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Vacuum Bleeder

xj92

xj92

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Junction City, KS
What is a good brand for a vacuum bleeder? Where can you get one?
 
Do a search, I have been looking at several, I'm assuming you mean for brake systems ??
 
Do a search is a lame reply; I did, and I didn't find anything mentioned about brands or where to get one. I already bought one in the absence of a good recommendation.
 
Mighty Vac brand bleeder is often mentioned. Some people mention Motive Power Bleeder as a good one to have. You can probably order one online or from a parts supplier.

I don't think RichP's reply is lame at all. Sometimes info is embedded in threads with similar topics. You really do have to do a search. I don't think people are ill-meaning when they say "do a search". It's meant to instill self-reliance.
 
Searches are good. Always a good source of ....

Wisdom
XJade said:
Has anyone tried out those pricey one-man brake bleeder valves? Just wondering if they're worth the money. Are they prone to failure after awhile? I'm tempted as hell. Never seem to have a friend around when I need to bleed the brakes. Uh...I guess it helps to have friends!
Click to expand...
rattler43 said:
XJade: Run a searc "Bleeder for Brakes" . I asked same question a month or two ago. I have one installed on my cluch and it seems to work fine so far. Sorry about spelling. Need to clean my keyboard. Don
Click to expand...
followed by some...

Cool Tech
Okie Terry said:
Here's my advice. Read and learn my friend.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=30104&highlight=bleed+valve+stem+hose
Click to expand...
Okie Terry said:
Air goes in the tire valve stem only one direction. So, put one, valve cap end, in a clear tube and put a small hose clamp on it. Now crack open the factory bleeder and jump in and pump slowly. I use a long enough hose so as to place the catch jar up high. This way you can see when the air bubbles stop. Simple.
Click to expand...

I use one of the vacuum pumps to bleed but I find myself having to emtpy the reservoir way to often. I think I'm gonna try the Terry method.
 
Let us know how the Terry method works for you. I'm still using the "bribe a friend" method.

I never did buy those one-man bleeder things for my brakes. $10 for the darn tiny valve still makes me a little shy about testing them out.
 
XJade said:
Let us know how the Terry method works for you. I'm still using the "bribe a friend" method.

I never did buy those one-man bleeder things for my brakes. $10 for the darn tiny valve still makes me a little shy about testing them out.
Click to expand...

I've had to abandon the friend method. Just to refer to yet to another of your posts, my wife helped me bleed the brakes ONCE!

Ya, it does sound worth checking out.
 
The last time I rebuilt my brake system I installed speed bleeders and used a Mighty Vac to bleed it. The speed bleeders work like a champ, but I still wouldn’t try it by my self like that. BTW The front and rear use different sizes. NAPA, Auto Zone, Shuck’s etc have them for under $10 for a set of 2. I think that they are worth the money. The Mighty Vac was the icing on the cake. It worked as advertised, but my hand did get tired of pumping and I had to dump the fluid out a couple of times. It was an easy one-man job, but I did have to take a break after each tire. Just follow the directions, start at the closest one to the master cylinder (driver’s front) and work your way to the furthest one away (passenger’s rear). I know that sounds backwards, but that’s what the instructions said and it worked just fine. Once upon a time my wife helped me bleed the brakes. I don’t think that I’d still be married if she tried to “help” again.
 
Quick search on naxja with 'brake bleeders'...
http://www.motiveproducts.com/02bleeders.html
http://www.vacula.com/
http://www.mityvac.com/kits.html#brakebleedingkit

The motive product one is sold by several places and is around $60-90 depending on the model you get. They are a one man operation, you add fluid to the gallon jug, put the adapted on the master cylinder resevoir, pump it up by hand then go around and bleed the wheels one by one. Eastwood, the restoration people have one that has a self filling bottle that you hang into the master cylinder and then go around and use a mighty bleeder by hand.
Another method that I have seen used is a vac pump on the floor, a hose to each nipple fitting and turn on the vac pump, keep adding fluid as needed, when done shut the pump off and close the fittings. The vac is low suction and can take up to an hour to bleed a system that has just had a new Master cylinder installed.
Snap-on has them, mac has them as do most of the tool truck companies that supply garages...
 
