BLEEDINGBRAKES
Bleeding brakes is a task if working by yourself. But there is a clever tool to help.
The 44036 "One Man Brake Bleeder Wrench" from OEM Company of Mineola NY is clever.
It's a little bottle with a magnet to attach it to the body above the brake cylinder, and a fitting to go into the bleeder screw end hole, with clear tubing in between.
Instructions are good including overall tips.
However the quality of design matches the accuracy of its name. The bottle falls off the magnet, spilling fluid. The fitting comes out of the bleed screw, spilling fluid (the fittings are too large). The reservoir is too small.
Might as well build your own, with large tubing to go over the bleeder screw and dollar store magnets in a larger bottle.
(The tool also has adapters and hoses to bleed the master cylinder. See http://www.oem-tools.com/products/show/25036, also sold as AMPRO T71658 One Man Braker Bleeder and CTA Tools 1250.
There are other kits such as http://www.amazon.com/HFS-Brake-Bleeder-Vacuum-Tuner/dp/B00NP60URE/ref=pd_sbs_263_2/186-7523169-4992319?ie=UTF8&refRID=0YQXVCEF9R8CA3MCVXRW REF vac and
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/LIS0/19200.oap?pt=N0678, sometimes coming with a vacuum testing tool.
Plus the Genesis Cable Bleeder Bottle, appears to be a bottle with cable to a magnet, no fittings or hoses.
The Lisle 19200 kit looks much better than the OEM kit, adapters may be large enough to fit directy over bleeder screw, but does not have a hold-high method.
Dorman has a set of fittings for bleeding master cylinders, they are a medium quality company (don't buy their hood release cable-lever set).
Another approach is pressure bleeding, such as http://www.motiveproducts.com/, which pushes fluid from the master cylinder using a container you hand pump to pressurize. Drawback is it requires and adapter to the specific master cylinder, which varies even among the same car maker's vehicles. As well, I haven't understood what is needed at the bleed screw, seems to me that something is needed to keep air from getting in there due to fluid dripping out, perhaps that's the point of the raised bottle in OEM's design, perhaps a light-force check valve would work (like the vacuum check valve in my Caravan if it is large enough to flow fluid).
Tip: if what Motive Products claim is true about moving the master cylinder pistons too far, it would be good practice to limit your stroking of the pedal.
But BEWARE that an ABS system is more complicated.
© Keith Sketchley Page version 2015.12.12
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