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Topic: brake flushing

in Forum: C3 Engines, Driveline and Handling


brake flushing

Posted: 1/23/07 12:17pm Message 1 of 15
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jersey city, NJ - USA
Joined: 11/30/2003
Posts: 372
Vette(s): 1979 corvette metallic silver/red leather interior
anyone have a good c3 specific procedure for flushing out old brake fluid? looked around and alot of generic info, but not c3 specific.

i have a mityvac pump.


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brake flushing

Posted: 1/23/07 2:25pm Message 2 of 15
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Eastern Oklahoma County, OK - USA
Joined: 1/3/2006
Posts: 1560
Vette(s): 1980 Black L48 T-Tops
71Shark and I had to change the master cylinder, calipers, front crossover pipe and end lines from rubber to braided steel.

We bench bled the master cylinder (takes a LONG TIME), replaced it, pulled the calipers, then the rubber hoses (be SURE to support both the pipe and the hose), then changed out the crossover pipe and started to bleed the system.

We used the standard bleeding recommendations, inside left rear, outside left rear, inside right rear, outside right rear, left front, right front and used his hand pump to pull the fluid thru till it was clear on all four calipers.

Note: Have LOTS of fluid on hand.

There is probably an easier way to do this, but it seemed to work for us.



brake flushing

Posted: 1/23/07 4:44pm Message 3 of 15
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Fayetteville, NC - USA
Joined: 2/13/2005
Posts: 244
Vette(s): 1968 Corvette Convertable, 4 spd, 350 SB, Daily Driver
I did my complete system and used a plastic syringe to inject new fluid into the new calipers, instead of pumping the pedal or using one of those hand vacs.  Then final bleeding of the remaining air was easy.
 
If all you are doing is flushing the old fluid you may consider gravity draining the system.  This is a common practice to flush/bleed brakes on C3s.  Open the valves and disconnect the hoses and let it flow.  Return a few hours later and reconnect everything and then start with fresh fluid.  You can use the above mentioned technique to get fluid into the calipers and then bleed out remaining air as required.
 
Good luck!



brake flushing

Posted: 1/23/07 5:01pm Message 4 of 15
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Joined: 10/21/2003
Posts: 1220
Nothing beats a pressure bleeder! Fill the tank with fluid, pressurize it, and go around the car and open one bleeder at a time. One man job and fast. I do mine every couple of years.  Mike


brake flushing

Posted: 1/23/07 5:42pm Message 5 of 15
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Saxonburg, PA - USA
Joined: 11/14/2003
Posts: 143
Vette(s): 1982 Black over red, doing a resto.
I gravity bleed most systems, that way you won't push or suck any crud into places you don't want to, like anything with ABS on it. Just keep the master cylinder full, do one wheel at a time till the fluid is clean.
Thumbs%20Up
Denny



brake flushing

Posted: 1/23/07 8:40pm Message 6 of 15
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Shenandoah, PA - USA
Joined: 10/18/2006
Posts: 328
Vette(s): 1982 Chevrolet Corvette
I drain the master cylinder with a piston syringe, then fill it with my new brake fluid.  Last time I had the brake lines off so draining the old fluild was more simple, but if not bleed in the order that dnv posted using the MityVac pump. Make certain the master cylinder always has plenty of fluid in it! I prefer to use ATE Super Blue brake fluid in my "good" cars, it's DOT3 compatible and one of the best brake fluids out there.  It comes in either blue or gold, so you can actually see a difference bewteen the old and new fluids while you bleed.
 
So its pretty much everything that everybody already said here, all put together  Big%20smile



brake flushing

Posted: 1/23/07 8:43pm Message 7 of 15
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20226
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
Dang...Mike stole my response!
I have to say a pressure bleeder is the ONLY way to go. (Of course, I have one, so that makes it easy for me to say!) The hand-held vac. pumps aren't worth a poot for Vettes, IMO. I also pre-fill the calipers when I do them, so there's less air in the system to bleed out afterwards.

Without a pressure bleeder, you just have to open the bleeder screws, and let it gravity bleed for a while, and then start tuh pumpin 'til you get clean, fresh fluid out the bleeders. This is a little hard on the master cylinder, tho.Adams' Apple2007-01-23 20:43:43


Joel Adams
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brake flushing

Posted: 1/24/07 5:24am Message 8 of 15
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Fayetteville, NC - USA
Joined: 2/13/2005
Posts: 244
Vette(s): 1968 Corvette Convertable, 4 spd, 350 SB, Daily Driver

Build your own pressure bleeder on the cheap!

If you have an air compressor:
 
 
For those without an air compressor:
 
 
Not sure why the hyperlink does not work, just copy and paste into your address bar.  Good luck on your brake job.
 
JR



brake flushing

Posted: 1/24/07 11:10am Message 9 of 15
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jersey city, NJ - USA
Joined: 11/30/2003
Posts: 372
Vette(s): 1979 corvette metallic silver/red leather interior
all good suggestions-

if im going to drain the whole system and flush it out, think ill upgrade to s.s. hoses and replace whatever lines i can.

gotta admit that home made pressure bleeder is BRILLANT!

think im gonna build one just for fun!

Maybe we should put all of this together into one proceedure and post it on the tips and tricks section-

thanks for the input guys! Thumbs%20Up



brake flushing

Posted: 1/24/07 12:46pm Message 10 of 15
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Burke, VT - USA
Joined: 1/23/2002
Posts: 7312
Vette(s):
SOLD - "The Toy" - '70 Convertible
SOLD - "The Beast" - '90 ZR-1 (#682)
SOLD - "Betty" - '28 Ford Model A Tudor
SOLD - "BLKBRRD" - '78 Pontiac Trans Am
"BLUBYU" - '04 Coupe
The only comment I have is to the sequence (I'll have to look it up tonight).  I thought you started at the fartherst point in the system from the master cylinder - which would be the right rear - and worked to the closest:
 
1) right rear - inside bleeder first then outside
2) left rear - inside bleeder first then outside
3) front right
4) front left
 
I'll be replacing the master cylinder and flexible lines on "The Toy" before drivetime arrives so will be putting together a power bleeder to make the job easier.  Thanks for the links...!!!  Thumbs%20Up



Jim Olson 

"The Toys"...!!!  Save the Wave!

Where I've been in a Corvette...!!!

in Forum: C3 Engines, Driveline and Handling


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