NEVER Bleed Brakes Until Watching This! Gravity Brake Bleeding

Watch at proclaimliberty2000 the most easy, simple, safest and inexpensive way to bleed brakes.

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[haroldbeauchamp]

So good to see that Red Forman has a successful YT career after that 70s show

[stephencox]

It seems a lot of people do not understand the how and why of this process and a number who have commented say to pump the brake pedal that more often than not will cause problems and this is why.
Under normal operation the pedal only travels a certain distance and if you attempt to bleed brakes pumping the pedal it travels much further, Fine with new components but with an older Master Cylinder it usually has some wear and that creates a wear ridge inside the master cylinder so when you push the pedal and move the piston with it's seals past that wear point that is when you can damage the seals as they pass over the wear ridge.
That usually means a new master cylinder is required hence why Gravity bleeding works so well because the piston is never going to travel over that wear ridge.

One little tip I use a Coke bottle say 600 ML in size thoroughly cleaned and fill that with fresh brake fluid then you carefully turn it upside down with the open neck in the master cylinder under the fluid level and it will not overflow and keep the master cylinder fluid level topped up so avoiding the scenario of running out of fluid in the system because if that happens then gravity bleeding will no longer work and more conventional and expensive methods are needed.
Gravity bleeding is a good method but does not work in every scenario, Probably the hardest system I have ever had to bleed was my Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV, Master cylinder under the front floor two seperate brake boosters for the four wheel disk brakes and all too easy to get airlocks in the system but that was before either Pressure bleeders or Vacuum bleeders were invented.

Many modern brake systems are actually filled from the Brake caliper up in the factory as Air naturally rises so starting at the lowest point means a quick successful brake bleed but bear in mind New Car New brakes and very fancy equipment that puts exactly the correct amount of fluid in the system, Not something easily done at home or even in most dealership workshops either.

Another point to mention so many miss it does not matter how well you bleed your brakes they can still feel spongy especially so with the cheaper sliding type calipers that only have hydraulic pistons on one side and rely on the caliper body sliding across on pins to bring the opposite side brake pad to bear on the disk, If these pins or special bolts are seized then the caliper cannot move freely to allow the pads proper contact with the disk and as well often the brakes drag sometimes slightly often quite a lot so always make sure the caliper pins are free to move with brake caliper specific grease or nickel never seize just enough and not too much is the trick.

[matthewstorm]

When gravity bleeding, I find it helpful to keep the end of the plastic tube higher than the bleeder screw (but below the master cylinder). This helps to ensure that the bleeder screw is under pressure rather than vacuum. If the bleeder screw is under vacuum (which would be the case if the end of the tube is below the bleeder screw), this vacuum can easily suck air into the system past the bleeder screw threads. This will cause a constant stream of air bubbles in the tube, which makes it impossible to know whether the system is bled.

[MikeyMack]

Thank you for sharing this. I like your no-nonsense approach to the issue! No BS! No music! Just get right to the point! Thanks again.

[TornadoCAN]

I've used gravity bleeding for my motorcycles and car. One main advantage, especially on old vehicles, is not needing to depress the brake pedal. Doing this with the bleeder open means the pedal will go all the way to the floor and this means the master cylinder piston seals are pushed all the way to the end of the bore in the cylinder. Old vehicles, where there may be lots of debris/corrosion etc along the unswept section of the bore, could damage the seals on the piston. This will make for loss of braking pressure when using the car from then on. A rebuild kit will be necessary to correct. Gravity bleeds avoid this risk. Yes, they take longer, typically 15-30 min per wheel. But you can open two or all the wheels at same time to save some time. Most classic car restorers may use gravity bleeds for this reason, but any commercial shop will not due to time constraints.

[stevehaynes]

A good video and well presented. However, without using the push pedal method air can still be trapped in the brake lines. It is possible with the gravity method for an air bubble to be present and for the fluid to seep by it.

