Vacuum Brake Bleeding

[jrkitching]

Not having much luck on the 500 forum so asking the question more generally here.

I am wondering if anyone has experience of using a hand held vacuum bleeding tool such as:

http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/s...eeding-kit.asp

FIAT's workshop documentation for my 500 shows a pressure bleeding method but my own experience of DIY versions of such tools (Eezibleed for example) has not been good as they offer limitless opportunities to introduce unwanted air, moisture and crud into the lines, not to mention their capacity for spraying brake fluid everywhere if anything bursts or comes undone.

This tool looks like an easy way of doing a one-man fluid change, providing you are careful to keep the reservoir topped up. And someone has just offered to buy me one in return for a small touch-up job on their scratched bumper.

Thoughts, anyone?

 

[s130]

Interesting device.

Never used or seen a vacuum bleed device in use. Nor comments on them.

Personally I've found the only fully reliable way to bleed brakes is via the traditional pedal pump with syncronised bleed valve opening and closing. Take two people used to bleeding brakes together. Wife, girl friend, husband, trained monkey....

The problem I have with a vacuum bleed is that once a brake nipple is cracked air will seep in via the threads. This will reduce the effective vacuum that can be imposed on the system.

I've used Gunsons Eezibleed in the past. Sometime very successfully and others end in brake fluid flooding out of the reservoir all over the place.

Pressure feeds are go but rely upon:

1) Propper resevoir sealing (has to be model specific and NOT universal)
2) Pressure regulation

 

[jrkitching]

Interesting device.
Personally I've found the only fully reliable way to bleed brakes is via the traditional pedal pump with syncronised bleed valve opening and closing. Take two people used to bleeding brakes together. Wife, girl friend, husband, trained monkey....

That's always been the way I've done it in the past but my friends have wised up & they just don't seem to train monkeys the way they used to.

From what I've read, this method apparently works well with ABS systems. Vacuum leakage from the threads doesn't stop you getting a successful bleed but can make it hard to see when you've removed all the air from the system. Apparently wrapping PTFE tape around the nipple threads gets round this difficulty.

Like yourself, I have bad experiences with pressure systems & once managed to spray brake fluid all over the interior of a van which had the master cylinder fitted just behind the dash & a (hidden) vent external to the cap.

 

[zar]

I use vacuum pump for the brake line bleeding. I bought one on ebay a few years back. It's a Draper kit, all you need for the job.

 

[sludgeguts]

I've used the eezibleed very successfully on many occasions, from installing a complete new brake system to replacing rear cylinders & never had fluid squirting all over or foreign objects introduced or air into the lines.As long as you check the reservoir is not allowed to run empty everything's fine.

 

[Louie Bee]

To revive an old thread... 500 and Panda are quite similar...

Can anyone recommend a bleeding kit for the Panda please

it's Multijet with ABS and they Hayes manual says I have to use one.

I've always done it traditional way on all my other FIATS

 

[fingers99]

I've recently started using a mityvac alike like this.

It's the best thing I've found so far (also handy for diagnostics).

All you need is one of these and a little silicone grease (helps prevent air re-entering the system).

Mess free, no waste, especially good when the braking system is empty!

 

[dave]

To revive an old thread... 500 and Panda are quite similar...

Can anyone recommend a bleeding kit for the Panda please

it's Multijet with ABS and they Hayes manual says I have to use one.

I've always done it traditional way on all my other FIATS

i thought you could bleed abs normally as long as system don't go dry
http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/bleeding-abs-brake-systems

 

[Louie Bee]

Nice one!! they really work?

Will is catch the fluid it sucks out?

 

[Louie Bee]

i thought you could bleed abs normally as long as system don't go dry
http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/bleeding-abs-brake-systems

Thanks Dave!! good article. Haynes manual says pressure bleeding kit must be used for ABS models - 500 and panda manual page 9.3 paragraph 32

Good old Haynes

 

[fingers99]

Nice one!! they really work?

Will is catch the fluid it sucks out?

Yeah, there's a sort of jam jar thingy before the vacuum device which will hold a fair bit of fluid. Just empty it from time to time.