Brake Fluid change

[Stuart McGill]

I'd like to change the brake fluid on my 7.

 

Being a bit of a mechanical muppet (but learning quickly) can anyone please give me a quick run through on how to do this. I've searched through but can't any previous posts, presumably because its fairly straightforward (famous last words).

 

Cheers

 

Stuart

 

p.s. I've not got a good track record for bleeding coolant systems!

 

[jingars]

Half an answer from Myles' website

[shn7]

Buy an Eezibleed from Halfords or the likes and some brake fluid. Start at the caliper furthest from the master cylinder and work to the closest making sure you keep the MC topped up.

 

Steve.

Sussex (West) AR

Not forgetting Percy the Polar Bear

[Roadsport06]

One of my winter jobs too, should I pump all of the old stuff out first and start from scratch?

 

BRG and Yellow nose now with added brooklands

 

[Bricol]

Nope.

 

As mentioned buy an easibleed, or rope in g/f, b/f, mum, dad, the teenage girl from next door with the lonng legs . . .

 

Check all bleed nipples are free to turn - nip them back up again. Remove all bleed nipple covers. Remember to replace them (which is what I need to do after replacing a brake pipe on Debs Rover this evening after it failed it's MOT this afternoon .. )

 

Follow easibleed instuctions to connect it - if unsure, wrap the lot in a towel etc to contain any pressurised leaks. I like to have at least a litre of new fluid, normally two, just in-case. Once opened, brake fluid starts to absorb water from the atmosphere, so don't open a new bottle if you don't need to - that's why they are foil sealed. And don't use the remnants in that old bottle kicking around in the garage - and don't use the stuff you bleed out.

 

Crack open bleed nipple furthest from master cylinder - on a Caterham it's probably 6 and half-a-dozen as to whether n/s or o/s is furthest. Only needs a turn at most - catch fluid in suitable container, possibly with use of a bit of tube on nipple. Let fluid run until it comes out clean - it will be obvious if your's has been in a while. Occasionaly nip nipple up and check for fluid in easibleed.

 

Move to next nearest and work round the car, ending up with drivers side front.

 

Same principle applies to any car - but watch for dual circuits with separate bleeds, or two bleeds on one caliper, or bleed nipples on brake balance valves etc. With tintops, you normally have to make sure the rear suspension is at least at normal height to stop the balance valve closing off the rear brakes to some extent.

 

Can be done with the "up" . . . "down" . .. technique - you under the wheelarch with the spanner, aforementioned lonng legs on the pedals - you shout "down", lonng legs depress pedal - open the nipple . . .close it after fluid comes out - shout "up" - lonng legs come off pedal "down" . .. lonng legs depress pedal, you open nipple .. etc

 

Whatever car, I do normally find to get a decent pedal I end up with a round of the above after easibleeding - normally leave the easibleed connected to maintain fluid levels as I do it.

 

Theoretically, the manual up.down method can lead to wreck master cylinder seals as you stoke them past their normal travel, over possibly corroded sections of the master cylinder - only time I have ever come across it was when the guy who serviced my integrale claimed to have done so, so had to fit a new (exopensive) master cylinder . . . read into that what you like . . .

 

Bri

 

[TomB]

Its dead easy with an easy bleed & spare wheel, as said above. If you want to come round to mine & collect Stu's box of black rivets over the weekend, we could do it then as Ive got an Easy bleed & the spanner for the bleed nipple.

 

Edited by - TomB on 17 Oct 2008 21:54:54

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

As mentioned above - do watch for leaks from the cap of the Ezi-Bleed under pressure, as the M/C is kept topped up by the brake fluid you put in the pressurised bottle of the Ezi-Bleed. I was so busy watching things at the calipers that I didn't see the monstrous leak from the cap of the master cylinder 😳 ... nasty stuff, brake fluid !

 

 

[Graham Perry]

On my seven I always give them another quick bleed after a couple of hundred miles to remove the last of the air. Gets a really firm pedal that way

[The Polisher]

 

A handy tip to help save that pool of fluid on the floor when the snake like piece of tube attached to your nipple flirts out of your catch bottle as you are busy with spanner..........find a nut or two that will screw onto the end of the plastic pipe to act as a weight to hold it at the bottom of the catch bottle.

 

Dave H.

Mad about S77ENS

[Jonathan Kay]

Just about to change the fluid. Always done it manually before. Please could I have recommendations on gadgets that help.

 

I'm currently looking at a Gunson Eezibleed at £16.92.

 

Thanks

 

Jonathan

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

That's the one JK. Don't put any fluid in the bottle though. If you have an air leak, it will spray everywhere. I know this !

 

I also have a captive hose in a bottle ...... to put on the nipples. Keeps it all clean and helps with the one man operation.

[Jonathan Kay]

Thanks.

 

If you keep the pressure vessel dry do you top up the reservoir by eye as needed? (I can't imagine any other way... )

 

Jonathan

 

PS: What pressure were you were using when it blew?

 

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Yes. Disconnect from the wheel and remove the cap from the MC to top up with fluid. I had released pressure from the tyre to that recommended for the EziBleed. The cap on the MC wasn't quite sealed and it emptied the reservoir bottle.

[Jonathan Kay]

Thanks

 

Jonathan

[Smiffy69]

Is there a way of colouring the new fluid to know that it has come through. Otherwise how do you know new fluid has come through ?

[Jonathan Kay]

I think the recommendation is to drain first, then look for the air gap. But is there a smarter way?

 

AMENDED: See subsequent comments in this thread.

 

Jonathan

 

Edited by - Jonathan Kay on 24 Mar 2014 11:06:16

[mav]

I can usually see the difference between old and new with std fluid.

 

If you test the set up first you should be able to fill the bottle with fluid to save having to disconnect everything every 30 seconds or so to top up the mc reservoir.

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Difference old to new is clearly visible ! Best not introduce more air to chase out.

[Jonathan Kay]

Thanks x2. And thanks for asking, Smiffy69.

 

Jonathan

[Smiffy69]

There is a blue version of DOT4 fluid which looks like it could make life easy

 

here

 

Anyone used this ? any good ?

[Grim Reaper]

Yes, they also do the same spec in a gold colour so it's easy to see flush through when changing fluid out.

[Smiffy69]

Here's a question for you all .... I bought some of the ATE super blue racing brake fluid so I could flush the brakes and know I had got rid of the old fluid. Good plan thinks I until I read the front of the can and it says "not for use in motor vehicles used on public highways, streets or roads. Due to non conforming colour"

 

Now that's the first I have ever heard of the colour of your brake fluid causing a problem. Also what's the probability of it being a real issue ?

 

Anyone ever fallen foul of wrong colour brake fluid during an MOT?

[Smiffy69]

Been doing a bit of Googling this morning and think this is only applicable in the US as all the hits are about US Federal rulings and can't find anything referencing the UK. So panic over I think

[Simon Owen]

Hi Stuart

 

Have you sold the Porsche and got a new 7 then 🤔 🤔 🤔

[TomB]

Si - check the dates! Holy thread resurrection!