Brake bench bleeder kit

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Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
Joined
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Is there a nice and recommended kit on the market with aluminum or steel fittings??

I tried to bench bleed a master cylinder with the cheap fittings they provides and the little tubes exploded and I got a face full of brake fluid and made a dang mess.

What do you guys have out there for a nice bench bleeder kit ??
 
Wish I had a good answer......"back in the days" when trailer brake controllers were hooked to the master cyl. you could get step up/ step down brass adapters and tees to adapt to different master cylinder threads.

..........like these guys.........

Dorman 785-540

RNB-785-540_ml.jpg
 
Get yourself about 2 foot of brake line, that fit the fittings in the master cylinder
Cut it in half, and bend them so they end back up in the reservoir
Install in the car, fill and pump it
This will bleed them just fine
 
Get yourself about 2 foot of brake line, that fit the fittings in the master cylinder
Cut it in half, and bend them so they end back up in the reservoir
Install in the car, fill and pump it
This will bleed them just fine

This is great advice, right up to the point where you install it in your car.

The problem is that you can’t always bottom out the master cylinder piston by pushing the brake pedal. Which means air can still be trapped in the master cylinder. That’s the whole reason for bench bleeding in the first place.

As for the actual lines, that’s what I have. I just bought a length of that really flexible metal brake line that they sell in generic lengths at Napa and a couple of correctly sized brake fittings. Cut the length in half, slide on the right fittings, and bend the lines into a nice 3/4 circle or so. But at that point clamp the MC in a vice and do the bleeding.
 
This is great advice, right up to the point where you install it in your car.

The problem is that you can’t always bottom out the master cylinder piston by pushing the brake pedal. Which means air can still be trapped in the master cylinder. That’s the whole reason for bench bleeding in the first place.

As for the actual lines, that’s what I have. I just bought a length of that really flexible metal brake line that they sell in generic lengths at Napa and a couple of correctly sized brake fittings. Cut the length in half, slide on the right fittings, and bend the lines into a nice 3/4 circle or so. But at that point clamp the MC in a vice and do the bleeding.
Good to know, I must have just got lucky because the last few mc replacements I have done were " bench bled" on the vehicle with a friend on the pedal because I don't have the arm strength to do it on the vice
 
Good to know, I must have just got lucky because the last few mc replacements I have done were " bench bled" on the vehicle with a friend on the pedal because I don't have the arm strength to do it on the vice
I went to the u pull it and cut a few off of a couple of parts cars. Left about 8 inches of brake line that I curved up and back into the master cyl. They didn't even charge me for them.
 
Good to know, I must have just got lucky because the last few mc replacements I have done were " bench bled" on the vehicle with a friend on the pedal because I don't have the arm strength to do it on the vice

Bottoming the piston is not required to bleed it.
Otherwise you couldn't bleed a used master due to it not being recommended to make the piston travel more than it's normal working stroke.
This is because making one travel more than it normally does when driving can kick up junk settled in the bore where the piston doesn't normally travel causing piston seal failure.

When I bleed a new master I put it on the vehicle with a towel under it and the fittings connected.
Then pump the pedal a few times to get fluid moving, and then crack each fitting and use short light strokes (like if you were just trying to get the brake lights to come on.)
Short light strokes doesn't give air a chance to suck back in.

Try it some time.
I am a big proponent of being able to do things without help and learned that this works. (probably before you were born):D
It even works when bleeding at the wheels believe it or not.
 
Bottoming the piston is not required to bleed it.
Otherwise you couldn't bleed a used master due to it not being recommended to make the piston travel more than it's normal working stroke.
This is because making one travel more than it normally does when driving can kick up junk settled in the bore where the piston doesn't normally travel causing piston seal failure.

When I bleed a new master I put it on the vehicle with a towel under it and the fittings connected.
Then pump the pedal a few times to get fluid moving, and then crack each fitting and use short light strokes (like if you were just trying to get the brake lights to come on.)
Short light strokes doesn't give air a chance to suck back in.

Try it some time.
I am a big proponent of being able to do things without help and learned that this works. (probably before you were born):D
It even works when bleeding at the wheels believe it or not.

Bench bleeding is usually only necessary with a brand new master cylinder. Even with a complete fluid change, you'll never get the master cylinder completely dry like they are when they're new.

But, when the ARE new, a bench bleed may be required because you might not get enough piston travel in the car to eliminate all the little air pockets in the master cylinder. Sometimes bleeding in the car works fine, sometimes you'll chase your tail for days and still have air pockets in the master. Bench bleeding is recommended with a new master for that exact reason.
 
Bench bleeding is usually only necessary with a brand new master cylinder. Even with a complete fluid change, you'll never get the master cylinder completely dry like they are when they're new.

But, when the ARE new, a bench bleed may be required because you might not get enough piston travel in the car to eliminate all the little air pockets in the master cylinder. Sometimes bleeding in the car works fine, sometimes you'll chase your tail for days and still have air pockets in the master. Bench bleeding is recommended with a new master for that exact reason.

Understood, but I have methods I have used for decades that work for me when doing the job alone and without a power bleeder so I will just stick with them.:D
I agree that different situations need different remedies.
 
I also made up some loop fittings that loop back to the reservoir. Works like the cats meow.
 
Thexton makes a couple of different kits varying in price and the amount of sizes it covers. The more expensive kit comes with check valves in the plastic lines to prevent sucking air back in.
Amazon carries them.
 
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