Changing the brake fluid on my '90 100

[Brooks Ellis <brooks@fortnet.org>]

> in some fresh brake fluid. Loosen bleed nipple, using preferably a box-end
> wrench, because rounding off the flats on the nipple will make you sad.

Definatly. I JUST tried my brake fliud changing experiment. First I tried 
normal wrenches. This nipple was screwed on there VERY tight, and the 
wrenches wrenched through the metal nut part of the nipple. I was 
beginning to be sad. I tried a different wrench, exactly the right size, 
and it too slipped. I was definatly becomming sad. I finally tried a 
socket wrench with an almost right sized socket-thing, and it worked 
perfectly. I was on the road to happiness ( I thought ).

> Slowly press the brake pedal to the floor repeatedly, until new, clear fluid
> starts coming through the tube with no air bubbles. Keep the reservoir topped 
> up with new fluid as you work to stop air getting in.

I had a REAL problem with this. I don't know how, but I kept getting air 
in the system. Arrgh! I think the nipple was loosened too much, but if I 
tighened it further, it wouldn't pass enough fluid through.

> Repeat for all 4 wheels, working from the furthest away from the master cylinder
> to the nearest.

I'm going to try the other three wheels tomorrow.
This one took me ~1.5 hours. I got the DIRTIEST, ugliest, motor-oil 
looking fluid out of there. I guess it's a good thing I got it when I 
did, but sooner would have been nice.
> Some people like to use a friend to pump the brake pedal, while they open
> and close the bleed nipple on each stroke. I find this unneccessary if you
> keep the tube submerged in the jar.

I had someone help me - this way I could keep dumping out the jar when it 
got full, put a little clear fluid in it, and keep topping off the master 
cylinder, all without having to get brake fluid in my car. I probably 
wouldn't have, but it would have sucked if I did. ( and with my luck.. )

> Somebody else will now probably post a treatise on how pressure flushing/vacuum

If I had a little hand-held pump, it would have simplified things an 
amazing amount.

One side note on the whole deal - There WAS a bleeder valve in the master 
cylinder..It took me quarter till forever to just get my brake fluid 
ice-tea colored by constantly topping up the dirty fluid and pumping it 
out the back brake. If I  had just emtied the cylinder first, It wouldn't 
have taken nearly as much time.

Good luck anyone else who attempts this..

Brooks ' gee, fifty bucks at the dealer seems cheap almost.. '