Question about car brakes (Bleeding)

[BigIg]

When I was putting new brakes on my car today I knocked off a little rubber seal thing, which went right back on, but I ended up getting a few air pockets in my brake lines so my brakes are real squishy so they need bled.

Is there anyway to bleed the brake lines without special tools? I know a guy who did my brakes in my old car and he bled them without any special tools and they worked fine, but every site I look at says you're supposed to use some special tools, so I'm wondering first) What method is there without special tools, (I don't know where the guy is to ask him how he did it), and second) Is this safe? I imagine I could screw up the fluid pressure a bit but I'm not sure.

Oh, and for reference I have a 2002 Mustang.

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[Dynamo]

I'm no expert, but you should be able to do if with just a wrench to open the bleeder and someone to pump and breaks then hold it down. Sure it could be unsafe if you drive it and haven't done it right... to some degree I guess.
Don't get any on the paint.

[BigIg]

Originally Posted by Dynamo

Sure it could be unsafe if you drive it and haven't done it right... to some degree I guess.

Well I doubt it's any less safe than me driving them with air pockets in them like I did for a few hours today. Thanks, though. I'll try that.

Worse case scenario is if I cause epic brake failure I'll just let go of the gas until the car slows down and pull the emergency brake.

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[BigIg]

Well I bled the brakes and they seem to be working fine now.

Though I'm due for a brake fluid change. I assume I could drain them the same way you bleed them, just bleed each tire's bleeder until nothing more comes out?


On a somewhat unrelated note, how often are you supposed to drain/change your steering fluid?

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[Mustbaj]

Did you figure out how to bleed brakes? The proper way takes 2 people. One person opens up the bleed screw, another person presses the brake until its to the floor. then before the person releases the brake, tighten the bleed screw so no air goes right back inside. and repeate until its just liquid instead of air or bubbles coming out. BUT if you have a ford. just put it in reverse and step on the brakes, over and over again until you have done it about 10 times. its a ford thing

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[taumpytears]

Originally Posted by Mustbaj

BUT if you have a ford. just put it in reverse and step on the brakes, over and over again until you have done it about 10 times. its a ford thing

no it's not. i hope you'r not serious. fords can't magically bleed their breaks without opening the bleeders. ++

[Mustbaj]

wow. no. the thing is that when it comes to the older fords. you most likely dont need to bleed them. they have an adjuster when you go in reverse and stop. it fixes them. trust me, i work on fords.

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[BigIg]

The brake adjuster is for nothing more than adjusting the brakes tightness (Though half of the time they fail at that, so from time to time manual adjustments can be needed) - and many cars have this, not only fords.

But if you're so confident your information is correct, give us a few links on the subject.

Otherwise, stop spreading false information otherwise someone is going to believe you and end up not being able to stop when they're going 40mph down a hill.

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[masta.g.86]

He's not lying, but I think it only works on rear drum brakes.

I can't seem to find anything "official", but a lot of other forums point to this and my friend insists this works too.

Rear Brake Adjustment - F150online Forums

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[BigIg]

Adjusting your brakes and bleeding your brakes are two entirely different things.

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[Mustbaj]

here is just one example of someone talking about the same thing. if you were smart you would just learn from what i said.


drum brake adjustment [Archive] - DoItYourself.com Community Forums

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[Lord Zedeck]

Yes, what you are talking about is adjusting drum brakes (not disc brakes) from when they've worn to the point to where they're getting too little contact during braking. It's not a Ford thing, and it's not related to bleeding the brakes, so you're wrong on both accounts. Perhaps you will learn from what is said, because nobody learned from you because what you said was wrong and unrelated to the matter at hand (although the concept you were thinking about is true). The process you speak of also only applies to rear drum brakes in specific, if I remember right. Alot of cars have drum brakes in the back and disc brakes in the front, so that method works to self adjust the brakes. However, as far as I know, it doesn't always work, and it also requires using the emergency brake. Many people back up (say, out of a driveway) all of the time, which requires breaking while going in reverse, and the brakes still end up needing adjusted, so I'm pretty sure it requires the emergency brakes.

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[taumpytears]

Originally Posted by Mustbaj

trust me, i work on fords.

oh ok.

Originally Posted by Mustbaj

if you were smart you would just learn from what i said.

on the contrary. we are all smart for not listening and telling you why you're wrong. this thread is about bleeding. you're talking about adjusting rear drum brakes. nobody cares.

you're statements which i quoted are trademarks ive heard from hundreds of hillbillys i wouldn't have near my car with a wrench.

not just because you said ford. but "trust me, i work on -blank" is always the point where i say. yeah whatever you're still wrong.

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Last edited by taumpytears; September 18th, 2009 at 03:14.. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

[Spyhop]

Car brakes are something you should NEVER work on if you're not familiar. If you screw up a manifold install, your car stalls. If you screw up your brakes, death is possible.

I let the pros handle my brakes.

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[taumpytears]

the're easy. we're just clarifying is that there is no substiute for purging the lines. one person pump the pedal a couple times. then hold the pedal all the way down.

your going to hold the pedal all the way down while your partner loosens the bleeder AND tightens it back up (hold the pedal down the whole time DO NOT let up)

other guy loosen bleeder on the caliper. listen/watch for air.
tighten bleeder. yell OK!

OK! means driver can lift foot and begin pumping again.

repeat this process untill fluid coming out of the bleeder has no air coming out with it "just smooth silent squirts of fluid".

and of course when you're all finished up the pedal should have good back pressure on your foot like your actually sqeezing the brakes and not just drop to the floor (or something is wrong)

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Last edited by taumpytears; September 18th, 2009 at 06:18..

[BigIg]

Originally Posted by Spyhop

Car brakes are something you should NEVER work on if you're not familiar. If you screw up a manifold install, your car stalls. If you screw up your brakes, death is possible.

I let the pros handle my brakes.

You do realize even the so-called pros don't know what they're doing half of the time?

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