I have a process that has worked very well for me, but to which some persons
have raised reasonable objections. I'll let you judge for yourself.
I basically duplicate the bench-bleeding procedure, but on the car, using 12
feet of clear flexible tubing to connect the bleed nipple back to the master
cylinder. I use a few loops of baling wire to keep the tube from slipping
out of the MC opening.
This system has the advantage of never running dry, since you are
recirculating the fluid through the system. Since you do not have to pause
and refill, there are fewer opportunities of introducing air bubbles at the
bleed screw. And you can see the bubbles in the tube from the driver's seat,
so you know when a particular line has been "purged".
The most pertinent objection to this process is that you are not replacing
the old brake fluid, thus allowing water and other contaminants to build up.
But this objection is easily overcome -- when you first hook up to each
bleeder, pump out the first few ounces into a waste jar, then refill the MC
and proceed as described. In this way you are circulating new fluid.
Others have warned about possibly flushing dirt particles back into the MC.
If you take the previously-mentioned precaution I do not think this is a
problem. At any rate I have not experienced any problems of this kind.
A few pointers:
Pump slowly, so as not to break large bubbles up into small ones.
Start with a full MC. On a single MC system this provides plenty of fluid to
keep the line full to the bleeder, and the tube full all the way back to the
MC. I can't vouch for the double MC, which looks like it has less capacity
in each reservoir, so keep an eye on it.
You probably will wind up doing each wheel twice before you get a hard
pedal. That's just the way it is. Sometimes I have to drive the car for a
week and redo it -- it's those goofy rear wheel cylinders with the bleeder
on the bottom, that just resist releasing all the air.
You will wind up with a 12 foot hose full of brake fluid -- I recommend
having 2 heavy spring clamps on hand to close off the ends. When finished,
you can pour it back into the MC, or into a container for disposal, as
required.
Take precautions to protect your paint from the hose, which inevitably
becomes coated wth brake fluid (if you care -- my car doesn't have any paint
to speak of).
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the primer red one with chrome wires
on 12/5/06 10:46 AM, Daybell7@aol.com at Daybell7@aol.com wrote:
> MG'ers,
>
> What is the best system for one-man bleeding? My wife doesn't seem to enjoy
> the process as she once did for some reason.
>
> Thanks.
> Steve Hughes
> Gainesville, FL
> 72 MGB
> 68 BGT
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