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Speed bleeders...wha?

ParadiseXJ

ParadiseXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Paradise, CA 95969
Anybody know what and how a speed bleeder works. I've just about finished the entire brake system on my project MJ and saw speed bleeders on the HELP shelf at NAPA. Wondering if they are an advantage or what?

Also, when I'm looking for brake lines there is a note that says:

Opposite side may require lockout

What does that mean, and do I need it?
 
I run speed bleeders on all my vehicles and love them. It's basically a one way check valve that lets fluid out and nothing back in. You don't have to worry about air or fluid sucking back in, you open them to bleed then close when completed. Easier than any vac setup I've seen and you can do it anywhere you need by yourself with no special tools other than standard wrench.

Standard bleeding procedure for me is: hook up clear hose, open bleeder(1/4 turn or whatever), pump brakes about 10 times, top off fluid and repeat. Close the bleeder then move on to the next wheel.

If you have someone else to help it's even quicker. One person pumps the brakes and the other keeps the fluid topped off.

Only thing to watch out for is not opening the valve to far and allow air to be sucked in passed the threads. That can happen with any bleeder valve though...
 
Speed bleeders are just that. They have a ball valve and spring inside. You crack the bleeder just like any other, but then you push the pedal down and fluid comes out, but when you release pressure on the pedal the spring forces the ball into the seat and no air can be drawn in.

Super one man bleed.

Link: http://speedbleeder.zoovy.com/c=vDq1NPgzaZABvXMUnCKKhTDu6/

Note: you will need to check as their are two sized listed for the rear, and some of the aftermarket rear wheel cylinders use a bastard metric size, but they have that too.

DAMN! I need to type faster!
 
joe_peters said:
Speed bleeders are just that. They have a ball valve and spring inside. You crack the bleeder just like any other, but then you push the pedal down and fluid comes out, but when you release pressure on the pedal the spring forces the ball into the seat and no air can be drawn in.

Super one man bleed.

Link: http://speedbleeder.zoovy.com/c=vDq1NPgzaZABvXMUnCKKhTDu6/

Note: you will need to check as their are two sized listed for the rear, and some of the aftermarket rear wheel cylinders use a bastard metric size, but they have that too.

DAMN! I need to type faster!
Click to expand...

Speed bleeders came up on another forum like an hour ago so I had my sales pitch in mind already ha.
 
another happy speed bleeder user here... if you don't like em though, I have plenty of stock bleeder valves you can have for free now that I don't need them anymore :D
 
my speed bleeders didnt work after about a year because i did put the plastic caps on them and the rust and corrosion didnt allow the check valve to open.
 
I think they're a great idea. If bleeding your brakes was that easy you wouldn't hesitate to flush dirty brake fluid out with fresh fluid. Brake fluid isnt very expensive. It would be nice piece of mind. I hate dirty fluids with a passion.
 
Bleeding brakes is also that easy without speed bleeders if you gravity bleed. The only difference is the time it takes, except that with speed bleeders (or any other method that involves pumping) you also may damage your master cylinder rubber parts by pushing them further than they were pushed during normal use.
 
winterbeater said:
Bleeding brakes is also that easy without speed bleeders if you gravity bleed. The only difference is the time it takes, except that with speed bleeders (or any other method that involves pumping) you also may damage your master cylinder rubber parts by pushing them further than they were pushed during normal use.
Click to expand...

:wierd:
Is this really a problem? I've been pumping up my brakes and bleeding them manually for.......ever. Never once have I have a master cyl fail from this procedure.
 
Ah, no. But if you yank a frozen up door open to oil the hinges, it might fall off. :rof:

Seriously though, older things need to be handled with care. I am not saying that your brakes don't need to work good. With an older car, I stand hard on the brakes while it is sitting still in the driveway to break whatever is close to breaking. But there is no need to bottom out the rubbers.
 
I went to NAPA today, and then in desperation to the Zone. Nobody had the sizes I needed. Are they Jeep specific or caliper/cylinder specific. Guy at NAPA had 10-12 different sizes...just not mine. Two different sizes needed.

I have just done the brakes w/new calipers and cylinders.

88 4.0 4x4 D44 rear, D30 front ??P/N's??
 
veedubshafer said:
Geez never even realized there were 10-12 different bleeder sizes even sae and metric together.
Click to expand...

And what SUX is that some of the aftermarket replacement wheel cylinders for the XJ are metric, not SAE (confirmed from Vatozone).
 
ParadiseXJ said:
I went to NAPA today, and then in desperation to the Zone. Nobody had the sizes I needed. Are they Jeep specific or caliper/cylinder specific. Guy at NAPA had 10-12 different sizes...just not mine. Two different sizes needed.

I have just done the brakes w/new calipers and cylinders.

88 4.0 4x4 D44 rear, D30 front ??P/N's??
Click to expand...
Not sure on the rears (if you've replaced the cylinders they may be some oddball metric size like Joe said) but the fronts are 3/8-24, NAPA didn't have an app for my XJ so I just asked for 3/8-24 speed bleeders and they're working fine so far. The speed bleeder website has an application table if you want to make sure, but the best way is to bring in your normal bleeder screw, throw it in the thread gauge, then find all the speed bleeders with that thread and compare length side by side.
 
I keep a 10 foot roll of 1/4" vinyl tubing (like 2 bucks at home depot or lowes) and a quart of brake fluid in the back of the jeep at all times.
 
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