Gravity Bleeding....as we speak.

MetalSpikeRacing

MetalSpikeRacing

Experienced Member
Joined
20 March 2009
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Location
Toronto/Cancun
Hey guys,

I am bleeding my brakes as we speak... again.
Last night I tried bleeding them according to the manual, and when I started the car the pedal went almost to the floor, and when it was off the pedal was dead stiff.

So I am now trying Gravity bleeding and my Only question is.. How long is enough time for each caliper?

30 minutes is enough?

I am doing the first one right now and the fluid is going very very slow. just in case it matters, it is a BBK upgrade at the front and all the fluid is being replace with super blue.


I never done gravity bleeding but I though I'd give it a chance.

-MSR
 
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I tried it once.... but I had to pump the brakes the traditional way to fully get the air out..
 
Well, I waited to see how much fluid/air was going to get out, I gave about a half hour to each bleeder and there was barely any fluid coming out, nevermind fluid.

I so re-did the conventional bleeding again and still feels like crap, nevermind smushi is more like, pedal pass the half way point down.


So I failed again, which sucks, I work full days tomorrow and friday and have a track day on saturday afternoon...

Sucks.

-MSR
 
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Gravity bleed each side for about 40 minutes. It helps to use some small clear plastic hoses that'll attach to the nipple so you can see if bubbles are still coming out.

Also, as said before, its best to finish it off by pumping the brakes and cracking open the valve to get the rest of the air out. You'll be suprised to see that there will be still quite a bit of air in the lines after bleeding... especially since your replacing the front calipers.
 
After replacing the ABS unit in my car I had to cycle through the bleed sequence (using the pedal) twice, drive the car and engage the ABS a few time, then come back and cycle through twice more before I had confidence I'd gotten enough air out to be track-able (and indeed I had no fade at a track notorious for being hell on brakes).

I've used a vacuum bleeder with some success as well. Gotta make sure the threads on the bleed screws are sealed for that though.
 
Just did mine after replacing the Master Cylinder.
At first I did the gravity method to get rid of the majority of the air in the line. Then I used a tall bottle half full of clean fluid as a catch can. Opened the bleed screw, attached a tube to the bleed screw and put the other end in the catch can with the end of the platic tube deep in the fluid. Pumped the brakes many times, one wheel at a time in the order specified in the manual.
After starting the engine, the vacuum assist needed to be primed. This took a couple of pumps but the pedal firmed right up. Drove the car for a week, exercised the ABS a couple of times on wet roads, then, with the help of a friend, we did the bleeding the old fashioned way: one working the pedal, the other on the bleed srew, not allowing the pedal to return unless the bleed screw was closed. Very little air came out, in conclusion, my first method worked very well.
 
I will try bleeding them again on Saturday , there has to be lots of air in there.

I hope I can get them done in time for the track.
I guess if just keep running fluid through them, eventually the air will come out?

I hate bleeding!!!!
 
gravity bleeding sucks. It is painfully slow. I used a piece of clear tube about 18" long. Took the cap off, loosen the bleeder and sucked on the hose to help get it started. Once it flowed, I put a small loop in the hose in case a bubble went up the hose.

Process took me a LONG time. I ended up bulding a homemade pressure bleeder with a pesticide sprayer. Worked GREAT
 
I was talking to a friend and he made the comment that there might be air in the abs pump/system?

Btw, if it is relevant , the brakes at the front are stoptechs.
I tried tapping all calipers with a rubber malett (spell?), and I actually haven't seen bubbles!!

-MSR
 
If you still have the original '92-spec ABS, that may be possible. I've gotten the best results from the bleed/exercise/bleed routine that cycles the ABS pump a few times between bleed sessions.

I've had to do three more or less complete flushes on my car (once because the previous owner had never changed the fluid, once when I replaced the calipers, and once when I replaced the ABS system).
 