[dq]

Seems to me that this gravity feed method would work best with earlier cars that do not have ABS braking systems. I personally like using a Mityvac vacuum pump on each bleeder.

[farmanthor]

I did this many years ago and worked great. You may want to put some brake fluid in the waste bottle and have the end of the tube submerged in the fluid. It should show any bubble but also prevents any air being drawn back into the brake line. Good video

[runnerever]

I always do a two person job. The air gets purged quickly. Having your child or wife or friend help will build a lasting memory. I still remember when my dad asked me to press the brake pedal to bleed it.

[flinch]

I prefer this: first attach clear bleeder hose to the fitting of choice. Route it up/use a hangoff point of some kind then drop it down to your bottle. That loop being higher than the bleeder [6" seems to work well enough most systems] is going to trap air bubbles and prevent them from returning to the system being bled. Then open the fitting with a flare wrench. Do not remove tubing while bleeder valve remains open.

[bearpuf]

Until I watched your video I had never hear of 'gravity brake bleeding'. Your explanations and video work are terrific. What is equally impressive are your concise straight forward directions. Reading the comments from others testifies to a very worthwhile video that should help a lot of folks. Thanks.

[kevinmcdonald]

If this will eliminate my wife from the equation, I'm in.

[freespirit]

I just changed 10 year old brake fluid out of my Honda and used new Honda brake fluid. Both were almost the exact same color. I have trouble telling when I have cleared out all of the old. I just kind of "guestimated" based on the length of line, so I'm not sure I got a perfect replacement. I wish they would make it clear or at least put some kind of dye in it that will fade away in time. Good video. I used this gravity method last year on a Ford but this time I had a helper. I was careful to tell him not to press all the way to the floor. Later I read a YT comment someone said- keep one of your (shoed) feet under the brake pedal while pressing with the other one. Sounds like a good idea.

[genemccormick]

Great video. It worked perfectly on my Ford Probe. You could actually see air bubbles leaving in the brake fluid. My road test with cars power assist and 4 wheel disc brakes stopped the Probe perfectly. Now my brake pedal is same hight as my clutch. A new master cylinder was installed but needed a brake bleed. Thanks Red.

[OrganicGreens]

Yor videos are always shot, clear and to the point. Thanks for respecting my time

[MongoMan]

Excellent video. I've been using this practice for 30+ years. Your tip on using a socket to break loose the bleeder screws is spot-on, as-is the recommendation to use a flare wrench (which I leave on the nipple's hex, then slide the tubing over the end). About the only hard part of doing this fluid replacement/bleeding is doing the passenger side: walking back and forth from the collection bottle (to monitor the fluids color) and the master cylinder (to add more fluid). So really not that difficult if you're patient. For the drivers side it's pretty easy to see what's going on at the bottle and at the master cylinder at the same time. About the only issue I've had is keeping the collection bottle upright as sometimes the hose is exerting a sideways force on the bottle. To get around that, I duct tape the hose to the bottle (but not 100% sealing it, the air has to escape) and "block" the bottle in with some scrap 2x4 or whatever. Blocking and taping helps if you have a tippy bottle and it reduces the chance of spillage. The one thing I would have liked to have seen is the installation of caps on the bleeder screws when you're done. When those little guys get corroded the hose doesn't seal as well and some cleanup with a green scotch pad is often required.

[louiechidwick]

If when you've finished and start your engine, don't worry if you feel the brake pedal sink under your foot a little, this is just the brake booster / servo adding it's power to the pedal.

[radioguy]

I usually place a length of wood between the front of the drivers seat and the brake pedal and then slide the seat forward a bit, placing it under pressure and then open bleeder for a short time. works good when working without a helper. might be a better way to go when replacing hydraulic parts.

[rabaham]

Straight forward. This is proves that expensive tools are not required for every job

[mikeb]

Great video, I have learned that bleeding brakes at least every two years will remove moisture from the system. That moisture can build up at the wheel cylinders/calipers and cause the caliper to stick which causes damage to the brake pads and rotors.