Bubba's Brake Bleeder: A Guide

[legozombie]

I'm sure that brake bleeding is universal or whatever but for the people like me who don't know what the hell they're doing, this is for you. This is my first time bleeding brakes on all 3 of my cars at once in one attempt. It became a multi-day affair because of the ****ing mosquitos but allowed me to create the following janky bootleg contraption/system/method. The only cost for this (in my case) is the kit from HF that includes the Vacuum/Pressure hand pump (pictured below), DOT 3 fluid, vinyl tubing, 1/4" fuel shut off valves, and brake bleeder valves since the calipers had not been done in YEARS. I'll just enumerate the steps and theory of operations.

To make this cheaper w/o the kit: Buy a vacuum/pressure pump from amazon (20$), buy 1/4" clear vinyl tubing from your favorite hardware store (3$-6$), get 3x 1/4" fuel shut off valves from amazon (~7$), get 1/4" vacuum T-fittings off amazon (depends-on-what-you-get$), and get a big plastic bottle and small plastic bottle (???$). It is important that smaller vessel/reservoir has can maintain a vacuum for short periods of time; bigger bottle should have exposure to atmosphere with a small in the cap or something. Silicone caulking can be used to create a vacuum seal on where the tube goes in the cap for the small bottle.

The theory of this is that the larger reservoir is just as I stated. It is a waste reservoir meant to keep the old fluid and will help with comparing the fluid color coming from the brakes and the used fluid in the resevoir to determine when clean fluid is in the line. It will also aid in bleeding more brakes by having a large waste resevoir. This waste vessel should not hold any vacuum/pressure because, as brake fluid is dumped in, it will displaces the air. A small hole at the top will allow the air to move out ofo the way for the incoming brake fluid. The idea of having 3 valves is to allow the operator to choose gravity bleeding or vacuum bleeding. By keeping valves 1, 2 open and 3 closed you can use the gravity method to bleed the brakes. If using the vacuum method, it is imperative that the small vessel can maintain vacuum/pressure. This small vessel is a temporary holding resevoir to observe the brake fluid color. Once the smaller vessel is filled, it can be rerouted to the large resevoir by closing valve 1 and opening valve 2, 3.

Steps:
1) Make a similar mock up as image 3
2.a) [Optional] Use the auto filler: Open your bottle of brake fluid, add the cap and appropriate plastic plate from the kit. Set up like image 2. Don't worry about the brake fluid overflowing. It won't because of physics
2.b) Connect the connector (blue arrow in image 3) to brake bleeder valve. (Order of wheel bleeding: Rear Passenger, Rear Driver, Front Passenger, and finally Front Driver sides)
3) Open valves 1 and 3 (refer to image 2). Close valve 2 (reservoir valve).
4) Apply no more than 10 inHg vacuum. Any more vacuum and it may mess up some brake systems according to the kit manual.
5) Use a wrench, 10mm in my case, to open the bleeder valve a quarter turn. The brake fluid should start flowing and going to the smaller vacuum container.
6) Keep applying consistent pressure from the pump. THERE WILL BE BUBBLES. DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE BUBBLES. IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY.
7) Once the vacuum canister has been filled to an appropriate level (use your best judgement), close valve 3 (vacuum valve) and turn the pump to pressure mode
8) [Optional-ish] Lift the tubing between valve 1 (Bubba's main system valve) slightly above the bleeder. Fluid should start slowly flowing and pooling in the tube before the downward bend.
9) [Optional-ish] Keeping the tube lifted and an eye on the fluid, keep the fluid flowing until there are no more bubbles coming from the line. Once there are no more bubbles, continue. Once the bleeder valve is closed you can let it drop.
8) Close the bleeder valve at the caliper/drum a quarter turn.
9) Close valve 1 and open valve 2. Keep valve 3 open.
10) Start pumping the used brake fluid to the large resevoir with the hand pump in pressure mode.
11) Repeat steps 3-10 for each brake as stated in step 2.b. Also check the fluid left in the container between brakes if you're using the auto filler. Just tap the bottle and see how much it moves.

Image 1: The HF Kit

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Image 2: Using the auto filler from the kit (Literally I have not been able to find anyone online who knows what the plastic things are. This is how you use them.)

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Image 3: Bubba's Brake Bleeding System with labeled valves

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Image 4: The system in use with everything connected.

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Image 5: The system in use with reservoir filled.

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I did not proof read this. Just did a brain dump.

