleed valve. Now do the left rear. Then right front. Then left front. If your jack will go high enough, you can rotate the tires from front to back during one of the bleeds for each side. I usually do it when I bleed the front. It means taking the back wheels off twice but that only takes a few minutes.

I am sure there are more precise directions somewhere on the net. Somebody please correct anything I forgot or is not clear. I got mine from the Haynes manual.

You save money, don't have to load up the kids and you will know the job was actually done and done right. Get your wife to come out and pump the pedal and then job will be even easier.

Doug

why can't you just let fluid flow out each wheel until all are empty, then add new fluid, then bleed brakes until air is expelled?

I am sure there are more precise directions somewhere on the net. Somebody please correct anything I forgot or is not clear. I got mine from the Haynes manual.

You save money, don't have to load up the kids and you will know the job was actually done and done right. Get your wife to come out and pump the pedal and then job will be even easier.

Doug

Air can get trapped in the system, particularly the master cylinder, which is very difficult to get out by the pedal pump method. That's why people bench bleed the new master cylinder before installing. I use a Motive Products Power Bleeder, which is a modified garden pump with a pressure gauge and a universal fluid reservoir adapter cap. Works well.

You can read

stevie wrote: