Gravity flushing...
07-19-2004, 04:31 PM
#1
Gravity flushing... Has anyone ever done a gravity flush of their brake system?
I was thinking of doing a fluid changed (probably never been done) and read about gravity flushing.
For those that have never heard of it, here's what's involved:
"To do this flush, we open the brake lines located at each wheel and allow the brake fluid from the brake master cylinder to "gravity bleed" as we continue to feed new fluid to the master cylinder until the fluid runs clear at all wheels. By gravity bleed I mean without the assistance of anything other than allowing the fluid to slowly drip from the lines by the natural force of gravity.
"
Austin C. Davis
The Honest Mechanic
Has anyone had any experience with this? Also, did you have to bleed the brakes after you were done?
I was thinking of doing a fluid changed (probably never been done) and read about gravity flushing.
For those that have never heard of it, here's what's involved:
"To do this flush, we open the brake lines located at each wheel and allow the brake fluid from the brake master cylinder to "gravity bleed" as we continue to feed new fluid to the master cylinder until the fluid runs clear at all wheels. By gravity bleed I mean without the assistance of anything other than allowing the fluid to slowly drip from the lines by the natural force of gravity.
"
Austin C. Davis
The Honest Mechanic
Has anyone had any experience with this? Also, did you have to bleed the brakes after you were done?
07-19-2004, 08:00 PM
#2
Levi,
I just add fluid, pump it through and keep adding until it is clean. I use ATE SuperBlue and just wait until I get blue fluid and then more to the next one. I've never tried a gravity bleed, but I have never found a good reason to try one either. Call Sam at www.stranoparts.com and ask for the ATE. It's about $10 a liter (I can flush my car in about 1/2 liter and I have TCS). I usually do 11 pumps on the rear calipers before refilling the M/C and 5 on the front. You can go more, but you don't want air in it so I am extra careful.
My thoughts.
I just add fluid, pump it through and keep adding until it is clean. I use ATE SuperBlue and just wait until I get blue fluid and then more to the next one. I've never tried a gravity bleed, but I have never found a good reason to try one either. Call Sam at www.stranoparts.com and ask for the ATE. It's about $10 a liter (I can flush my car in about 1/2 liter and I have TCS). I usually do 11 pumps on the rear calipers before refilling the M/C and 5 on the front. You can go more, but you don't want air in it so I am extra careful.
My thoughts.
07-19-2004, 08:18 PM
#3
Originally Posted by trackbird
Levi,
I just add fluid, pump it through and keep adding until it is clean. I use ATE SuperBlue and just wait until I get blue fluid and then more to the next one. I've never tried a gravity bleed, but I have never found a good reason to try one either. Call Sam at www.stranoparts.com and ask for the ATE. It's about $10 a liter (I can flush my car in about 1/2 liter and I have TCS). I usually do 11 pumps on the rear calipers before refilling the M/C and 5 on the front. You can go more, but you don't want air in it so I am extra careful.
My thoughts.
I just add fluid, pump it through and keep adding until it is clean. I use ATE SuperBlue and just wait until I get blue fluid and then more to the next one. I've never tried a gravity bleed, but I have never found a good reason to try one either. Call Sam at www.stranoparts.com and ask for the ATE. It's about $10 a liter (I can flush my car in about 1/2 liter and I have TCS). I usually do 11 pumps on the rear calipers before refilling the M/C and 5 on the front. You can go more, but you don't want air in it so I am extra careful.
My thoughts.
07-20-2004, 08:25 AM
#4
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I've never used the gravity method either - actually (FWIW) I've never even heard of it being used.
I use a little one-man bleeder like this one: http://www.europeancarweb.com/auto_tools/0404ec_tool/ and it makes the job pretty darn easy for one person. Better would be a compressed air setup, but this one is nice and portable. Cleanup is also real easy.
I use a little one-man bleeder like this one: http://www.europeancarweb.com/auto_tools/0404ec_tool/ and it makes the job pretty darn easy for one person. Better would be a compressed air setup, but this one is nice and portable. Cleanup is also real easy.
07-20-2004, 11:53 AM
#7
Originally Posted by CANNIBAL
I assume that you pump it 11 times and have someone open the bleeder or do you have both bleeders on the rears open, then pump 11 times, fill reservoir?
I bleed RR/LR/RF/LF and I do one at a time. Start at the right rear, open bleeder, have someone pump pedal, close bleeder, repeat 11 times, fill M/C.
Front, same thing, repeat 5 or 6 times, fill M/C.
I do them one at a time, standard procedure and work around the car. It does not take long.
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07-20-2004, 12:43 PM
#8
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Originally Posted by trackbird
I bleed RR/LR/RF/LF and I do one at a time. Start at the right rear, open bleeder, have someone pump pedal, close bleeder, repeat 11 times, fill M/C.
Front, same thing, repeat 5 or 6 times, fill M/C.
I do them one at a time, standard procedure and work around the car. It does not take long.
Front, same thing, repeat 5 or 6 times, fill M/C.
I do them one at a time, standard procedure and work around the car. It does not take long.
07-20-2004, 01:03 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by CANNIBAL
How much was that setup, Fulton?
07-20-2004, 01:26 PM
#10
Originally Posted by Fulton 1
Boy, don't quote me on this because its been so long, but I think it was around $60. That was probably 6-7 years ago though. Its still working fine although the pump handle broke on me a while back. Can't comment on the little one, but it does look cool.
07-20-2004, 10:25 PM
#11
Originally Posted by TTopJohn
Isn't it pump pedal and hold, open bleeder, close bleeder, pump pedal and hold, open bleeder, close bleeder.......
Yes, it is. I was too lazy to type it correctly, thinking that "standard bleed" would suffice. I probably should have been more accurate in case a novice uses this post.
07-20-2004, 11:28 PM
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I've gravity fed my clutch hydrolics (off of the car), and it took for ever and used alot more fluid then necessary. I used 1/2 liter of ATE super blue for my brakes, then the other 1/2 liter was gravity fed through my clutch hydrolics. I perfer the pump-hold-bleed method, seems much eaiser and quicker.
