In addition to my MG hobby, I am also heavily into the aquarium hobby.
I have found, with some very cheap aquarium supplies, you can make your
own bleeder. Aquarium stores sell a small check valve that you splice
into the airline on an aquarium that prevents the water from
back-siphoning into the air pump in the event of a power failure. This
also works great for preventing air from being sucked back into your
brake lines. A length of aquarium airline tubing (which fits perfectly
on the bleeder) with this check valve attached makes a handy little
bleeder for about three bucks! You still have to hang your head out the
window to see if you're getting air bubbles out (unless you get tubing
long enough to reach inside the car - might work), but at least you
don't have to close the bleeder screw after every pump, and you know
you're not getting any air back in. I bled my brakes myself, after
rebuilding, with this contraption and it worked great.
Also, even if the SO or offspring IS helping, this avoids fights about
him/her pumping the brakes too fast, etc. - They can just stand there
and watch for bubbles while you pump the brakes at the right speed.
I have another idea, untried at this time, but it might work, of
attaching something like a turkey baster or siphon pump (another
aquarium tool) to this contraption to eliminate the need for pumping the
brakes entirely. I'm planning to try it the next time I do any brake
work.
-Nory
'74 Midget & '71 parts car
'94 Ford Ranger
'85 Ford Escort
'89 Ford Probe
'96 North American Shepherd
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