9 replies to this topic

[Will16]

Hi tmf,

Im after some advice on bleeding my brakes. Its a single line circuit, Ive just fitted new calipers and the front half of the braking system is dry, but there is fluid in the line going to the rear brakes.

Whats the best way to go about bleeding this? Should I get fluid to the fronts, then go back round and do furthest from master and so on? Also I think I read that single line circuits bleed in the opposite direction, passenger front first, then drivers front, pass rear, driver rear

Any help would be appreciated

[nicklouse]

I would do furthest remove part first.

[ukcooper]

1 0 service ya drum brakes
2 get some plastic pipe for bleeding the brakes size to fit very snugly over the rear and front nipple 2 x different sizes and get the right spanner for the bleed nipple ring type
3, lock the drum brakes up with the adjuster

for bleeding put the plastic pipe on at least 12" or 300mm put the correct ring spanner on and open about a 1/4 turn pump the pedal till fluid comes down the pipe with no bubles in it then lock the bleed nipple up..

IMPORTANT YA KEEP A EYE ON THE RESATWAR? DONT GO DRY WHILE YA DOING IT IF IT DOSE START AGAIN

bleed braless in order
a rear passenger
b rear driver
c front passenger
d front drivers

undo the adjusters at the back 1/4 rurn or till each wheel just comes free and no binding ..

GO FOR A SMALL DRIVE BEEN CAREFULL AND TEST if there crap start again.

check all 4 drums for been hot...if hot there's a air lock and its push in shoes onto the drum creating friction and heat

new brake pads front need to bed in over 500 miles or so and will over heat until they bed in

all drum brake system are a lot worse than front disc type .. drum brake systems should be banned in my opinion...

think tools ya need are guessing here so might not be right

1/4 opened/ring spanner = rear drum nipples
3/8 opened/ring spanner = rear front nipples or 11mm is good enough

12" or 300mm+ of 1/4 and 3/8 plastic pipe 12" or 300mm e/bay or amazon that kinda stuff  guess it 6mm or 10mm

 

https://www.ebay.co....2qoH5Epz969f3kw

 

jar to keep it all in and catch ya excess fluid

 

oh and a drum brake adjuster spanner 5/16 I think

brake fluid .

a friend to pump the brake peadle while your under the car.

Edited by ukcooper, 15 February 2018 - 05:36 PM.

[ukcooper]

When I had problems bleeding with my 7.5 inch AP calipers, I used thin bits of ply wood as replacement for the brake pads to allow the pistons to come out way past where they would with even worn brake pads in. This worked and I dont know why, but when I replied to a similar post a while back with the same advice, someone told me the rason may be with trapped air sitting behind the pistons in the calipers. Once I done the ply wood thing sure enough the pedal was solid. I have done this with servo and non servo brakes with success.

[Spider]

This worked and I dont know why,

 

Often with new Calipers, the Pistons & Seals are dry of Lubricant. Allowing the Pistons to come out and then retracting them Lubricates them, so that when the Pads are fitted, the Pistons find their natural home rather than being grabbed by the Seals and pulled back further than the otherwise would, ie, they don't self adjust as they should. As this happens on every application of the Brakes, the Pistons need to travel a far way and with the size of the Pistons (and volume of fluid they displace), the Pedal goes a long way before anything happens, often all the way to the floor.

[Will16]

Thank you the help guys, despite the advice I got fluid to the fronts, then have started on the rear passenger side. I now have the problem of that I cant seem to get rid of air in fluid    I'm using a sealy vacuum bleeder, you pump it up to a figure, then open the bleed nipple 1/4 turn and the fluid is drawn out. I've got a good 400ml of fluid just out of the rear cylinder and theres still more coming out. Am I just being impatient? Could it be pulling in air through a connection?

 

[richmondclassicsnorthwales]

You will have all sorts of advise and all sorts of ways to bleed the brakes from a lot of people.

 

The rear brakes do take a lot of bleeding. I have used Gunsons pressure bleeds and the good old fashioned pedal down with bleed nipple open, end of stroke, tighten the nipple up, then pedal up and start again. Always furthest away first, then working to the last closest to the master.

 

Just got to make sure that no air is able to get sucked in when the brake pedal is released and allowed back up from its stroke

 

Takes time, so take time, Patience is a virtue, but you will get there.

[cal844]

Thank you the help guys, despite the advice I got fluid to the fronts, then have started on the rear passenger side. I now have the problem of that I cant seem to get rid of air in fluid    I'm using a sealy vacuum bleeder, you pump it up to a figure, then open the bleed nipple 1/4 turn and the fluid is drawn out. I've got a good 400ml of fluid just out of the rear cylinder and theres still more coming out. Am I just being impatient? Could it be pulling in air through a connection?
 

In my experience the pressure bleeders(when set too high) cause the rear line to be closed off! However as you have extracted fluid from the lines keep using the bleeder

What I'd now do is work from front to rear making sure every union is tight, bleed as you go

[Will16]

Just going to update this for closure, I gave up using the vacuum bleeder and tried the old fashion way, open, down, close, up! I found there was no air whatsoever doing it like this, then went round and bled the rest. I can only assume the pipe I had onto the bleed nipple to the vacuum was pulling air in? Anyway the brakes are bled, pedal is nice and solid, brakes are spot on! Sometimes the old ways are the best

[richmondclassicsnorthwales]

Just as I say, 

 

Patience and sometimes the good old fashioned ways work  -  Job done,  nice one.