Can you gravity bleed brakes

Loosen all of your bleeders first with a very firm attachment of the ViseGrip pliers. Then, tighten them again so they are not weeping. The Vise Grips are especially important on the smaller M7 bleeders commonly found on early calipers because these smaller bleeders tend to get stuck and strip yes, even with a 6 sided box-end or flare wrench. The later calipers have larger bleeders and stripping the hex is not so common.

It should hang down from your c-pillar, or garage door frame or a supported stick to the caliper. We like to tape ours to our c-pillar or roof of the car.

Slide the plastic tubing over the nipple. Now slide the open-end wrench over the nipple and open the nipple with the wrench. You should now begin to see the fluid rise in the tubing. If you make a mistake, you may have to start all over again. As soon as this nipple is opened, brake fluid will start to rise in the plastic tubing. As this happens, you will see the trapped air bubbles escaping until it reaches the height or level of the brake fluid reservoir. Be patient because this process is rather slow.

It usually takes from 3 to 4 minutes for this process to end. Get the rubber mallet and tap the brake calipers. It will make the gravity bleeding process faster. This will also improve the effectiveness of the process because it helps the air bubbles to rise through the plastic tubing until all of them are removed.

If you are sure that all trapped air has been removed on the first rear wheel, you need to tighten its bleeder and remove the plastic tubing attached. Use the wrench to close the bleeder. Before you do this, place the jar below the nipple so that it can catch the dripping brake fluid. You might remove some brake fluid at the reservoir. So if the brake fluid in the reservoir is below its required limit, top it off with new fluid.

Always remember that you need to monitor this fluid during the process of bleeding. It needs to be always full while you are still doing the process. It is better to have someone do the monitoring for you while you are doing the bleeding.

They can do the topping up while you are doing the bleeding. Repeat the same procedure in bleeding out the trapped air in the three remaining brakes. Follow the recommended sequence as mentioned above.

After bleeding one brake, ensure that the brake fluid level is topped up each time. This will prevent more air from sneaking into the braking system.

Follow the general rule of bleeding until the brake fluid is clear of all air bubbles. This may take time, but you have to do it to ensure no air bubbles are trapped in the system. After completing the entire bleeding process on all four car brakes, take it out for a test drive. As you drive, push your foot on the brake pedal. If the feeling is firm when you depress the pedal, then you have done a great job. You have gravity bled the brakes of your car. Well, you need to bleed the brakes as well to make sure your brake fluid does its job.

The reason why this is important is that brake fluid is hygroscopic, which means it absorbs water from the air. That water lowers the boiling point of your brake fluid, and when it boils it can escape the lines as steam. That goo is corrosive and can lead to the introduction of even more air into the system, creating a vicious cycle that ruins your brakes.

Make sure you park your car on a level surface. Brake fluid is caustic, so keep it off of your hands, clothes and any paint or finishes on your car, as it can cause damage. Make sure you have a plan to properly dispose of the old brake fluid. For instance, you could do a web search for hazardous waste disposal in your town. Do not dump it down a drain.

Attach the hose to the bleed screw, open it up, and watch old brake fluid and air flow out of the lines like water through the Aqua Virgo aqueduct on the way to Rome.

These inexpensive Bleed-O-Matic type setups work well. The magnet makes it easy to stick the bottle in plain view for a reason.

Communication breakdowns or attention lapses can slow the job, so sort out the callouts and procedures ahead of time. The idea here is to create a vacuum that draws brake fluid and air out of the bleed screws into a catch container. A hand-operated vacuum gun is a decent option, especially if you already have one around. This Mighty-Vac unit came with all the brake bleeding attachments and is rigged with fresh vinyl tubing.

First, hook up the bleed screw adapter, hoses, and catch container. Then pull some vacuum and crack the bleed screw. The procedure can be tricky as air sometimes gets in around the bleed screw threads and creates a tube full of bubbles.