Wow, I have to say I'm shocked that the Jeep crowd hasn't jumped on the one man bleeder valves. The road-racing community has been using them for years. And talk about a group that bleeds their brakes a lot!

I got a set for my Mustang when I was getting ready for a track event and needed to bleed the brakes clear out, got a set for the ZJ when doing front pads and having a bleeder screw round the head from being overtightened. My brother-in-law also picked up a set for his Jeep (SJ), but got the wrong ones for the front and forced them in rather than waiting for the right ones :eyeroll: No leakage even with the 10mm where the 3/8ths should be.

I typically still run a one man bleeder kit just to re-capture the fluid and avoid spraying it all over my paint/wheelwell.

Just my $.02
Bill
 
I picked up a surplus medical vacuum pump, a mason jar, a couple of brass fittings and some tubing and made my own. Ideally it is a two man proceedure because it sucks the fluid so quick. One person keeps the master cylinder full and one guy goes around and hits each wheel for about a minute. You can completely flush a system in less than 5 minutes.

That stupid bleeder is constantly being borrowed by friends. It sure helps doing those pesky clutch slave cylinders that everybody cusses. If any body is interested, I can take some pix and show how to set it up.
 
I got the Mity Vac from AutoZone, $26 for the pump and a reservoir with all the tubes and fittings. I bled my clutch and my brakes by myself in no time and I've never had such a good pedal on either one.
 
Hello,

I used the MityVac from autozone too (about a month ago), but I was constantly getting bubbles from around the bleed screw. I pulled one out and sealed it with teflon tape but after a couple of turns of the screw it was sucking air again. Did you encounter the same problem? I tried to ignore it but those bubbles really started to p!ss me off.

JamesBond
 
I constantly got bubbles, which I wasn't expecting, but I just kept pumping and took about an entire container of fluid from each front wheel and half of that for each rear wheel. The brake pedal feels better than I've ever had it, so I don't understand the bubbles but I'm happy with the result.
 
The bubbles are usually leakage from around the plastic tubing on the fitting you are using that attaches to the mity vac. Thats one of the reasons I prefer the pressure from above with a pump up flusher or the gravity method which I have not tried yet, you are not depending on seal around the fitting and the hose.
 
RichP said:
The bubbles are usually leakage from around the plastic tubing on the fitting you are using that attaches to the mity vac. Thats one of the reasons I prefer the pressure from above with a pump up flusher or the gravity method which I have not tried yet, you are not depending on seal around the fitting and the hose.
Click to expand...

Actually, I think the bubbles are pulled past the threads on the bleeder itself, even if the tubing is a snug fit. I notice fewer bubbles if I open the bleeder a minimum amount or have a lot of anti-seize on the threads. I have never worried about them, because they are not getting into the brake lines, just mixing with the waste fluid, so as long as there is fluid coming out the bleeder, the job is being done. I just pull out as much fluid as I figure is reasonable. You might use more fluid doing it this way, but it's a good idea to flush the system a bit anyway.
 
They (the bubbles) didnt bother me either UNTIL I sucked the resevoir dry. Then getting bubble free fluid was important to me. Next time I bleed I will be more careful with the resevoir and live with the bubbles.

JamesBond
 
I've got two of the little "jelly jar" kits, and they really are too small. The vacuum bleeder concept is sound (I don't do enough brakes to justify a real pressure bleeder at the moment) but I get tired of emptying the damn thing...

So, I've gotten my paws on two of those "party balloon" helium cannisters, and I'm making a vacuum bleeder out of one. I'll let you all know how it goes...

5-90

Oh - anyone know a good source for a cheap electric vacuum pump? If I can run it on battery power, so much the better (some multiple of 3VDC.)

5-90
 
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