Mighty vac is about $70 you will be done in a hour or get super vac $200 and it hooks up to a compressor way faster that's what the dealer does
 
Jerry@Mobile said:
For $30 or so, get a set of Speed Bleeders. The hardest part of the job will be removing and installing your wheels. Very easy one person job. Good luck. Jerry
Click to expand...

+1. That's what I did. When I realized how easy it was I put speed bleeders on both of my other cars too. The wheels on the Escalade are big/open enough that I didn't need to take them off to get to the bleeders. :P
 
I am too busy, and I cant take the chance to wait last minute on the weekend to bleed them, just before going to the track.

Tomorrow morning the car is heading to the Dealer, to make sure its done properly, and so I have the saturday morning to test it out.

I have four speed bleeders that I will use at the front and tomorrow I will get two more for the back.

Do you guys know what size bleeder does the rear take?

-MSR
 
MetalSpikeRacing said:
I am too busy, and I cant take the chance to wait last minute on the weekend to bleed them, just before going to the track.

Tomorrow morning the car is heading to the Dealer, to make sure its done properly, and so I have the saturday morning to test it out.

I have four speed bleeders that I will use at the front and tomorrow I will get two more for the back.

Do you guys know what size bleeder does the rear take?

-MSR
Click to expand...

Why do you need 4 bleeders for the front?

Front and rear are the same size. Only caliper and clutch slave are different sizes.
 
FogCityNSX said:
Why do you need 4 bleeders for the front?

Front and rear are the same size. Only caliper and clutch slave are different sizes.
Click to expand...


The stoptechs at the front have two bleeders each, the bleeders I already have fit the stoptechs, but seem bigger than the rear ones.


-MSR
 
MetalSpikeRacing said:
I am doing the first one right now and the fluid is going very very slow. just in case it matters, it is a BBK upgrade at the front and all the fluid is being replace with super blue.
I never done gravity bleeding but I though I'd give it a chance.
-MSR
Click to expand...
Since you're using Super Blue, that's a visual indicator as to when you're into the new fluid at the calipers.
However long that takes with the gravity method to see the blue fluid, is how long it takes.....
 
Ooooh stoptech, I didn't know you went that route. I believe the caliper is either 8mm or 10mm. I just know that the clutch and caliper bleeders are different, 8mm and 10mm.

found it:
SB10125L brakes. Clutch is 8mm

http://www.speedbleeder.com/size.htm

The L stands for long nipple, helps hold the bleeder hose on better.
 
Never had good luck or liked gravity or speed bleeding the clutch or brakes. IMO I would just do it the traditional way:

Pump the brakes
PRESSURE (on the brake pedal)
Open the bleed valve, fluid/air will come out, Close the valve
PUMP the brakes 3-5X
PRESSURE
Open the bleed valve, fluid/air will come out, Close the valve
PUMP the brakes 3-5X
=Repeat as much as necessary

Pattern: RR, LR, RF, LF.



Just did this on my M3 yesterday.

0.02
 
CL65 Captain said:
Dealer + Stoptech = not done properly. :wink:
Click to expand...


Ya, and you were right.

I ran out of time and end up taking it to the dealer, when they gave me the car back the pedal was nice and stiff, on my way to the track the pedal went halfway down again!! I tracked the car like that, but I had to tap the brakes on the straigh aways just to see if there were enough stopping before the turns.

It was stiff most of the time but when it hit those air pockets I would go smushi again.


-MSR
 
Not sure if a dealership would be familiar with bleeding a 4-piston twin-nipple caliper properly or not. You need to bleed the inner side first to get all the air out of that side before going to the outer. If the dealership just bleeds the outer then air can remain in the inner pistons.

I would re-check it and do it yourself when you have time. Also are you sure the soft pedal isn't due to pad knock-back? (Hitting apex or track-out curbs -knocking the pads away from the rotor causing the pedal to drop down when you apply the brakes because the pistons have to take up the volume they were knocked back compared to having the pads right next to the rotor when knock-back is not an issue.)
 

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