kaptnknemo

Hi, bled all 5 valves, pedal still kinda squishy,
1. Do they need to be bled in certain sequence?
2. What size bubbles are we looking for?
3. Is the resevoir lid supposed to seal?
4. Any tricks I need to know about?

Thanks KK

wds928

KK:

I bled my brakes a few months ago. Right rear first, left rear next. Then Right front, then left front, finally, the master cylinder.

I used a power bleeder in place of the resevior top, with 10 to 15 psi to push the fluid out the bleed valves.

The bubbles in my fluid were very tiny, I think as the brake fluid was in good shape.

Hope this helps.

borland

The power bleeder is the best way to go. Mityvac can do it too, but the bleeder screws will leak some of the vacuum, so it's much slower than a power bleeder.

Ron_H

Power bleeder is so fast you'll wonder what you missed. Mighty Vac is messy and endless streams of bubbles past the bleeders, in agreement with previous post. Toss it and get a Power Bleeder.

Jim R.

Another vote for the power bleeder. Try using a different color fluid to see when all the old fluid is out of the system. Also make sure you bleed the inner and outer bleeder valves (don't know if the '86 has these).

Jim R.

Chris

I have found the power bleeded to be great at changing fluid, however, if you have air in the system after removing a component (brake line etc ..) then I have not had such a good experience.

In that case I just use the power bleeder to refill the resovoir and then get someone to manually pump the brake pedal.

Chris

GlenL

I'm old-school on brake bleeding. (OK, old-school in general) Doesn't hurt to have entusiastic assistants. (Teens who want to drive it.)

One trick is to open and close the valve so that the fluid is still rushing out when it's closed. Press-open/close-hold-release. And make sure the reservoir doesn't empty or you've got to start all over again.

One problem is that "squishy" is relative. If it hasn't been better in the past then maybe it's as good as it is going to get.

WallyP

Some comments:

The brake system changed in '86 - cars with VIN higher than 1000 (usually referred to as '86.5) have the S4-style brakes.

If you have two bleed screws per caliper, both should be bled.

Changing the brake fluid (getting all of the old fluid out) is just as important as getting the air out.

Always use new, good-quality brake fluid. This is NOT a place to try to save money. NEVER use silicone fluid. Synthetic is fine.

The brake booster makes the pedal feel softer. With the engine off, press the brake pedal firmly and fully release it about ten times. Wait a few seconds, then press the pedal and check for feel. It should be high and firm.

Press the pedal and hold it with moderate force. While continuing to hold the pedal, start the engine. The pedal should sink slightly, and feel softer. This shows that the booster is functioning.

kaptnknemo

Thanks for all of the help. I have heard another ideas from a wrench here at work. He says shove the pedal to the floor and wedge it in place with a 2X4. Remove the resevior cap, let it sit all night long and the bubbles will migrate to the resevoir. Makes some sense to me, how about you guys?

John Speake

There is a danger if you take the pedal to the metal that corrosion in that normally unused part of the master cylinder will get onto the seals and then your master cylinder is toast !

Regards,

JEC_31

That doesn't sound nearly as much fun as getting brake fluid all over your hands while jumping into and out of and under and around the car 4000 times. Preferrably really late the night before going to work too, when your assistant is sleeping. Never again...

Nothing beats having a lot of time, an assistant, a large bottle of different colored fluid, and a little wrench for the satisfaction of seeing perfectly smooth bubble-free fluid coming out of each bleeder.

dr bob

Those with the S4-style brakes will note that the master cylinder has a bleeder valve located at the top/forward end of the casting. Since the brake lines to the wheels exit at the bottom, you can use the bleeder on the master cylinder to clear old fluid and air bubbles from the master cylinder first, rather than pushing that stuff all the way out to the right rear.

As Wally points out, you need to do both chambers of each S4 caliper. So inner first, then outer on each wheel, following the furthest-to-nearest plan: right rear, left rear, right front, left front --for left-hand drive cars--. Right-hand drive should swap left and right in the above sequence.

Be sure you can get all the bleeders loose before you start. A local owner spent a couple days chasing a combination of bleeding problems, his situation exascerbated by the fact that he couldn't get one of the inner bleed screws to open.

As others mention, DO NOT allow the reservoir to go dry during your bleeding exercise. If you combine the dry reservoir with a bleed screw that won't come out, you'll end up with a caliper chamber full of air and no way to purge it.

Use a six-point socket to get the bleed screws out. Local guy rounded the bleed screw with a poor-fitting 12-point combination wrench. Eventually he bought a 6-point socket and got it to open and finish the re-bleed.


The power bleeder is the way to go, without question. the speed bleeders are the second choice, with the multi-step squirt-and-screw method a distant last, just barely behind the Miti-Vac suction method. Uisng the power bleeder, the biggest part of the job is getting the wheel off to access the bleeder screws.

85fortheDrive

I hope to bleed my brakes this weekend. I will use a power bleeder for sure. In preparation, I checked the WSM (Section 47) and it seems to state that the master cyclinder should be bled first, not last. Best option here? Also, can anyone confirm that there are two bleed nipples per wheel on an 84?

Thanks!

davek9

Your '84 should only have one bleeder per caliper, same as my '85.

FL928

Do you guys have a recommendation for a particular power bleeder?