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Date:         Wed, 14 Aug 1996 12:30:23 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         wabbott@mtest.teradyne.com (William Abbott)
Subject:      Brake bleeder

This works better than just a piece of hose and a jar for me.

Drawing not to scale.

--------| Brake | --.___________ ##=#> __________ \ <-- silicone rubber tubing |^ --' \ \ |bleeder | \ Bleeder -------|nipple || || tube | | Vent tube || || | | | | | | solder hole C | | hole R | | / \.| |. \.| |. .====================| |==========| |========. [] `| |' `| |' [] lid -> []|| | | | | ||[] []|| | | | | || // | | \\ jar -> || P O I S O N | | B R A K E || <-- full line :) || | | F L U I D || || | | || --------------/\/---------------------------------- height omitted --------------/\/---------------------------------- for bandwidth || | | || ||....................| |.....................|| <-- fill line || | | | || || | |___v__ || \\____________________________________________// ---------------------------^------------------ | 1-1.5mm gap

Take a spare bleed nipple or a good measurement of the diameter of same to the local hobby shop. Buy 18" or 2 feet (500mm) of silicone rubber tubing the right diameter for a nice tight fit over the nipple. Also buy a matching piece of brass tubing that the silicone rubber hose fits over nice and snug. Go home and find a Marshmellow Creame jar or equivalent (pickle jar for example)- something fairly broad in relation to its height. The tubing will make it top-heavy. Ketchup bottles are bad choices. These instructions presume a metal jar lid and solder, but a plastic lid and JB Weld or hot melt glue would work just fine. Find a drill the same size as the outside diameter of the brass tube. Drill 2 holes in the jar lid, one in the center (hole C) and one about half-way from the center to the edge (hole R). Use a nail or centerpunch to make a small dent in the lid where you want to drill. Cut about a 2" (50mm) piece off the brass tubing. Insert it in hole R, with about 1/2 inch (12mm) sticking into the jar and the rest (1.5" or 37mm sticking out) Use a soldering iron or propane torch, solder the tube to the jar lid. Put the lid on the jar and insert the rest of the brass tubing into hole C, so that it rests on the bottom of the jar. Mark it at the the 1.5-2" (37-50mm) height above the top of the lid. Cut off the remainder. Put a paper match, folded piece of paper, washer, etc, something between 1mm and 1/16th" (1.5mm) in the jar, at the bottom of the jar. Put the lid back on, then stand the long tube on the spacer at the bottom and solder it to the lid. Install the silicone tubing on the long tube. Label the jar 'POISON BRAKE FLUID' for safety. Pour enough brake fluid into the jar to cover the bottom of the long tube. Once you've pumped enough brake fluid out to fill the silicone tube and long brass tube, you'll have a liquid-tight seal that prevents air from being sucked back in. Empty the jar when it gets full, but leave a little for the seal of the long tube. When not in use, put the free end of the the bleeder silicone rubber hose over the vent tube to seal the whole works.

You can use this rig with a vaccuum pump if you attach the vaccuum pump to the vent tube.

Works for hydraulic clutch bleeding too.

Cheers! Bill


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