Brake Bleeding Procedure

[Kurt B.]

In the old days, we always bled brakes from farthest to closest. In other words, right rear, left rear, right front ending up with lthe eft front caliper. Now I am reading that Corvettes must be bled differently and should be bled left rear first and then right rear. Is this correct and if so why are Corvettes different?
I have bled mine the old way since 1972 and never had any problems. Am I doing it wrong?
Thanks,
Kurt

[John O.]

Re: Brake Bleeding Procedure

Hi Kurt

I have always bleed furthest to nearest like you have been. Done all my cars like that. I never heard of going from rear left first. Are you reading it correctly?

John

[Kurt B.]

Re: Brake Bleeding Procedure

John,
Yes I read it correctly but it confused me. I have seen this recently on the Corvette Forum and have seen it before, and like you, I always bled the wheel furthest from the master cylinder first and ende up with the one closest. All the shop manuals I have read over the years (Im old) have the same method you and I use but I thought perhaps this was something new.
Thanks,
Kurt

[Robert S.]

Re: Brake Bleeding Procedure

"always bled brakes from farthest to closest" does not refer to the location of the wheel farthest from the master cylinder but the brake cylinder or caliper through which the brake fluid must travel that is farthest from the master cylinder.

I don't know the configuration of all years but on the 53/54's the brake line runs from the master cylinder across the front member then down the right side rail and across the rear axle to the left rear brake cylinder.

Thus, the left rear wheel/brake cylinder is the "farthest" from the master cylinder.

[John G.]

Re: Brake Bleeding Procedure

I just did mine this afternoon on my '64, the 'old school' way - RR, LR, RF, LF .. Worked out fine but it took several go-rounds before I got a firm pedal.

[Duke W.]

Re: Brake Bleeding Procedure

I really doesn't make much difference - guys obsess over this issue WAAAAAY to much. If you are doing a system flush, siphon all the fluid out of the m/c, clean it out if there is any sludge or debris at the bottom, then fill the reservoir with fresh fluid and go around the car two or three times with 6-12 pumps at each corner. The shortest path out for the dirty fluid in the line from the m/c to the junction block is the LF on a single cylinder system, so that's where I start. On a dual system the shortest path out the rear system is usually the LR. System capacity is somewhat less than a pint, so if you flush through a quart, all the old fluid should be pretty well purged.

DO NOT let the m/c reservoir run dry of you will have to do A LOT of extra bleeding to purge the air.

If you change the m/c (be sure to bench bleed it first) the same applies.

If you're filling a system that's completely dry, a pressure bleeder is best, but I've done it by pumping the pedal, and in these cases I start with the corner that has the longest circuit from the m/c, and, again, it takes several trips around the car to completely purge all the air.

Duke

[Robert S.]

Re: Brake Bleeding Procedure

John, Kurt, John,

Duke is right, of course, it really doesn't make much difference. Except, as Duke suggested, for getting the crud out of the master cylinder the fastest/shortest route would be best.

FYI - when I beld my 54 brakes I used the rr first, for the reasons I explained above, and only had to go around the car once to got a nice firm pedal. May be I was just lucky or there is something to it?

Anyway, try it next time you might like it

Bob