brake bleeding save your master cylinder

[100R1]

this is more important on vehicles with a lot of miles on them as your piston & master cylinder has worn.

 

* put a block of wood (2x4) on the floorboard under the brake pedal. What this does is keep the piston from bottoming out on the cylinder and helps to prolong the seals on the piston.

 

Over time, the piston seals and cylinder wall wear and takes a "set" when you go beyond the normal travel you could cause the seal on the piston to deform or split from a ridge at the bottom of the cylinder. Plus over time you will have a build-up of debris at the bottom of the cylinder and bottoming out could dislodge it and thats not good for the seals etc.

 

How often does your brake pedal travel all the way to the floor in every day driving ?

[JayMan]

Unless you have to do a panic stop, then after the crash the cops will wonder just what the h*** a piece of 2x4 is doing under your brake pedal.

 

I like to fully stroke my brake system at least once a week: at a stop light or just in the driveway, put both feet on the pedal and push HARD. Keep the pedal down for 10-20 secs.

 

I also like to change, flush, and bleed my brakes once a year. It takes almost 45 mins of my precious time and costs around $6. This way I don't have to worry about moisture and contamination causing problems to begin with.

[budhayes3]

I hear what 100R1 is saying...put the block of wood under the pedal while you're bleeding the system (he's not stating that you should drive with it in place). I've actually seen guys bleed a system after doing wheel cylinders or calipers or whatever, just to have to end up replacing the master cylinder because they jammed the pedal to the floor and blew out the seals in the master. I always just use my other foot as a stopper to keep the pedal from going to the floor when I'm bleeding brakes. It's good practice to do it that way, and can save you from having to needlessly replace a master cylinder.

[J-rod]

I like to fully stroke my ... oh, sorry. Ummm, nevermind.

[jhm]

Unless you have to do a panic stop, then after the crash the cops will wonder just what the h*** a piece of 2x4 is doing under your brake pedal.

 

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

You are kidding, right?

[kdm101]

Skip the pedal entirely - pressure bleed the system! The gadget costs all of $40 (not those hand vacuum pumps you get at wally world either!) and should last you forever.

 

With the pressure bleeder, it's a 1 man job, and less than an hour's work.

[budhayes3]

Skip the pedal entirely - pressure bleed the system!  The gadget costs all of $40 (not those hand vacuum pumps you get at wally world either!) and should last you forever.

 

With the pressure bleeder, it's a 1 man job, and less than an hour's work. 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

You mean like one of these:

 

I have this one, haven't used it yet, but I've heard that it's excellent

[budhayes3]

I read somewhere that a guy made his own pressure bleeder, pretty much just like the one shown above...looked pretty good too. I might have read it here, but I'm not sure.

[patronus]

Pressure bleed, the only way to go...

[JayMan]

Sorry I thought you were talking about normal driving, not bleeding. I brought up the "after crash" scenario as a local was charged with negligence after a fatal crash: he had a tool kit on the floor and they determined the brake pedal couldn't travel full stroke.

 

If you regularly flush/bleed your brakes, you will never have a problem with the master cylinder or calipers. I have a 20 year old F-150 that is proof of that. If the truck is say 10 years old, and it's the first time you flush/bleed the brakes, you will have problems.

 

Pressure bleeding is the absolute best way to bleed modern ABS. First of all, there is no danger of introducing air into the master cylinder (Bench bleeding time). Second of all, it's a lot easier than having an "assistant" tromping on the pedal whenever you yell at them.

 

A little hint: if you live in a climate with snow/salt on the roads, check to see if your new car or truck has caps over the bleeder screws. If it doesn't, get an assortment of vacuum line caps or something similar at your parts store, and cover up those bleeder screws.

 

Otherwise, after 2-3 winters, the bleeder screws won't turn, they'll just snap off.