What does this mean? (mechanic / brakes related)

[RHoughton1 10+ year member]

I dont even know what the master cylinder is...but here is what he did when "bleeding" (i dont even know if he did it right)
He told me "press the brake in and out 5 times, then hold it down" While I held it down he loosened the bolt that held down the brake line into the caliper, just enough to let a little fluid leak/spray out (it leaked at first, then it started to kinda spray after he did it a few times); then quickly tightened it back; and I released the brake. He repeated this a few times on a few different tires at random; each time in between adding a bit of brake fluid to a slightly less empty little..box things under the hood. ...Don't know what they are called.

Really, I don't know if he bleed it right. Looking online it looks like he didnt do it correctly. And it looks pretty hard and complicated. (I'm obviously not very mechanicly savvy) How much would i be charged to have this done by a "professional"?

You don't loosen the bolt holding the line you losen the bleeder valve.......You also need to make sure the bleeder valve is on the top and you didn't get the calipers on backwards.

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

how did u manage that when ur adding air when pushing in the piston ???

i've never had to push the piston back in. just removed the 2 bolts in the back took the assembly off, removed the old pads, put the new ones in, slid everything back in place and put the 2 bolts back in and tightened everything back up.

 

[HyPnAwTiKpImP 10+ year member]

i've never had to push the piston back in. just removed the 2 bolts in the back took the assembly off, removed the old pads, put the new ones in, slid everything back in place and put the 2 bolts back in and tightened everything back up.

What kind of car ?? i seen this on saturn cars .

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

my ponitac G6. changed the brakes on it just 2 weeks ago.

 

[99grandprixGT 5,000+ posts]

ya well for whatever reason he disconnected the line from the caliper. for next time you do not need to do that to change pads. just get a C clamp and compress the piston in. it should work . no need to take off the caliper, or loose any fluid or any of that.

 

[HyPnAwTiKpImP 10+ year member]

my ponitac G6. changed the brakes on it just 2 weeks ago.

never came across changing a Pontiac .. but its true some cars u dont need to but this GMC Safari does have to be pushed in , and as a post here said "u took the caliper OFF" from the brake line and u didnt clamp that break line u will have alot of air in it .

 

[99grandprixGT 5,000+ posts]

never came across changing a Pontiac .. but its true some cars u dont need to but this GMC Safari does have to be pushed in , and as a post here said "u took the caliper OFF" from the brake line and u didnt clamp that break line u will have alot of air in it .

ya man. he should of read a write up or asked ?'s before. it would of told him C clamp and he would not of had this problem. but its to late now. so try bleeding a couple more times and see what happens than you can go from there.

 

[Foote 10+ year member]

You don't loosen the bolt holding the line you losen the bleeder valve.......You also need to make sure the bleeder valve is on the top and you didn't get the calipers on backwards.

Ya this guy hit it right on the head. I called a auto tech, and he caught it too. My friend was loosening the wrong bolt to bleed it. Thus, it didnt. work. Tommorow; ill try bleeding it A LOT with the correct bolt loosening.

 

[99grandprixGT 5,000+ posts]

Ya this guy hit it right on the head. I called a auto tech, and he caught it too. My friend was loosening the wrong bolt to bleed it. Thus, it didnt. work. Tommorow; ill try bleeding it A LOT with the correct bolt loosening.

oh i figured when you said "bolt" you ment bleeder screw. ya try the bleeder screw and see what happens. and remember not to let the master cylinder run dry!

 

[Foote 10+ year member]

oh i figured when you said "bolt" you ment bleeder screw. ya try the bleeder screw and see what happens. and remember not to let the master cylinder run dry!

Ima try tomorrow. The automotive tech said i should do gravity bleeding tommorow. Ima give him a call to help me along the process cuz ima noobie who needs his hand held.

 

[HyPnAwTiKpImP 10+ year member]

Ya this guy hit it right on the head. I called a auto tech, and he caught it too. My friend was loosening the wrong bolt to bleed it. Thus, it didnt. work. Tommorow; ill try bleeding it A LOT with the correct bolt loosening.

well try locating the "BLEEDER NIPPLE" here is a pix on how it looks

or google image and look for bleeder nipple

 

[HyPnAwTiKpImP 10+ year member]

Ima try tomorrow. The automotive tech said i should do gravity bleeding tommorow. Ima give him a call to help me along the process cuz ima noobie who needs his hand held.

Gravity bleeding works well with trucks which have larger brake lines(1/4 in steel tubing) and, because of the height of the vehicle, more pressure(measured in inches of brake fluid column) pushing the fluid out. There is absolutely no risk of air entering thru the bleeder valve because of the positive pressure there.

With cars, gravity bleeding may or may not work. The way to find out is to open the bleeder and see how well the brake fluid flows out. If there is continuous flow, no matter how slow, then you have continuous positive pressure and no air will enter. However, if the fluid is coming out in drops, then there is the risk of negative pressure leading to air entry.

 

[MAY03TBLT 10+ year member]

How much would i be charged to have this done by a "professional"?

half hour labor + fluid

And does it have to be done to all 4 tires?

yes

ive always been told to start at the wheel farthest from the M/C

correct

sometime it take 3 to 7 tries to get the air out .

You need to bleed all four..

also correct

He just released the bolt and it oozed/shot out then he retightened it. Could this be the cause? Or is the tube in the nipple thing just to keep things clean?

he did it right, the tube is another method but does the same thing

all u need is is half a turn on the screw when releasing it then tighten back up

yep

Yes... I took the caliper all the way off including off the rotor and off the brake line....then I compressed the cylinder; then I put it back on with pads in it; secured the thing in place; then reattacthed the brake line.

the caliper bolt washers should be also be replaced

With cars, gravity bleeding may or may not work.

hit and miss with both cars and trucks

 

[Foote 10+ year member]

According to my research in bleeding. As far as gravity bleeding working, it should iff. (a little proof lingo for ya //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif ) the master cylinder is located at a higher altituded than the bleeder valves. and on this van they surely are //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Foote 10+ year member]

fixed.