I use a pressure bleeder and bleed them until the fluid comes out clear at each wheel every 2nd brake job(usually around 60K). On my personal cars that I have done that, I have never had a hydraulic component failure. Brake fluid in service just 3 years can have up to 6% moisture content depending on usage. It's all just preference, really.
where did you get the pressure bleeder? i change the fluid the old way, and i really would like to have an easier and faster way to do it.
ok so now ive replaced the master cylinder the two rear wheel cylinders and springs/hardware i bleed the brakes just fine, but now when i drove it it still had no brakes! ive i pumped it 5-10 times it would catch a little and then stop again. one time while bleeding the brakes when i went to fill the reservoir the one in the back shot a stream of fluid out of it.
I do too. Spent 15 years training my wife to help me. I (we) can now bleed out the brakes in a car start to finish in 1/2 hour. No special tools needed other than a drain tube. Doesn't get much faster, or easier.
The stream of fluid is normal when the lid is off and the brakes are pressed quickly. Make sure that the drums are adjusted properly(most common mistake in replacing drum brakes is not adjusting them). Then bleed all 4 brakes again. You did replace the shoes, right? Once brake fluid gets on friction material, it is ruined. Grease/oil can be cleaned, not brake fluid. If you still have a spongy pedal or no pedal at all you probably got a bad master cylinder. I get bad ones from time to time, even only using new parts exclusively.
Do mine every 2 years give or take. The imports have been doing it for decades. Its a real good maintenance item as well on newer cars. We do it at work under the maint. schedule now on chryslers. Old timers will argue it but it really is a useful maint. item. Never use to do brake flushes on the old cars so its not necessary now right??
Old car's brake fluid usually out lasted the brake parts. So, they ended up with new fluid every 20-30k. With new vehicles brake components lasting for up to (and sometimes over) 100k, it becomes a maintenance concern.
how badly can the front breaks come out of adjustment? enough that they wouldnt stopthe car at all? bad break adjustment doesnt really make since for whats going on, if the needed to be adjusted they wouldn't ever catch, sometimes they do but only after pumping it 5-10 times, when a master cylinder goes bad do the brakes not work entirely?
yes but im not 100% on it i did it as best as i could from reading the directions. would that cause this? if i didnt get all of the air out?
Yes, it would. Do you know any other car guys? maybe one of them might have a pressure bleeder, or give you a hand...Or does Autozone lend out those fancy bleeders?
im not sure but just to be sure i took the front apart and the insides fell apart and the inside of the wheel was full of fluid so i guess i start over again.
U took the whl cylinder apart and the insides fell apart? U must not have installed the parts correctly or that wud'nt have happened. I normally just take one whl apart at a time - that way u can look at the other side to hopefully get things right on the one ur workin on. That is, if it has been assembled correctly. This is what it should look like when installed correctly. I hope this may be of some help.
