Speed-bleeders

["Steve D'Gerolamo" <steved3@xxxxxxx>]

Someone else's opinion on the well advertised "Speed-bleeder" brake
bleeding valves.   SD  (PS- Dave is a well know "brake guru" on several of
the car digests.....I respect his opinion.)


Alfredo Leanos wrote:
<snip>...
On a side note: Has anyone used Speed-bleeders and how well do they work??
======================================================
I've installed a bunch of these.  At first I thought they were a great
idea.  I'm a sucker for gadgets.  But my experience with them has soured me
on the concept.  The majority of Speed-bleeders that I installed did not
work properly.  The tiny ball valve inside failed to seat properly and fluid
was sucked back into the valve when the pedal pumper released the brake
pedal. In about 75 percent of the ones I've installed, the one-way valve
was not one way.

Even if they work as advertised, and there is a slight chance (25%) that
they will, I still don't think they are a good idea.  They are sold on the
premise that you can put them on your car and bleed the brakes without the
help of an assistant.  Apart from the loss of quality time spent with your
spouse or SO, the concept is seriously flawed.  If you attach a bleeder
bottle to the Speed-bleeder nipple and then sit in your car to pump the
brake pedal, how can you tell when the old fluid has all been pumped out?
How can you tell if air bubbles are being expelled?  What about chunks of
rust?  What if the hose falls off the bleeder screw?  Then you would be
spraying brake fluid into your wheel well and, perhaps, on to your paint.
And, if your fluid reservoir runs dry because nobody was up front keeping
an eye on it, then you won't see the telltale stream of bubbles that lets
you know you ran it down too low.  You won't feel it in the brake pedal either
because the "one-way" valve offers no resistance when you pump.

And finally, you can't get a good bleed with this gadget if there is any
air clinging to the insides of your caliper, brake lines, combination
valve, or other surfaces. Because the valve offers no resistance, the fluid
is just slowly pumped out.  But it is not pushed out with any force.  To do
that, you need to have the bleeder screw closed, push on the brake pedal,
and have an assistant SUDDENLY crack open the bleeder screw.  This causes a
jolt in the fluid which knocks bubbles loose from the sides of whatever
they are clinging to.  Visualize a glass of freshly poured ginger ale and
you will see what I mean.  You need to knock these bubbles off to get a
good firm pedal feel after bleeding your brakes.  You simply can't do that
with the Speed-Bleeders.

Hope this helps.

Dave Zeckhausen
1996 Impala SS
1991 Taurus SHO
 
=========================================
Steve D'Gerolamo - The Ultimate Garage
201-262-0412 / steved3@domain.elided / http://www.ultimategarage.com

------------------------------