Brake Bleeding

Does anyone have a suggestion as to how a lone person could bleed the brakes on a '70 Type I Beetle. I have no help in my shop, and my brakes are spngy and I've adjusted them, but have no one to pump them up while I bleed.

Any help will be appreciated.

Reply to
Randall Brink
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Vaccum Bleeder???? Pressure bleeder?

Either will work in a "one-man" situation.

I have a hand held Vaccum pump that I can hook up to a vaccum reservoir and pull vaccum then hook a hose up and dump into a container.

Make a quick Google search on vaccum bleeders and/or pressure bleeders..........you'll have more than enough material to keep you in the house for a month or so, or until someone wanders by and helps you out.................

Call a friend.............if you live far from them, hope they are a VERY GOOD friend.................There is a contraption you can make with a little hose and a jar if you're even kinda handy with mechanical stuff...............even in the manuals I have there's a make-shift bleeder setup described and illustrated.

Anyone else?????

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Reply to
MUADIB®

Sometimes it's just a pain to try and get someone to help.

The last time I bled my brakes (long ago...I really should do it again soon) I made a pressure bleeder out of a cap to screw onto the fluid reservoir, some tubing, and a cheap 12 powered inflator (the kind you use to inflate air mattresses and basketballs).

I wonder where I put it?

Reply to
Michael Cecil

Sounds stupid but its worked before. Push the brakes 8-12 times and quickly get underneath the wheel and slowly open the valave, Only let out air and repeat. Its slow and painful but will get you close to a good bleed eventually. It takes about 4-5 tries per wheel.

Reply to
Funkie

Oh yeah, do them in order , furthest from the master cylinder. RP : rear passenger RD: rear driver FP: front passenger FD: front driver

Reply to
Funkie

I've had success for many years by wedging a handle from a hydraulic jack between the brake pedal and the driver's seat frame. You can slide the car seat forward or backward to suit you. Also, remember to leave the cap off the brake fluid reservoir while bleeding, so air can replace the fluid in the reservoir as the level falls.

another Randall

Randall Br> Does anyone have a suggestion as to how a lone person could bleed the brakes

Reply to
Randall Post

It's easy. FIrst, just ignore everything you've read that was written up about this. Most of it was written by someone who never actually did it, or never did it for a living.

Here's all you have to do:

Get a bottle to bleed into and a hose that is a snug fit on the bleed valves and is long enough to loop up a bit and then reach down to the bottom of the bottle.

Top up the reservoir with fluid from a freshly opened bottle of brake fluid.

Open the bleed valve ~1/2 turn and connect the hose. The hose should loop up an inch or more and then down to the bottom of your bottle.

Make sure it's all stable there and then get in the car and pump the pedal: down, up, down, up,...

Check the reservoir. Make sure you don't draw the fluid down so far that you suck air in there. If you do, you get to start over. Refil as necessary.

Look at your hose. It should be full of fluid by now, maybe with some bubbles at the top of the loop. The bottom end will now be submerged in fluid.

Repeat until the fluid coming out looks clean. That will replace your old fluid with dry fluid and will drag out any air in the process.

Move to the next wheel. On a car that starts out dry, I usually go around twice: once to fill up everything and a quick second time just as insurance.

Notes:

All this work can be done by gravity if you don't mind it taking longer. Just open the bleed valve and let the fluid flow out. If it doesn't flow out on it's own, then there is a problem somewhere that you should fix anyway. The problem is likely to be either dirt/rust in the bleed valve or a bad rubber hose leading to that wheel. Both are common.

The loop in the hose will keep bubbles from flowing back into the cylinder on the upstroke. If you don't believe me, you can get a second person to pump while you just watch. I would still use this method with 2 people, because that leaves one person in the car while the other can watch for the end of the bubbles and the level in the reservoir.

Pressure bleeders are great, but they either take a fair amount of work to make or they are expensive. If you make one and it fails on you, it will blow brake fluid all over everything.

Standard brake fluid lifts paint, but if you flush it off with water VERY quickly, the damage can be minimal.

I don't trust vacuum bleeders because they create a pressure differential in the wrong direction across the brake system seals; this is likely to actually suck in air unless the seals are all in VG condition.

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----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA

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Reply to
Jim Adney

That is the way I use. You can get a clear tube with a one way valve for bleeding brakes. A couple of GBP or ($ if you like).

If you kneel on the floor by the drivers door you can pump the pedal with your hand and watch the fluid come out under the car at the same time. Just have to remember to check the reserviour from time to time.

Rich

Reply to
Tricky

The valve works okay, but it also works just as well without it.

I should try that some time, but I don't know if it would be any easier than climbing in and out of the drivers seat each time I want to check the reservoir.

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----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA

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Reply to
Jim Adney

It may or may not be easier, but when you are new to it (and still for me now :-) ), its interesting to see all the bubbles and dirty fluid coming out ! Then when the bubbles stop and the fluid runs clean you know you are done on that wheel !

Rich

Reply to
Tricky

I roll down the window and use a broomstick to pump the pedal..... just stand beside the car...maybe i'm too old for all the kneeling and climbing in and out...LOL

Reply to
Joey Tribiani

Read this:

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It explains how to make a bleeder valve with a rubber hose and a bolt.

Greetings, Gerrelt.

Reply to
beetle_boy

I agree. My preferred method is to get my wife or daughter or the car's owner to pump, while I take care of the other end of things. That way I can watch the exiting fluid as well as the reservoir.

Once you're all set up, this process is all done in about 8 minutes, so even my wife doesn't mind too much.

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----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA

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Reply to
Jim Adney

Yes, you can do that and it certainly works. It's just a check valve and bleeding works just as well, and just as quickly, without it.

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----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA

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Reply to
Jim Adney

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