Oh boy I'm on a roll now. Decided to do my front brakes today. Wanna see how far I got?? http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h125/CitizenCCW/Truck/Busted.jpg


:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead: :banghead:

Flip it on its side and loosen the brake line fitting a bit, just enough to let the fluid out while compressing with C clamp.... you'll be fine

Why were you loosing the bleeder???to replace brake pads, no need to loosen the bleeder for pad replacment, just use a c-clamp and use gentle pressure the piston will go in..If that is what your doing of course.

I was gonna do the fluid while I was at it. I figured if I was gonna do both rotors and pads on a truck with an unknown history I may as well do the fluid too. I was so disgusted that instead I went inside and had a beer (three actually, it was hot today)...then I did the P/S pump instead.

Clamp off the brake hose, heat up the caliper around the bleeder, hit it with cold water and turn it out with an easy-out. Install the new bleeder and you will be good to go. You shouldnt have to do any drilling as the bleeder already has a hole the full length of it so there shouldnt be any contaminates from filings.

Great Idea! That's why I like this site so much. Always a good idea being presented, by someone that has some sort of special knowledge, for guys like me.

Clamp off the brake hose, heat up the caliper around the bleeder, hit it with cold water and turn it out with an easy-out. Install the new bleeder and you will be good to go. You shouldnt have to do any drilling as the bleeder already has a hole the full length of it so there shouldnt be any contaminates from filings.

That sounds good. I'll try it next weekend, thanks.:)

Why were you loosing the bleeder???to replace brake pads, no need to loosen the bleeder for pad replacment, just use a c-clamp and use gentle pressure the piston will go in..If that is what your doing of course.I have a question i have been meaning to ask. I did my work van a few years back and did it this way and a couple of days later the brake booster went out. Concidence or did backing the fluid up mess it up? I use the hose and bottle method now but i was still wondering about it.

I was taught to always loosen the bleeder and never force the old fluid back through the system. I clamp off the hose and put a tube with a one way check valve built into it on the bleeder. I can bleed brakes solo with this setup as well.

Fluid gets forced back through the system when you release the brakes after applying them, so what is the difference?

Fluid takes up the space as the pads wear, so you are just putting the fliuid back into the resivoir as it was used to fill the space used by the pad wear. SO no it did not cause the booster to go, and no it will not cause cancer as well.......

Reason to crack bleeders is to lessen the chance that a piece of trash gets into ABS unit. Should be a part of any pad replacement

Why not just put reman calipers on? http://www.napaonline.com/masterpages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=SDC&PartNumber=2422056&Description=Brake+Caliper+w%2f+Hardware+-+Left+Front+(Semi-Loaded)+-+Remfd

Reason to crack bleeders is to lessen the chance that a piece of trash gets into ABS unit. Should be a part of any pad replacement
No ABS on this antique.

Why not just put reman calipers on? http://www.napaonline.com/masterpages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=SDC&PartNumber=2422056&Description=Brake+Caliper+w%2f+Hardware+-+Left+Front+(Semi-Loaded)+-+Remfd (http://www.napaonline.com/masterpages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=SDC&PartNumber=2422056&Description=Brake+Caliper+w%2f+Hardware+-+Left+Front+%28Semi-Loaded%29+-+Remfd)


Bingo.

Most I do at work have ABS, cars and trucks so I've gotten to where I do same to all... side affect is getting some new fluid in the system, which should be flushed every year or two.

I've ruined a few older Master cylinders by forcing fluid through them backwards, blows out the seals.

Consider the time you'll have in fixing these calipers against what a new (reman) set will cost.

Don't wait until the last second ,or rush into things like loosing the bleeder, changing rusted suspension parts, etc. Over the past 50 years of playing mechanic at home, I learned to spray the parts I will be working on a week before with a good pentating oil and then again about an hour before trying to remove bolts, etc. On older vechelicals, I usually preheat the part around the bolt, a light hammer tap in the right spot does wonders, especially with brake bleeders (I have also learned over the years, that if you hit the end of the bleeder to hard, you will mushrom the end and close-up the bleeder hole). Also take your time removing nuts, going to fast, the fraction and heat will wreck the threads and/ or cause them to seaze-up or break. It has taken me the first 20-30 years to breaking bleeder screws, and breaking parts to learn this.
On parts such as shocks, use new nuts and bolts with a little anitiseze compound on the threads.

A retired Shopteacher & Master Carpenter
"Put your brain in gear First"

Most I do at work have ABS, cars and trucks so I've gotten to where I do same to all... side affect is getting some new fluid in the system, which should be flushed every year or two.

I've ruined a few older Master cylinders by forcing fluid through them backwards, blows out the seals.

Consider the time you'll have in fixing these calipers against what a new (reman) set will cost.

I was told to loosen the top of the fluid reservoir to keep from blowing seals out.

Just drill a little hole in the broken bleeder for an easy out, heat it up a little and rub some lube wax (candle wax will work in a pinch) on it, It'll back right out.