Re: [alfa] Power brake bleeder recommendations?

["Dean W. Cains" <dwc@xxxxxx>]

Hi Andrew:

The Motive Products Power Bleeder works very well and is simple to 
use.  The same MC reservoir cap adapter screws onto almost all the euro 
cars, be they Alfa, BMW, Saab, Volvo, BMW, etc., as they all use ATE 
cylinders.  The problem with Alfa's, specifically the older ones that I've 
seen you mention, is that the MC reservoirs with the 3 caps, meaning those 
that have a removable level sensor in each compartment, can't be 
pressurized.  Only the single cap reservoirs, such as on the later Bosch 
Spider's, GTV6's, Milano's, 164's, etc., can be pressurized.  I liked the 
pressure bleeder enough that I swapped a later style reservoir onto the MC 
on my '74 Spider, and by now, some older cars may already have had this 
performed simply because the original reservoir had cracked and the single 
cap style is the only replacement part available.

There are bleeders that work by applying vacuum at the bleeder screws, and 
I tried one that I borrowed from a friend, but it didn't work nearly as 
well, mostly because air tends to be drawn in through the bleeder screw 
threads, and you never know if all the air is out of the system.  The 
vacuum bleeders also don't maintain the fluid level in the MC reservoir 
like the pressure bleeders do, and fluid seemingly is moved less quickly by 
the vacuum than pressure.

I'm not aware of a commercial product that pressure bleeds in reverse, or 
as you mentioned from the bottom up, but I have heard of guys rigging such 
systems for cars that have been troublesome to bleed using conventional 
methods.  I can't remember where/when I've heard such tales, though.

For now, if you're having trouble with your one-way valve method, wrap a 
few turns of Teflon plumbers' tape on the bleeder screw threads to prevent 
air from leaking back into the system as you lift off the brake pedal.

For more info about the various bleeder setups available, look at the 
Motive Products site:

http://www.motiveproducts.com/

Regards,

Dean


At 06:31 PM 7/15/2004, you wrote:

> Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 17:00:18 -0400
> From: "Watry, Andrew (LNG-SFR)" <Andrew.Watry@domain.elided>
> Subject: [alfa] Power brake bleeder recommendations?
>
> I'm looking for a universal pressure brake bleeder that will work on a
> variety of systems.  I see ads in the BMW club mags for Power Bleeder, but
> it appears to use a screw-on cap that fits BMW MCs.  I'd like one that could
> somehow work on old Alfas, VWs, whatever, with different MC caps.  Is there
> a pressure bleeder that works from the bottom up, by attaching to the open
> bleed screw on the caliper or cylinder?  Or one that has a universal MC
> fitting?
>
> My current method, which works OK, is to pump the pedal with a bleed hose
> attached with a one-way valve, so one-man bleeding is possible on
> cooperative cars.  Some are not as cooperative though.  Thanks for any
> recommendations.
>
> Andrew Watry
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