Fesour Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Hi - can anyone recommend a good clutch/brake one man bleeding kit? Need to sort my clutch hydraulics and no-one to help so will have to go solo....call me Billy-No-Mates..!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedTaylor Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Eezi Bleed :)Ted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepy Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Some people use the gunson eazibleed, others use the vacuum type (can't remember the name) that pulls the liquid through.I have used both in the past, but both have advantages and disadvantages.Now all I use is some clear tubing, measure your nipple (ooh er!) and get tube that fits tightly on it, a good meter or more in length.Fit this into a plastic bottle, hole through the lid, sit the bottle high up, 1- so you can see it, 2- air travels upwards!Then crack open the nipple, and slowly pump away, (if it's the clutch no problems doing full strokes, but if it's the brake, and it's an old master cylinder do half pumps, so you don't damage the seals as there could be possible damage, I.e. rust in the original non used part of the cylinder. if it's new do full pumps)Keep doing this until you see no more air in the tube, (hence why clear tubing, and long length) don't forget to check regularly the level in the reservoir. And it has to be a real good fit to the nipple so you don't draw air in where it pushes onto the nipple.This way as you pump it pushes air/fluid out, and as you release, it can only suck what's in the tubing back, but it pushes more than it sucks back.I have done this for years, (yes easy if you have a helper) and my brakes are allways spot on! I have an ex military 6 wheel amphibious truck, and the book method to bleed the brakes is with 3 people, 2 at a push. I did it alone using this method, but with two tubes set up! :)Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StagNL Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I made my own with a plant spray bottle. Modified the nozzle to take a tube. On the other end of the tube I fitted another adaptor/nipple to fit various homemade lids for the brake and clutch master cylinders.The adaptor/nipples were from Festo (festo.com) which we had in surplus at work. By this method it cost me just the spray bottle @ around 1 euro at the local El Cheapo shop.Fix the lid with tube to the master cylinder and pressurise the spray bottle (I think around 0.8bar, I fitted a small manometer), get under the car and open up the bleed nipple as per normal. Don't forget to check fluid level in master. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Jones Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Nice one! I like that idea :)Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Clutch slaves are never in a convenient place.The Renault transaxle (R25/R30/Lotus Esprit) has it right at the top, where it is almost inaccesssible without removing the unit.So they fitted a length of brake tubing from the slave, to a block in the casting at the bottom, where it mates with a bleed valve.Thus you can bleed the system from underneath without dismantling the car.The Vitesse and Gt6 slaves are fairly easy to get at from above, but not the saloons, or the Spitfire.It would be a nice project to run a tube to a block that would be bolted, say, to the cylinder head, so that a saloon could be bled without grovelling underneath.John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyb Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I've often wondered about that. the Stag/Saloon is less of a problem as the slave can be accessed from underneath - without a jack if you park on a kerb!I was thinking of the Dolly, which is high up on the gearbox like the Spit/GT6 but totally inaccesible without removing the tunnel - which is a mare of a job. I had already contemplated making up a brake pipe and taking it though the side of the tunnel to somewhere under the dash, so you could pump and bleed from the same place, but have not worked out how to get around piping from a rubber mounted vibrating unit (engine/box) to a fixed hole in the tunnel and solid termination somewhere on the body. Small flexi pipe or similar required I think!A pipe up to the head or similar would work well but you would still need an easi bleed or assistant to pump! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrapman Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 You just need a flexi brake pipe, and couple of adaptors to allow it to pass through the tunnel (or bulkhead)Should be quite easy.I think.. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferny Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I've only ever bled my mk1 from under the bonnet. Never had to get under it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StagNL Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Here is a piccie of my home made brake bleeder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fesour Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Well in the end I used the Eezy Bleed system recommended by Ted Taylor, nice and easy using air from my spare tyre.BUT blimey I wonder who owned it prior to me? The piping from the master cylinder to the slave wasn't what I expected. Instead of the usual fuel line type metal piping, this car has............red plastic tubing, similar to what might adorn a water pump in an aquarium....no wonder my clutch hydraulics went, I'm surprised it wasn't sooner!So, the clutch works now but is bound to bugger up again soon....so I shall have to order some fuel line piping and re-do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigT-DK Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I think that plastic tube is original? My saloon also had it - but I have changed to goodridge type a braided hose setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StagNL Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Stag has the same plastic pipe as a clutch fluid line too - albeit clear transparent instead of red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fesour Posted December 9, 2012 Author Share Posted December 9, 2012 Oh, we'll that seems odd. So I won't be buying some fuel line piping then..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StagNL Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Well, I'd advise to replace the plastic with a braided line or suchlike if the plastic has reached a point that it expands or is very close to the exhaust.I have not replaced mine yet but during the current rebuild I may well do so as I've already had a wet-line oil gauge tube melt on the exhaust manifold.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferny Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Luckily on a 6-pot it doesn't go near the exhaust. And the same as others, when I saw it I thought it was a bodge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fesour Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 Why did they do it? Was it cost cutting (if rubber tube is cheaper)...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 5878 wrote:Why did they do it? Was it cost cutting (if rubber tube is cheaper)......I don't think rubber tube would have been cheaper for a volume manufacturer (cost engineers). If you think how long the plastic hose has lasted on most Stags and MkII Saloons then it has been 'adequate' for the job.I had one fail on a PI Estate, where it was rubbing on the bulkhead and a small hole was worn in the side of the plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nang Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Triumph wasn't the only one who used the nylon tube. Rootes did the same thing with Hillman Hunter.Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fesour Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 That,s interesting as my father had a Hillman Husky, with the nice back door. I wonder if that had the same setup....I!d like to get a Husky, good fun car.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferny Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 They're really good in the snow as well... (whistle) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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