Just some more info about brake fluid when replacing\flushing.. As thisapplies to all vehicles. http://www.motorcycleproject.com/mot...rakefluid.html

 

It definately matters. When the pedal was released you allowed air to be pulled back into the steel brake lines (due to the open lines) and who know how far your air bubbles have traveled. You won't have a safe/good pedal until all your air is out of the lines.

 

I suck at bleeding.Seems like I do it wrong because the pedal never changes, and still feels really soft. I followed the guidelines like pass rear, driver rear, LSPV, pass front, driver front, and still...nada. How much fluid do you guys go through?

 

I will teach you the redneck method. I have been using this method for about 20 years now on all kinds of cars. First go buy one of the large bottles of brake fluid and a couple small bottles. Grab some rubber tubing that will fit on the end of the bleeder, forget what it is on there, maybe 1/4 inch? I have a few different sizes. This should be long enough to reach the ground when on the valve. Open the big bottle of brake fluid, attach the hose to your bleeder and insert the hose all the way into the large bottle of fluid. Pop your hood, open the brake resorvoir, fill it to full, NEVER let it get below Min. Loosen the bleeder just enough, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 turn. Now hop in, start up the truck, push the brakes down SLOWLY, nope even slower, hold it for 10 seconds, then release SLOOOOWLLLLY. If you pump them, you blow bubbles out and then suck the bubbles back in defeating the whole point. Repeat about 10 times or so til you feel them getting stiff, and keep making sure the resorvoir is full. Be patient and bleed them right like your life depends on it.

 

Whats a big bottle of brake fluid cost 5$? Id bleed the hole system so you know its done right the first time, and if you are unsure about the procedure get your autoshop teacher or whatever to help you. Brakes are pretty important. Ive bled my share of brakes and this Is the way I do it and ive never had a problem. Hope this helps.

 

All these methods will work well to get the air out however, IMO you only want the fluid that is already in the lines(possibly mixed with air) to travel one direction. OUT. Any method that uses a hose connected to a clean brake fluid bottle at your wheel cylinder or whatever will move fluid back and forth within your lines. How can you expect an air bubble to escape out the wheel cylinder if you are just aggitating the fulid back and forth?

When using the foot method or a pressure bleeder the fluid can only move in one direction, out. Pumping, I have found, is not necessarily needed at all as part of the foot bleeding procedure in most cases. Just a down/closed then opened and a closed up then repeat. I have done this so many times (thousands) with great results.
This way you are only moving the old fluid in one direction which really flushes out the system instead of diluting the old fluid with new.

 

I can't believe how often "how do I bleed brakes" comes up on here. I think i've personally responded to around 10 different threads on this topic in the past 6 months, can't imagine how many more threads there are on the topic...

 

Ugg, I hate bleeding hydraulic lines.

I have to replace my master cyclinder soon and I bought a vacuum pump to do the job. I had one for years and stupidly stepped on it one day (it was cheap and plastic). Well worth the money though.

I never understood how to do the 'pump the brake' method until a couple years ago on my bike. It makes more sense when you can see the fluid coming out in relation to pump the lever.

The vacuum pump makes it a one man job vs getting mad at your buddy when you don't communicate right.

 

I like the vacuum pump as well as a pressure bleeder for one man bleeding.
Those only move fluid one direction, out.
The little bottle attached by hose to a bleeder does not.

 

what vacuum pumps are you guys using to bleed your brakes? I checked amazon and there are just so many I thought I'd find out what the Toyota guys are using.