Bleeding the bleeding brakes
Created by: badbarky
Orig. Posting Date | User Name | Edit Date |
Mar 13, 2021 03:51AM | Dan Moffet | |
Mar 12, 2021 08:51PM | JerseyMini | |
Mar 7, 2021 01:43AM | Kermy | |
Mar 6, 2021 04:53AM | 6464s | |
Mar 5, 2021 10:17PM | Spank | Edited: Mar 6, 2021 11:18AM |
Mar 4, 2021 07:59PM | Moke1300 | |
Mar 3, 2021 07:06PM | 1963SV3 | |
Mar 3, 2021 12:12PM | Spank | |
Mar 3, 2021 11:27AM | wil122 | |
Mar 3, 2021 10:52AM | tothefloor | |
Mar 3, 2021 10:02AM | badbarky | Edited: Mar 3, 2021 10:06AM |
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I recall discussion about in-line device(s) that regulates or proportions pressure to the rear brakes - if you depress the pedal quickly it senses the absence of pressure (or something) in the rear line and shuts the flow off. The way around it is a slow, gravity or very light pedal pressure drain of fluid to the rear brakes.
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"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."
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I read this the other day and thought you guys were doing something wrong...
Then i bled my brakes lastnight after replacing some crushed lines for 2 hours and still barely have a pedal????
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There's nothing wrong with DOT5! I've been using it for 30 years without any problems.
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Parts of the mini's brake system are very inexpensive. Replace the MC and wheel cylinders with new and be done with it. Use DOT 5 brake fluid.
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[whoops this got posted in the wrong thread]
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I will put in my 2 Pence. Similar problem on my 1964 Vintage 1071 Racer. Eezibleed?, Nope. Vacuum pump?, Nope. Pump brakes?, Nope. Press and Hold, like Spank says?, Yes and No. Yes and No because someone previous had put spring loaded type brake bleeder screws all around. Yes it pushed fluid out until no air bubbles and got pedal pressure, but only for a moment. After three attempts, found the problem. Don't know if your car has a brake booster installed, but I found mine mounted under the dash to save engine space, and it had a bleeder on the booster that must be bled first. After that, it was race ready again. As I said, just another idea to check.
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Agree with the above... all round drum brakes can be a pain.
I use and Ezibleed on my S but couldn't get it to work on my Daughter's Clubman. Took it to a local shop. They used their super pro power bleeder.... When I came to pick it up they apologised, charged me for 3 litres of fluid, waived their labour and asked me not to come back. I took the (more or less) brakeless car home.
With a (very patient) mate we eventually fixed it by going through the entire system, bleeding at every join (using the Ezibleed).
Spank's tip about UNadjusting all the brakes first is worth following.
Cheers, Ian
I use and Ezibleed on my S but couldn't get it to work on my Daughter's Clubman. Took it to a local shop. They used their super pro power bleeder.... When I came to pick it up they apologised, charged me for 3 litres of fluid, waived their labour and asked me not to come back. I took the (more or less) brakeless car home.
With a (very patient) mate we eventually fixed it by going through the entire system, bleeding at every join (using the Ezibleed).
Spank's tip about UNadjusting all the brakes first is worth following.
Cheers, Ian
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Do you have drum brakes up front or disc brakes?
If you have drum brakes, I feel your pain.
Each wheel cylinder itself can and will likely trap air in it. I choose to purge the air out of the system by taking off each drum and doing a sequence that involves squeezing each wheel cylinder with channel locks while cracking open each bleeder nipple. The widely published way to prevent air from getting trapped in the wheel cylinders is to COMPLETELY back off each shoe adjuster and then bleed your brakes (never EVER letting your brake reservoir get more than 1/4 the way down from the top).
One problem I see people doing is cracking the nipple then having their partner inside the car pump the brakes while nipple is open. This is a no-no. Don't ever trust the check valve in the mini brake system to be able to handle that.
The way to bleed with a partner should be directed 100% by person at the wheel. Starting with nipple closed, person at wheel opens nipple and says "Down". Partner in car puts foot down on pedal in a 3 count, and says "down" when they reach the bottom of travel and then HOLDS it down. Person at wheel closes bleeder Nipple then person at wheel says "Up". Person in car slowly brings up pedal (on a 3-count) repeats back "up" when the foot is at the top and off the pedal.
