Homemade Pressure Bleed Tool

[Robert S.]

Based upon a brake bleeding post I read on another website, I decided to make a homemade pressure bleed tool to bleed the brakes on my 74' after replacing the master cylinder. The purpose of the post is to share my experience to potentially help others who need to bleed their brakes and are working alone. Note that the master cylinder was bled on the bench before installation.
I took a 1/8 inch sheet of scrap aluminum and cut it to 3 1/4 by 6 1/4 inches and drilled a hole for a pressure fitting 1 1/2 inches from one end in the center of the plate. I glued a rubber gasket to one side of the plate and a back up piece of wood to the other side. I bought a small plastic pressure sprayer from ACE hardware for $8.00 which I connected to the pressure fitting on the plate with a short piece of clear plastic tubing. Although the plate covers the top of the master cylinder, my intention was to pressurize only one side at a time; the plate being turned 180 degrees to pressurize the other side. With the master cylinder full to about 1/8 inch of the top I clamped the plate to the top of the master cylinder using a large C-clamp and pumped up the sprayer. I started with just a few pumps but eventually found that I needed to do 15 to 20 pumps to get enough pressure. With the bleeds on the calipers run into a small jar of fluid using plastic tubing, I then started on the right front brake opening the bleed screw. I had to stop periodically and check the fluid in the master cylinder and replace some fluid and add more pumps to the sprayer and of course turn the plate around when I started on the rear brakes. I eventually put about a quart of fresh brake fluid through the system and had a good firm petal on the first try. Hope this may help others.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Homemade Pressure Bleed Tool

Based upon a brake bleeding post I read on another website, I decided to make a homemade pressure bleed tool to bleed the brakes on my 74' after replacing the master cylinder. The purpose of the post is to share my experience to potentially help others who need to bleed their brakes and are working alone. Note that the master cylinder was bled on the bench before installation.
I took a 1/8 inch sheet of scrap aluminum and cut it to 3 1/4 by 6 1/4 inches and drilled a hole for a pressure fitting 1 1/2 inches from one end in the center of the plate. I glued a rubber gasket to one side of the plate and a back up piece of wood to the other side. I bought a small plastic pressure sprayer from ACE hardware for $8.00 which I connected to the pressure fitting on the plate with a short piece of clear plastic tubing. Although the plate covers the top of the master cylinder, my intention was to pressurize only one side at a time; the plate being turned 180 degrees to pressurize the other side. With the master cylinder full to about 1/8 inch of the top I clamped the plate to the top of the master cylinder using a large C-clamp and pumped up the sprayer. I started with just a few pumps but eventually found that I needed to do 15 to 20 pumps to get enough pressure. With the bleeds on the calipers run into a small jar of fluid using plastic tubing, I then started on the right front brake opening the bleed screw. I had to stop periodically and check the fluid in the master cylinder and replace some fluid and add more pumps to the sprayer and of course turn the plate around when I started on the rear brakes. I eventually put about a quart of fresh brake fluid through the system and had a good firm petal on the first try. Hope this may help others.

we made our pressure bleeders for race cars by using a garden sprayer filled with silica gel so no moisture would get into the fluid. the silica gel would absorb the moisture in the pressurized air as it passed thru it..

[Stephen L.]

Re: Homemade Pressure Bleed Tool

Good Ideas. Thanks.

[David L.]

Re: Homemade Pressure Bleed Tool

I bought 4 speed bleeders when I installed new brake calipers on my 1966 Corvette. The speed bleeders are slightly longer then regular bleeders because they have a check valve in them. It made the job a lot easier.

Dave

[Paul S.]

Re: Homemade Pressure Bleed Tool

I'm surprised you needed 15-20 psi. Either your gauge or the gauge on my Motive Power bleeder is off. When I replaced the MC in my 67 last year (bench bled like you), I went conservative on the pressure and kept it between 10-15 psi and it flowed well.

Whether you make one or buy one, pressure bleeders are sure nice to have. Been using one for years. Just make sure you replace the tubing periodically because you don't want to spring a leak in the middle of a fluid flush--very messy. If you're using tubing bought at a hardware store, which likely isn't designed for brake fluid, I'd probably use the tubing once and throw it out (in an over abundance of caution).

Edit: I misread the post, and see it was 15-20 pumps. Not sure how much pressure that would be.

[Gary R.]

Re: Homemade Pressure Bleed Tool

well sounds like you built a Motive bleeder, works great I'm sure. I have a Motive and like it because it stores fresh fluid to draw into the M/C and had a small press gauge on it. They really are worth the $60 or so it anyone plans on bleeding their brakes.

another home made bleeder is just a plate with a npt fitting tapped in it so you can apply 10 psi of air and bleed it. This works but there's no storage so you're always pulling the cover to refill the m/c.