my brakes are smart, me not so much

[shortbed]

Well I appreciated all the advice on my brake job (See: Brake Questions). It seemed everyone was more or less voting for me to buy a new set of cables. They are given a number of names including: drum brake self adjuster cable.

Today I picked up two cables, a hardware kit (new springs etc), a spring installation tool and another bottle of brake fluid which I think I'm going to need because I wasn't thinking and . . . okay, I know I shouldn't have let this happen, but I let this happen and all the fluid from the front cell of my master brake cylinder has drained out.

I was very happy to find a section of 1/4 inch clear hose that I've used before to bleed brakes (one end on bleeder valve, one end in a jar). But I've never had my brake cylinder completely empty and I remember reading somewhere that this is . . . and I quote: the cause "of much grief."
Is it? Or do I just fill up the empty cell and start pumping, filling, and pumping the pedal until all the air bubbles are gone.

 

[73F100Shortbed]

Fill it up. Open right rear bleeder, have friend push pedal down and then you close bleeder. Have friend let pedal up. Repeat until air is all gone. Move to left rear and repeat the process. Pumping the pedal makes the air bubbles smaller (or bigger I forget which) and takes longer to get out.

 

[m78]

Get one of those suction bleeders from Harbor freight. They're cheap and saves you time.

 

[LEB Ben]

Shouldn't be too much grief. Like the guys said, get a buddy, and start cracking bleeders open from the furthest bleeder from the MC to the closest. Crack the bleeder, the buddy depresses the pedal, when you get a decent stream of fluid close the bleeder, buddy releases the pedal. Continue doing this until you get a full flow solid stream of fluid. Periodically checking your fluid level and topping off as necessary.


Side note...I've seen some bleeders, that actually force fluid? into the bleeder, pushing the air bubles up and out the MC...because air wants to rise above the fluid anyway. I think they start around $60 or so...but it's another possible option for brake bleeding.

 

[73F100Shortbed]

Ben recommends a good tool. Reverse injection. Works great. A vacuum bleeder that works off shop air works well too.

 

[5.0Flareside]

Side note...I've seen some bleeders, that actually force fluid? into the bleeder, pushing the air bubles up and out the MC...because air wants to rise above the fluid anyway. I think they start around $60 or so...but it's another possible option for brake bleeding.

works great!! used one not to long ago... gonna use it again one the F250 when i replace the rear brake parts, its leaking fluid a TINY bit from the right rear, might as well do both

 

[shortbed]

getting back to rolling . . . and stopping

Thank you Sean, Ben, Robert. I've heard of those bleeders, but I am watching the dollars these days, so it's going to be the old fashioned way for me.
I do have a length of clear flexible tube. What I have done in the past is push one end onto the bleeder and the other into a jar. Part of this was so I could do the job by myself and the other is cause I just hate to get that brake fluid squirting over everything.
Anyway, even though I have depended on this and another 150 just like it for over twenty years (and as my sole means of transportion) and have done most of the work on them . . . I was born and raised a city boy. I'm rarely 100 percent sure of myself under the frame so your help is much appreciated.
thanks again

 

[Mil1ion]

That's referred to as Bench Bleeding and you do it before installing the M/C

You can gravity bleed the system by opening the bleeders and have fluid drip into a jar,then once the fluid is at that point you do each wheel cylinder and caliper piston the old fashioned way.

Before you bleed though you have to make sure the rear brakes are adjusted perfectly to the drum.

This is where people make mistakes. There should be a light scuffing noise of the shoes against the drum..then when you apply the brakes the wheel cylinder pistons will push outward allowing more fluid into the cylinders and proper back pressure to allow the proper amount of fluid to return to the M/C.