Manual Brake bleed? April 25, 2024, 12:03:27 pm At 51K miles I am doing maintenance to try to reduce problems for future trips. Transmission and differential fluids have been changed, house batteries replaced, new serpentine belt installed, coolant will be replaced this week, and then I'll pull the brake calipers, mic the rotors, replace the pads, lubricate the sliding rails, and flush the brake hydraulic system. Other maintenance tasks will follow before our month of travels this summer.I don't have a pressure flush system and have always used the manual method of press pedal to the floor while loosening the bleed screw and letting fluid flow into a container, tighten the bleed screw,and then let brake pedal return to the up position. Check the reservoir periodically to prevent air ingress.Is there any reason that this method will not be suitable for a 2014 E450 Lazy Daze?Thanks,Harold 1 Likes
Re: Manual Brake bleed? Reply #1 – April 25, 2024, 01:11:46 pm The traditional bleeding method will work but it does not flush ABS (anti-lock brakes) pump, a process that requires an OBDII scanner with ABS capabilities. Inexpensive scanners cannot flush the ABS pump, a feature only found in more expensive scanners. Most auto shops can do this.Does not bleeding the ABS matter? It depends on if the pump is ever activated when stopping hard on slippery surfaces.Pump activation will circulate the brake fluid through the ABS pump.. So far, our 22-year-old LD's ABS still works without a formal flushing of the ABS pump, my scanner will not operate the older system while it works on newer vehicles. I will occasionally intentionally set off the ABS brakes on a slick surface to flush the pump, under the right conditions. The LD's brakes get flushed every two or three years. along with our other cars.A moderately-priced Motive power brake bleeder has served well for years. Adaptor caps for various types of brake fluid reservoirs are available for most cars. This makes bleeding a fast, one-person job. It can also be used to bleed hydraulic clutch cylinders.0107 - Ford 3-Prong Power Bleeder - Motive ProductsLarry 2 Likes
Re: Manual Brake bleed? Reply #2 – April 25, 2024, 01:25:46 pm Thank you Larry. That is exactly the information I was looking for.I appreciate your help.Harold
Re: Manual Brake bleed? Reply #3 – April 25, 2024, 06:53:51 pm Since the master cylinder and reservoir are location high above the wheels, I simply used gravity to bleed out my brake lines. I first sucked down the reservoir to fill with clean motorcraft brake fluid. I opened one brake nipple at a time, at a high drip rate and made sure the reservoir stayed topped up. When the color of the fluid changed to clear, I closed the bleeder and moved to the next brake and repeated the procedure at each corner. Clean fluid thoughout except for maybe the abs pump. Has stayed clear for over 2 years now. 1 Likes
Re: Manual Brake bleed? Reply #4 – April 26, 2024, 06:32:10 pm QuoteI simply used gravity to bleed out my brake lines. I've always used the traditional bleed method after brake work but not for a flush. Now it's time to flush the LD. Your method sounds like the hot setup to me. I'm in! Thanks.jor 1 Likes
Re: Manual Brake bleed? Reply #5 – April 27, 2024, 03:11:18 am A slow gravity feed may not expel air bubbles, water droplets or particles of rust as well as a rapid flow from a pressure bleeder, or forceful push on a brake pedal. RonB 2 Likes
Re: Manual Brake bleed? Reply #6 – April 27, 2024, 12:50:59 pm Quote from: RonB - April 27, 2024, 03:11:18 amA slow gravity feed may not expel air bubbles, water droplets or particles of rust as well as a rapid flow from a pressure bleeder, or forceful push on a brake pedal. RonBRon must have experienced this. When a brake system is drained for major work, such as replacing calipers or brake lines, air bubbles can occur in spots where gravity bleeding will not remove all the trapped air. The air bubbles need agitation or a high fluid flow rate to dislodge them. The two person method with one pumping the brake while the other opens and closes the individual brake bleeders or using a pressure bleeder is needed in these situations. In some cases, it can take multiple bleeding attempts to remove all the air.Gravity bleeding is fine for a simple fluid change but do not expect it to clear all the air after major brake work.Larry 2 Likes
Re: Manual Brake bleed? Reply #7 – April 28, 2024, 09:46:30 am About 3 years ago I had to replace the brake line running from the front to the rear. I gravity bled and it has been fine. 3 years and 12,000 or so miles. This was my first time gravity bleeding. I opened the bleeders one at a time and went in the house for 30 minutes.
Re: Manual Brake bleed? Reply #8 – May 03, 2024, 12:22:20 pm I got away from the pump the pedal and bleed method after I ruined a master cylinder doing this. When the pedal travels downward much farther than normal, the master cylinder seals encounter a normally unused section of the cylinder bore. I believe a bit of debris or rust cut my seal and turned into a master cylinder change to fix it. I do a pressure bleed on my car with an adapter on the master cylinder reservoir. I didn't have the adapter to fit to the ford style, probably should research and get one ordered.
Re: Manual Brake bleed? Reply #9 – May 03, 2024, 02:25:59 pm Quote from: airbusguy - May 03, 2024, 12:22:20 pmI got away from the pump the pedal and bleed method after I ruined a master cylinder doing this. When the pedal travels downward much farther than normal, the master cylinder seals encounter a normally unused section of the cylinder bore. I believe a bit of debris or rust cut my seal and turned into a master cylinder change to fix it. I do a pressure bleed on my car with an adapter on the master cylinder reservoir. I didn't have the adapter to fit to the ford style, probably should research and get one orderedPressure bleeding is the way most shops bleed brakes. Damage to the mast cylinder is problematic when using the old-school pedal pumping routine. Various adaptor caps are available for most pressure bleeders.I couldn't find the correct adaptor for one of my Jeeps so I built this adaptor that clamps on many master cylinders.Base- 3" X 6" X 3/16" steel strap.Seal on bottom 1/4" hard rubber.Hold down- 1/4" bolts, wingnuts, and a small chain.The chain wraps around the bottom of the master cylinder, securing it to the master cylinder.Removable cap to enable refilling of the master cylinder.On-off valve used when refilling MCAn air compressor is used with the regulator set to 15-20 PSI.Larry 2 Likes
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Topic: Manual Brake bleed? (Read 379 times)
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