Open down down hold
Closed up up
open down down hold
Closed up up.
Once it is all bled, THEN you need to go around and properly adjust all of your 6 adjusters.
If you have drum brakes, I feel your pain.
Each wheel cylinder itself can and will likely trap air in it. I choose to purge the air out of the system by taking off each drum and doing a sequence that involves squeezing each wheel cylinder with channel locks while cracking open each bleeder nipple. The widely published way to prevent air from getting trapped in the wheel cylinders is to COMPLETELY back off each shoe adjuster and then bleed your brakes (never EVER letting your brake reservoir get more than 1/4 the way down from the top).
One problem I see people doing is cracking the nipple then having their partner inside the car pump the brakes while nipple is open. This is a no-no. Don't ever trust the check valve in the mini brake system to be able to handle that.
The way to bleed with a partner should be directed 100% by person at the wheel. Starting with nipple closed, person at wheel opens nipple and says "Down". Partner in car puts foot down on pedal in a 3 count, and says "down" when they reach the bottom of travel and then HOLDS it down. Person at wheel closes bleeder Nipple then person at wheel says "Up". Person in car slowly brings up pedal (on a 3-count) repeats back "up" when the foot is at the top and off the pedal.
Open down down hold
Closed up up
open down down hold
Closed up up.
Once it is all bled, THEN you need to go around and properly adjust all of your 6 adjusters.
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I don't even bother with an EZ-Bleed. Attach any vertical hose to your bleed screw, connect the other to a tank with a hose barb (I use a big fuel filter, catch tanks will do), clamp it tight so you don't leak air around it, and pump your brakes. Bubbles will rise into the vertical line, gravity will pull fluid back down the vertical line. As long as you pump slowly and release slowly, you should be able to do that with a minimum of additional brake fluid. When no more air is coming out, you should be good.
If you can't bleed it that way, you've got an air bubble trapped in a place where it just can't get out: it may move down the line, but it's floating back to that high spot before it makes it out the bleed. I had an old Datsun where I could only bleed the lines cleanly if I jacked the rear up until the bleed screw on the rear brakes was level with the master cylinder in the front. Minis shouldn't be like that ... has someone replaced a brake line and used a "creative" routing that introduced an additional high spot?
If you can't bleed it that way, you've got an air bubble trapped in a place where it just can't get out: it may move down the line, but it's floating back to that high spot before it makes it out the bleed. I had an old Datsun where I could only bleed the lines cleanly if I jacked the rear up until the bleed screw on the rear brakes was level with the master cylinder in the front. Minis shouldn't be like that ... has someone replaced a brake line and used a "creative" routing that introduced an additional high spot?
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Personally I use the eezy bleed. Been doing that for years. A one man operation. Good luck.
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What a saga this has been. My brake light sensor failed, and of course it was the one in the brake lines, so I replaced that, and for two years now I have been trying to bleed the brakes with no luck. Honestly, I should have just risked the tickets.
For the last five weeks I have been at a friends shop with the Captain up on the lift trying to bleed the brakes. We have incidentally replaced the Carb, the rear wheel hub and bearing, radiator hoses, throttle cable, front brake hoses, and used a LOT of brake fluid. Still no luck.
When I pump the brakes, the first time there's basically nothing, but 4 or 5 pumps later there is some resistance. My buddy is looking into using a pressure bleeding tool, but I thought I'd come and ask you folks. Any ideas?
Edit: It's a 1980 Kiwi 998cc, but with a lot of older components on it. I really think that they must have nailed whatever was left to it, rolled it out of the door and turned off the lights.
For the last five weeks I have been at a friends shop with the Captain up on the lift trying to bleed the brakes. We have incidentally replaced the Carb, the rear wheel hub and bearing, radiator hoses, throttle cable, front brake hoses, and used a LOT of brake fluid. Still no luck.
When I pump the brakes, the first time there's basically nothing, but 4 or 5 pumps later there is some resistance. My buddy is looking into using a pressure bleeding tool, but I thought I'd come and ask you folks. Any ideas?
Edit: It's a 1980 Kiwi 998cc, but with a lot of older components on it. I really think that they must have nailed whatever was left to it, rolled it out of the door and turned off the lights.