Break Bleeder Tool/Pump

Ventucky Red

Ventucky Red

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Has anyone here built one? I have a Mityvac but that is mainly good for reservoir to the bleed valve... that is pulling the fluid. With a Cessna I am thinking I need to go bottom up, that is push the fluid from the caliper to the reservoir. I see there are some on the usual sites... but.... making the tool is half the fun... right!!!!
 
Bell206 said:
To back-bleed the easiest method is to modify a manual oiler can like the one below. A pressurized version is a bit overkill at the Cessna SEL level but doable if you want.

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That's what I did. Buy one with a larger reservoir, and fill it up before using. If it gets too low, even down to half full, it can suck a little air into the pump and push it into the brake, defeating the whole purpose of bleeding. The pumps in these things are a close fit but not total seal.
 
I've almost always used an oil can, as suggested above. But I have used a pressure bleeder made from a cheap garden sprayer a few times as well.
 
Here's what I used on a cessna, like said by everyone above.
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I took the vent plug out, used a 1/8"MPT X 1/4" male brass barb fitting that the hose slides on. Didn't spill a drop flushing the old brake fluid out.
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I bought a bleeder tank but it's more hassle than it's worth unless you're doing half a dozen planes. I went back to a little hand oiler pump like pictured above. On a typical GA aircraft there's not much fluid, even the reservoirs are small. The little clear tubing eventually gets stiff and with the pump it's easy to swap out with a new one, also you don't have a gallon of 5606 getting all gummed up in a big garden sprayer as it sits for months unused.
 
I got this pressure bleeder from a friend that was closing his body shop and my car was there. The car was not finished in 1988.
He threw in a couple "broken" tools my way for not finishing my car. One was this pressure bleeder.
He said the diaphragm was blown/ruptured.
It wasn't, it was just empty. Holds a gallon.
I have been using it with DOT3 brake fluid ever since.
Twice in the past years I disassembled it to inspect the steel halves and diaphragm. Give it new hardware since they rust in time with brake fluid. The diaphragm has lasted all these years. I keep it updated with good paint and fresh hose and fittings. Brake fluid is corrosive on fittings.
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Why not use one of the adapters that feed through the bleed screw?
 
For you guys using the oil can (thumb powered)…i successfully used this method but it seemed like the fluid wore out the pump seals quickly during the process. Did you experience this as well? Mine was an off-brand from NAPA auto parts, in the aviation section of course.
 
texasclouds said:
Did you experience this as well?
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I've only used commercial grade oil cans which may have had better seal material. The only similar issues I had were with my DIY pressure back bleeders but that was due to their design.
 
When my wife and I were teenagers I asked her to help me bleed the brakes on an old dodge challenger.
It wasn't going well and I kept yelling at her to "press the brakes, let off the brakes"! And who knows what else. You know how confusing that can be.
It apparently was a real bad experience for her because she advised our daughters to never help to bleed brakes, especially me! lol
 
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I use a turkey baster attached to the clear line instead of a pump can. Works wonders!
 
texasclouds said:
For you guys using the oil can (thumb powered)…i successfully used this method but it seemed like the fluid wore out the pump seals quickly during the process. Did you experience this as well? Mine was an off-brand from NAPA auto parts, in the aviation section of course.
Click to expand...
The pump oilers I used had no seals at all in the pump. The only seal in the whole affair was the gasket under the cap. The pump is metal-to-metal, very close fit, with two check balls in it.
 
I use this thing to push fluid up on my baron brakes. Haven't worn it out yet and have put more miles on it than I care to admit :D

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ditto....I use a cheap harbor freight oil can and some cheap clear tubing..... it goes quicker if you remove the fill plug on the master cylinder.....have someone with a flashlight tell you when the fluid comes out of fill, replace the cap, and that's it.
 
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