TL;DR
1) Open Bleeder Valve
2) Route to vacuum vessel and fill.
3) Once filled, close bleeder & route to large waste vessel
4) Repeat until fluid is clean for all brakes. EZ

 

[GTX63]

I use a plastic water bottle with a clear plastic tube and that is it.
One end of the tube goes onto the bleeder and one end goes inside the bottle.
Remove the master cylinder lid, and top off the brake fluid. Open the first bleeder and once you see it gravity bleeding, just pump the pedal a half dozen times.
Check the levels in the MC and repeat as necessary.

 

[Ricko1966]

I use a plastic water bottle with a clear plastic tube and that is it.
One end of the tube goes onto the bleeder and one end goes inside the bottle.
Remove the master cylinder lid, and top off the brake fluid. Open the first bleeder and once you see it gravity bleeding, just pump the pedal a half dozen times.
Check the levels in the MC and repeat as necessary.

One problem,possible with this,it depends on how sensitive your combination valve is,mine trips easy,but NBD buy a $5 centering tool to keep it from tripping.
Also FWIW I've used a piece of vacuum line attached to manifold vacuum and the bleeder nipple to bleed clutch slaves,more than once. If the wheel cylinders were closer to the engine I'd probably have done them that way a time or two.
P.S I have a pressure bleeder and more than 1 vacuum pump but I'm impatient and lazy, faster than I can get the crap out and set it up,I can have a piece of vacuum line on the bleeder,engine running,crack the bleeder,done.

 

[fast 99]

Been doing this a long time. I try to simplify brake jobs and be as efficient with time as possible.

First thing, suck out the old fluid in master and refill with new, proceed with repair. If hydraulic parts are being replaced let the system drain until fresh fluid is at each corner. Gravity bleed and replenish fluid as needed. When done pump pedal to push caliper pistons out and check pedal height. Go back to each corner, rebleed. Usually, a little air will be present. Car can then be road tested and delivered. There are a few cases when the system was allowed to go empty before repair. Those usually require ABS bleed, sometimes a scanner and take longer. After road testing, vehicles that have calipers with more than one piston are bleed again. Most times a little air is present.

Vehicles that do not require hydraulic repair I do flush out the old fluid if the bleeders can be opened without breaking them off. At the very least fluid is replaced in the master.

Doing it this way parts are replaced, and system is bled at the same time. Our shop does not have a pressure bleeder, although it would be nice at times, not necessary.

Above process works on 80-90% of vehicles I see but there are always exceptions.

 

[GTX63]

One problem,possible with this,it depends on how sensitive your combination valve is,mine trips easy,but NBD buy a $5 centering tool to keep it from tripping.
Also FWIW I've used a piece of vacuum line attached to manifold vacuum and the bleeder nipple to bleed clutch slaves,more than once. If the wheel cylinders were closer to the engine I'd probably have done them that way a time or two.
P.S I have a pressure bleeder and more than 1 vacuum pump but I'm impatient and lazy, faster than I can get the crap out and set it up,I can have a piece of vacuum line on the bleeder,engine running,crack the bleeder,done.

That simple tip was passed on to me as a young rookie mechanic at a Cadillac dealership. When all the equipment is being used and you are low man on the totem pole, you learn to make do. For what it is worth, I have yet to have an issue with the proportioning valve tripping, but there really isn't a right or wrong way so much as what you do gets the job done.

 

[Ricko1966]

That simple tip was passed on to me as a young rookie mechanic at a Cadillac dealership. When all the equipment is being used and you are low man on the totem pole, you learn to make do. For what it is worth, I have yet to have an issue with the proportioning valve tripping, but there really isn't a right or wrong way so much as what you do gets the job done.

That simple tip was passed on to me as a young rookie mechanic at a Cadillac dealership. When all the equipment is being used and you are low man on the totem pole, you learn to make do. For what it is worth, I have yet to have an issue with the proportioning valve tripping, but there really isn't a right or wrong way so much as what you do gets the job done.

I used a 7up bottle a piece of hose and a piece of wire to hang the bottle under the car in the 80s then gradually bought better or different tools, vacuum bleeder,pressure bleeder,the shop had a phoenix injector,one shop had a venturi bleeder, In the long run if you get the air out that's the important part. In 45 years as a career I've only had 3 combination valves that gave me much difficulty,but it happens. If the O.P. is having that problem he will never forget it. First for me was about 1986 a 1978 Grandprix, see I didn't forget the first one.