JasonAndreas

After rounding off a bleeder valve and discovering the replacement price I now use a regular 6-point socket to initially break the valve loose and then a flare nut wrench for opening and closing during the bleeding procedure.

Toga

I finished bleeding my brakes and slave yesterday. Bleeding each caliper, I measured the quantity before the new product appeared to be "pure". Here's what I measured:

Rear right: 150 ml outside + 10 inside
Rear left: 100 ml + 10
Front right: 100 ml +10
Front left: 50 ml +10

Clutch 1/2 ltr. And even with that quantity, I think the blue was still a bit deluted. Not sure.

Before starting to bleed, I emptied the reservoir as much as possible to limit the mix with the new product. And there, I needed almost another half liter to top up. This gave me a totalt quantity of 1.5 ltr.
I hope this might be of some interest for your next bleedings!

Cheers

dcdude

OK- I've read through this a few times...do you bleed the clutch first ot the brakes first?

Rick Lee

I'd do the brakes first to get as much of the new fluid as possible into the MC reservoir and lines.

JPS

Question on the 95 overflow tube...A) is that the tube that comes off the top of the reservoir, and B) if, theoretically , I were to not clamp it fully and some fluid ended up on the floor, where does it actually go, and do I need to worry about the fluid doing nasty things to the car on the way out?

JPS

Oh, and thanks for reviving this, and thanks to Robin & P-car for the pic on the clutch slave. It really isn't so bad getting to it. I didn't have to remove the engine tray (though I did anyway afterwards just to run cooler this summer).

The only thing I would change on the DIY is that the 1/4 in tubing was way too tight on the nipples. I did the brakes two days ago and it was a bitch getting that tube on the nipples. Yesterday I did the clutch slave after I bought some 5/16" tube instead...waaaay easier.

JPS

Anyone?

Rick Lee

If you don't clamp it and you use a pressure bleeder, you will have all your new fluid run out via the runoff tube, which comes out of the floorboard somewhere below the master cyl. It will be a huge mess and then you get to do it over again with a clamp on the tube.

JPS

Yup...figured that. I had a clamp, just wasn't fully tight I guess as I had a small puddle after I was done. Q is, do I need to worry about the overflow corroding something?

Rick Lee

Brake fluid will remove paint like an eraser removes pencil. Otherwise, it's just a mess. It doesn't taste good either, if you change out your clutch slave while laying on your back. Ask me how I know. I use vise grips to clamp my runoff hose. Don't be gentle with it. The hose is dirt cheap and easy to replace if you eventually wear it down. if you use a pressure bleeder, be sure the rubber seal in the bleeder cap is good. If it's less than perfect, you will see a leak, even spray once you pressurize it.

Mike J

Anyone have objections if I fold this information into pcarworkshop?

Cheers,

Mike

JPS

So it sounds like the leak I had from a not quite clamped off hose is all internal and I don't need to worry about my quarter panel coming off someday or something?

Garth S

Not to worry - it is intended to address overflow.

The only difference between the brake fluid reservoir and cap in my '96 and that from a '96 parts car 3-4 months younger ( both C4S) is that my car has a factory installed rubber cap crimped over the overflow nipple vs the drain tube attached to the earlier version. No vent in either cap ... so, ....

Were it mine, I would cap off that line, and not overfill the reservoir: that way, a pressure bleeder can be used without concern. On a friends '89 Targa, I screwed a fine threaded bolt ( ~2mm, or M2 IIRC) into that polyethylene drain spigot, effectively sealing it.

Pete Lech

You don't have to start the car to energize the ABS system. Just turn on the key after initial bleeding, hear the pump run for a little while, and bleed again.

This worked when I misinterpreted some advice, stupidly drained all the fluid from the system, and introduced air into the ABS pump. 2 cycles around the car turning on the key at each wheel got rid of the air. That was some years ago, and everything is still fine.

I flush yearly on the Porsches, bi-annually on the other cars.

JPS

Whoops...first brake fluid change on my own...I forgot to energize the ABS system...how badly did I goof? BTW...old fluid was really clean & such...I think I was a little zealous in my DIY timing.