Hi, I would like to replace he brake fluid on my cars. I would like to do this single handedly as I think my wife would get fed up of me shouting " up down " at her for hours ( don’t even go there )
There are quite a few DIY kits on Amazon and the like, but wondered if any of you guys had any recommendations ?
many thanks.
D
For one person bleeding, I’d go for one of the Gunson’s Eezibleed devices. Some of them use the pressure of a tyre to push fluid through while you control the bleed nipple. The advantage of these is that you can see when the colour change in the fluid occurs, from old to new. Saves wasting too much fluid.i recently had to buy a new one - the rubber pipe on the old one had perished, but it was about thirty years old!
Dave
So much easier if you can get the wife to help with this. I managed to get my girlfriend to help and we did two two cars without too much shouting - I think that is quite good because my hearing is not good so she is always shouting at me.
There are only two instructions.
DOWN(and hold)
UP
You do the bleed valve bit and can see when all air out of the system and new fluid coming through.
Make sure all prepared beforehand so wire brush off bleed valves and spray with easol(if required) a day or so before and make sure they undo easily before involving the better half.
With luck the job will go swimmingly - a job shared is a job halved but you may end up drying the dishes or vacuuming.
Lots of arguments here
The Gunson needs a special bigger cap for the Mazda which is about £20 and there are those that say it is not always fluid tight and the fluid can land on paintwork and that it is the work of the devil when the tyre pressure is put on it. Others disagree but if you do go this way make sure the tyre is at say 5 psi not 20 psi.
http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/tools/hand-tools/gunson-eezibleed
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gunson-G4058-Eezibleed-Multipurpose-Cap/dp/B002WSUBGQ
http://www.gunson.co.uk/product/77042
I have one but did not buy the extra caps so did not use it due to problematic reports.
I use a Mityvac bleeder, a vacumn device that is great on the front of the car but when you do the rear the proprtioning valve means only a small amout of fluid comes out the calipers therefore takes a while on the back calipers.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MITYVAC-MV8020-Hand-Operated-Vacuum-Auto-Car-Brake-Bleed-Bleeder-Kit-/180883015968?epid=1105403828&hash=item2a1d77c920:g:4dkAAOSwjRpZW3jn
There are others who advise to use the Halfords inexpensive one man kits.
http://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/brake-clutch-fluid/europat-vizibleed-bleed-aid
Many thanks for the replies gentlemen, much appreciated.
My first thought was to try the Gunson’s Eezibleed as I was prepared to take a chance as it is only £20 ( £18 with club discount ) from Halfords, but if it requires another £20 to get a cap to fit Mazdas this then becomes uneconomical. Add to this the possibility of spaying brake fluid about it then becomes a no no. Likewise the cheaper one way valve system from Halfords, which seems a good idea on first inspection, also seems to have the potential for the pipe coming off and spraying brake fluid around.
The vacuum system mentioned by Drumtochty has sown a seed in my mind though. I have an old vacuum pump in a cupboard in the garage somewhere, and was thinking of maybe having a go with this, using some pipe and a catchment jar arrangement, and a bypass valve to control the amount of vacuum. I wonder how much of a vacuum is required? I might see what I can knock up over the next few weeks.
Failing that as Rhino says, the old reliable manual method may be best. I’m sure I can commandeer a friend for the price of a pint, even if my beloved is too busy to assist.
Many thanks again ( now where did I put that old vacuum pump 
D.
Also recommend using a 6 sided socket on the bleed nipple to reduce risk of rounding it if it’s tightly fastened. (I know from previous experience!)
The main problem I find is that I can be working on a car with know one about and then the one man kit is the only item to use.
The useful helper is great when avaialable but the times I have got the wife to help, by the time I have finished one wheel, topped up the brake fluid resevoir and got the bleed tube on the next bleed nipple, SWMBO has gone back to the house, therefore that is not an option.
Thanks again guys. I’m thinking on the same lines as Drumtochy, my wife’s attention span when helping me with cars is a little short ( sorry got to go my knitting is coming to the boil )
If I can get my vacuum pump idea going I’m guessing that even if the pump isn’t powerful enough to pull the fluid through on its own if I gently operate the brake peddle it would still work. Any thoughts?
Thanks again.
D
Last time I did mine, I used the ‘Vizibleed’. Nice and cheap and easy to use. The valve does need a bit of pressure, so if you’re worried about the pipe coming off the bleed nipple, you can use a plastic tie wrap nice and tight. Then cut the tie wrap when done. 4 tie wraps later you’ll have fresh fluid throughout the system.
Come on guys - Take control. Few would argue that two people bleeding brakes is likely to work better than any self bleed tool. If the wife/girlfriend is around for the minute of so required when each corner is ready to be bled, the lady is probably helping you make her car safer or your car that she and the children travel in safer. Whose other half could argue against that logic.
Obviously different for the self employed mechanic working on his own Drum.
Mechanic, me, not a chance.
Retired Oil Industry Staffie now doing a bit of consulting and messing about in the garage when I get a minute.
Maybe I just like a challenge. Being a retired engineer I like problem solving hence the vacuum pump idea. It may not work but I’ll have fun building the kit and if it works all the better.
As an aside, the other project on the go at the moment is a damp detector to go under the carpets. After having found water in the passenger footwell I thought a sensor fitted to front and rear of cabin on both sides under the carpet, to give a warning of any dampness without having to lift the carpet would be useful. Prototype nearly finished, just need to put it in a box. Sorry I digress.
If you use the Easybleed do not fill it, use it dry. It takes little longer but no danger of spills and no need for a complete seal. Used this way it is a safe one person job.
Thats a neat idea but I’m going to tell you a story.
Live in the middle of nowhere down here in the South Hams and a local garage mechanic knocks on my door. One of his customers had water in his SVT sport so quickly took the car to this mechanic. He immediately dried everything out and saved the day. Using his initiative he moved the ecu out of the passenger footwell to a position where it was away from risk behind the glovebox. All sorted and a well thought out solution to mitigate again a future panic. Why was he knocking on my door you ask - water had somehow and I’ve not heard of this before, got to the immobiliser box and ruined it six months after the ecu experience so he had to buy a replacement ecu/immob/transponder set anyway.
Extremely bad luck or final destination, you decide.
After years of rounding off bleed nipples and hydraulic pipe connectors I have decide that the only tool for the job, space permitting, is a self-tightening ratchet wrench such as the Stanley one part 4 87 988. it presses on the flats and the harder you turn the harder it grips; never had a rounded nut since. Search for “Stanley ratcheting wrench” on E-bay or Amazon.
I recently bought a 1 man kit in the local parts shop which consisted of a bit of rubber hose with one end blocked off. There’s also a 1 cm slit near the blocked off end, making it leak when the brake is depressed, but it holds its shape and doesn’t let bubbles in.
Works a treat!
Just a quick update.
I found that old vacuum pump I was talking about, and with a bit of tubing I found in the garage and an old Branston Pickle jar ( other jars are available ) I knocked up the below bit of kit. Works a treat. Turned pump on and controlled the flow with the bleed nipple. So easy.
Thanks again for the replies, these sowed the seed to use a vacuum to pull the fluid through. These forums are great.
D
If its that tight you are lucky you did not snap it off !!
If tight use a gas torch to free it off first or its a new calliper (or lots of drilling and swearing) - use a smear of copper grease on the threads when replacing.
I fitted automatic bleed valves to my car and after opening them one quarter turn you just pump the brake peddle once or twice for each wheel and then re-tighten the valve. You do this for each valve in turn making sure you top up the brake fluid in between every brake bled.