Re: HELP: Brake bleed 4kqt

[ejfluhr@austin.ibm.com (Fluhr)]

Wolff gives an excellent description of how to make a power bleeder cap:

>Go to a junkyard and get a sensor type
>brake fluid cap off a VW, Audi, BMW, or whatever, just make sure it
>fits. Jetta was my choice. Pop the sensor out. You should have a hole a
>little bigger than a valve stem. Put a valve stem in, (A Schrader, not a
>presta silly). I used a nice chromed threaded one that secured with a
>locknut.

Camel makes a chromed schrader valve stem that bolts right into the hole
on the cap.  Most auto parts stores should sell it for a buck or two (I
got mine at Pep Boys).  I had to add a large washer on the outside of
cap before screwing the nut onto the valve, so that the rubber seal on
the valve would be tight.

>Grab your floor type bicycle pump with the built in guage and
>have your significant other apply just under 10 psi continuously.
>(She'll actually not mind doing it as it's a heck of a lot easier and
>quicker than the pump the pedal method.)

I have a better method for those of you with an air compressor with a
output pressure regulator on it (most compressor/tank combinations seem
to have this).  Camel makes an air-filler adapter for schrader valves that
has a clamp on it (should be found at most auto parts stores, as well).
Attach this to your compressor hose, set the output pressure to 20psi, and
clamp it onto the bleeder cap.

BTDT with this setup 8 or 9 times in one weekend when testing and installing
a replacement brake master cylinder on my brother's '87 Coupe GT.

This method makes two-person brake bleeds a thing of the past.  The downside
is that you have to refill the resevoir between wheels (depending on how
much fluid you bleed through the system).  The upside is that you can now
justify spending money on that air compressor you have been wanting.  ;-)

Later,
Eric
'85 Coupe GT
---
Eric J. Fluhr                                Email:  ejfluhr@austin.ibm.com
630FP Logic/Circuit Design                   Phone:  (512) 838-7589
IBM Server Group                             Austin, TX