Review - Brake Fluid Replaced Using Harbor Freight Brake Bleeder

[diyer2]

I used this to do the wife's Accord. My truck is next.

Put brakes on all 4 corners of the wife's Accord. Then replaced the brake fluid.

This works but it takes a lot of air. I read the reviews about the amount of air it takes to work well.

I used a 3 h.p. 6 gallon tank, oil bath air compressor. Set at 100 psi to the tool. Directions say to use 90 - 120 psi.

It ran constantly so I put a 20 inch box fan on it to help cool it.

I would start the air flow and the compressor would start in 5 seconds. I would let the compressor run for maybe a minute. Then I would stop the air flow and let the compressor build air.

Let it cool for a few minutes and start again.

 

It took a while to to exchange the brake fluid but it worked with my small compressor.

The directions say to continue removing brake fluid until no air bubbles can be seen in the hose. I was never able to get all the air to stop showing up in the hose.

I think it could be air getting sucked in around the bleeder valve. Just a guess.

 

After replacing the fluid with this tool I hand bleed each wheel because of the air in the hose.

I hooked the bleeder hose on this tool the the bleeder valve.

I thought for sure there would be air in the brake lines because of the air bubbles in the hose using this tool.

All the wheels bleed without air.

This is what made me think it was sucking air in around the loosened bleeder valve.

 

I figure a big compressor, like one used to paint a car would make it fast.

 

For the cost of less than $40 it's easier than pumping the brake pedal and makes it a one man job.

Link to tool https://www.harborfreight.com/brake-fluid-bleeder-92924.html

 

[davester]

Is it really a good value if it works, but doesn't give you confidence that it has done the job right (in that you see air bubbles in the brake fluid, so you have to bleed a bunch of extra fluid to "make sure" it's done, and then double-check by bleeding manually)?

 

Did you try just cracking open the bleeder screws a little bit, to minimize air from possibly getting in via the threads, and maybe putting a small hose clamp on the tube?

 

For a little more, you can get a pressure bleeder, like the Motive Pressure Bleeder, which is self contained (as in, you don't need a separate air compressor for it to work), which isn't susceptible the problem you had.  It is more expensive, in that you may need multiple caps to fit on the brake fluid reservoir, depending on the vehicles you want to use it with.  It also isn't problem-free, in that if you pump up the system too much (past about 15 psi), the cap may blow off the reservoir (at least, if you use the plastic cap on gm vehicles), but Motive sells a more expensive billet cap that works at higher pressures (this is only if you want to get the system up to the pressure that gm's full-service manual say to use, which is for gm's pressure bleeder setup).

 

Anyway, good review.

[diyer2]

Yes, worth it to me.

All the wheels bled without air.

Easy to check. After using tool, leave it hooked up to the bleed valve.

Have someone pump the pedal up and check for air. No mess using the tool to catch the fluid.

 

The air is visible at the spot where the fitting for the bleeder valve meets the tubing. And I did try to open the bleeder valve just enough to get fluid moving.

The cost is right for me and the tool works. This is a tool that will get used sparingly, every few years. If I did this weekly I could justify a professional tool.

 

 

[davester]

Spending an extra $20 for the Motive setup means:

1) less wasted fluid, as the only air bubbles you see are ones from the brake system, it doesn't give a false-negative (ie, sucking air in around the bleeder screw, so bubbles still show even if brake system is fully bled)

2) no need to have a second person for the double-check phase (because there is no double-check phase).  Your setup means you can't be sure air is out of the system, so you still need to manually bleed it.  Or you just go "hope it's done".

 

Note, this is not to criticize you, your review, but to give someone reading this thread an idea of the tradeoffs between the two methods (pressure vs vacuum), so they can decide if the extra couple bucks for the pressure setup vs the extra effort & brake fluid needed with a vacuum setup.

[Black02Silverado]

I have a Motive brake bleeder.  Works great, no need for an air compressor.  Pump it to 15psi and go.

 

I switched over to Super Blue brake fluid, which you can't get anymore from what I have been told.  It makes it nice.  Once you see the blue fluid you know you are good to go at that wheel.

[diyer2]

Update.....................

I did my truck yesterday.

I think a bigger compressor would make a huge difference.

It worked but there are better systems out there.

Motive Products for one it seems.