bhensarl

I'm going to completely bleed the system tomorrow (bleed the four brakes at the wheels, bleed the accumulator and the dual solenoid block, and the clutch slave cylinder) and I was hoping for some tips and tricks from the board since it's my first time. I've got my Motive bleeder and two liters of ATE gold ready (I've got blue in there right now), as well as some extra tubing so that I have plenty of options when it comes to catching the spent fluid. I've got Adrian's book and the workshop manuals, although I haven't even looked at the WS manuals yet. I was planning to simply follow Adrian's directions unless the workshop manuals have something extra. Here are a few things I'm going to be sure to be mindful of:
-Don't let the fluid reservoir get empty and thereby keep air out of the lines. I'm going to fill the bleeder with fluid so I don't think I'll have any problem.
-Close off the overflow tube before I start. I'm thinking about taking Jason Andreas' advice and putting masking tape on the bleeder right now with "overflow tube" written on it.
Any other tips?
P.S. If someone wants to write up a step-by-step DIY for this procedure I will take the pictures tomorrow and add any extras that I find while I go along, not to mention writing it up and posting it for the edification of all those interested. Any takers?
Brian

warmfuzzies

Tips,

yes, remember there are two nipples per caliper, small detail, and easy to overlook.
Clutch slave, LHS of car, wheel off, 7mm spanner required for bleed nipple, same for the master cyl underneath the car.
Take your time, don't talk to anyone whilst doing this, otherwise it's easy to let air into the system. close off all nipples when finished obviously, then recheck them before you do anything else.

kevin.

Euromagination

nice!

puma1824

I'm going to attempt this for the first time too. I'll also take pics during the process. What brake fluid and bleeders does everyone suggest? Should I replace brake lines? Anything else? Sorry about all the questions. I know I've been posting a lot lately, I'm just excited and ready to make things right in my new (previously owned) 964 C4

bhensarl

I used ATE Gold fluid. 2 liters should be enough for a C4, but if you're like me you may want to get 3 just in case you're a little bleed happy. You can replace the lines if you like, but mine were in fine shape so I left them alone. Good luck, take some good pics, and never, ever feel guilty for posting. The forum would be pretty boring if people stopped posting.
Brian

Marc Shaw

Hi Puma,

You might want to peek at https://rennlist.com/forums/diy-964-1989-1994-911/197302-c4-brake-bleed-easier-than-i-thought.html as Garrett put up an excellent DIY there (in the DIY forum).

Most people here seem to like the ATE Gold or Super Blue fluid. The benefit of the blue is you can tell when you've got fresh fluid running out -- but I'm told it does stain the reservoir a blue colour. If you have deep pockets, you can also get Castrol SRF but you'd need to mortgage your house.

Don't worry about posting questions (or, even better, pictures!) because, for the most part, people are here to help! We are as excited about p-car owndership as you are.

Marc

jimq

When opening the nipples to bleed the brakes which of the 2 do you open first. I would think which ever one was lowest?
thanks

Red rooster

The bleed nipples are at the same height but it makes sense to open the inner one first so the inner chamber is filled with new fluid before starting on the outer.The big danger comes with actually releasing the nipple.People have a tendency to overtighten nipples when doing this job, so when you get there the possibility of a nipple snapping off is lurking!! Try to get a feel for what is an acceptable torque and use a good fit wrench.Good luck.
Geoff

puma1824

Cool! That link is great! Now anyone have pics and instructions bleeding out the black ball thing (I forgot the name) and the C4 added steps. I'm ordering the Super Blue and will alternate with the ATE Gold so I can tell the new fluid is bleed through. I will definitely post pics, I just need to remember to charge the camera.

garrett376

Puma, bleeding the accumulator (black ball) is well covered in Adrian's book. It's a very simply bleed - the PDAS system needs to be pressurized by turning on the ignition so the pump pressurizes everything; then slowly and carefully open the bleeder (8mm I think) on the accumulator. A lot of fluid will come out with a lot of pressure so be ready! The solenoid block is bled in the same fashion (11mm bleeder, I think), and can be bled right after the accumulator without re-pressurizing. I've found this to work well, and at the track I will bleed the solenoid and accumulator each time I bleed the brake system - never had a PDAS problem since!

Here's a very helpful picture of how it's done - hardest part is keeping your pants on...

puma1824

So is the general consensus to use a pressure bleeder?

Marc Shaw

Never used a Might-Vac unit, but I have used the Power Bleeder by Motiv (pressure bleeder) and it makes it very simple. I think most on here use a power bleeder of some sort.

Marc