1G Looking for tips on brake hose & MC replacement & fluid flush.

[TrevorS]

I'm raising the vehicle on jack stands preparatory to replacing the master cylinder, brake hoses, and flushing the system. I've read that the new MC should be bench bled. In order to do so, I think I'd have to remove the reservoir from the car as well as the existing MC -- any tips? Should they be removed first and then wheel by wheel disconnect the hoses and drain any fluid into a container? Seems to me I also need to flush the reservoir itself, should that be done into the existing MC before removal? I've bled brakes and replaced a hose before, but this seems a bit more major.

Would appreciate helpful advice on this -- Thanks !

 

[atownturbo]

You should bleed the system, probably a good time to clean the lines too. For the bench bleeding you can get a little kit from your local shop to fit the ports. Replace the reservoir, connect that all up get some brake fluid and bench bleed it. Pretty straight forward with lines, unbolt em, take the clips off. Use two 17 mm wrenches, I'm pretty sure that's the right size if not someone please edit. Put the new one in reverse order. Bleed the system and your good. I just got done doing mine. I didn't go to much into detail cause you said you've done similar task, good luck buddy.

This could help.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-suspension-brakes/376285-flush-your-brakes-then-bleed.html

 

[TrevorS]

Thanks, will have to look around for a replacement reservoir, was thinking cleaning it out and flushing with new fluid would be enough. Picked up a couple plugs for the MC bleed --- is 1/8 NPT correct?

PS. Thanks for the flush link !

========================LATER=========================

Don't see any replacement reservoirs, so I think re-use is in order. Did find this link on bench bleeding an MC, looks a better procedure than the Haynes description.

http://www.wikituneup.com/wikit/1990_Mitsubishi_Eclipse_Bench_Bleed_a_Master_Cylinder

========================STILL LATER=====================

OK, as far as I can tell, this is the correct procedure:

1> Open the right rear caliper bleed screw and pump out the contents of the reservoir. Clean the reservoir using clean brake fluid. Refill the reservoir and while keeping it above the low mark, flush by pumping until clean fluid appears at the right rear (presuming it hasn't already). Then flush the left front, left rear, and right front.

2> Remove the reservoir and old master cylinder and bench bleed the new MC using the reservoir. Install the reservoir and new MC.

3> Replace the right rear hoses and while keeping the reservoir above the low mark, bleed the right rear. Then do the same with the left front, left rear, and right front. All done!

Any corrections or improvements? Can anyone confirm 1/8 NPT fittings?

 

[underradar92]

I believe the fittings are British pipe, not NPS or NPT. For sure they are not the usual thread found on the rack at parts stores.

As for bleeding, if you don't have ABS, as I no longer have, gravity bleeding worked great on my Talon. Not so on the Subaru which has ABS. Seems to be the ABS has all sorts of places for bubbles to hide.

 

[TrevorS]

I believe the fittings are British pipe, not NPS or NPT. For sure they are not the usual thread found on the rack at parts stores.

As for bleeding, if you don't have ABS, as I no longer have, gravity bleeding worked great on my Talon. Not so on the Subaru which has ABS. Seems to be the ABS has all sorts of places for bubbles to hide.

Darn, I knew they used the BSPNT thread for the PCV fitting, but was hoping the brake lines would be different, no doubt a silly hope !

So, am I looking at 1/8 BSPNT (same as the PCV)?

Gravity bleeding? Does that mean keep the reservoir full and just open the caliper valve (no pumping required)? If not, how do you do it?

 

[underradar92]

Darn, I knew they used the BSPNT thread for the PCV fitting, but was hoping the brake lines would be different, no doubt a silly hope !

So, am I looking at 1/8 BSPNT (same as the PCV)?

Gravity bleeding? Does that mean keep the reservoir full and just open the caliper valve (no pumping required)? If not, how do you do it?

It seems Japan has enbraced British pipe, for better or not. I have not tried to screw a brake fitting into the valve cover so I cannot say that it's the same. Haha. I did get quite good at double flaring OEM fittings onto one end of parts store brake tubing, that is how I know of the difference.

Yes, that is gravity bleeding. It won't work in all situations but if just doing calipers and flex hoses, I've had success with it on a few different vehicles.

 

[TrevorS]

Thanks, and I gather my above procedure outline should be fine. Guess I can return the two brass 1/8 NPT plugs I bought today. Not that long ago I bought some items from US Plastics including a couple nylon 1/8 NPT to barb adapters which I didn't end up using. I bet they would work fine for the MC bench bleed, but AAARGH -- where did I stash them ?

======================NEXT DAY========================

Hmm, found them but forgot they were 1/2", not 1/8 NPT ! Guess I'll have to come up with something else for the MC bench bleed!

 

[TrevorS]

Looked online for an MC bleed kit and found the Dorman 13911.
http://www.amazon.com/Dorman-13911-Master-Cylinder-Bleeder/dp/B001SG8ZC0

Price is good, but the wait isn't, so I tried calling PepBoys. I asked whether they had an MC bleed kit and they said they had one for $8 -- I said I was on my way. When I got there it turned out they didn't, at least not specifically, it was a one man brake bleed kit. A fellow there told me the one man kit would also work for the MC by inserting the pointed adapters into the two MC line openings, he demonstrated with an inventory MC. I took it, but am still unsure of it. On the way home, I stopped at the NAPA store and they had a metric MC bleed kit for $6, so I bought it.

Below is a photo of the two kits and you can see the two pointed adapters at the bottom of the PepBoys "OEM" package. Has anybody used that kit for this task and is it reliable, or should I just return it?

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[TrevorS]

Turns out the metric NAPA kit has one adapter for each metric size, and so only one of them actually fits the master cylinder. Also, turns out my old one-man bleeder kit has given up the ghost, and so I'm keeping both.

 

[TrevorS]

Regarding bench bleed, the manual says to bleed one MC line port at a time using your finger to prevent air entry. Does the technique of attaching hoses to both ports with the other ends inserted into the reservoir fluid also work with this MC?

That quote is from another of my threads, but since no-one responded, I've decided to answer it myself here. After spending a fair amount of time with my bench bleed, I've concluded that basically, the two hoses with the far ends immersed in the reservoir fluid doesn't work (the air bubbles move back and forth with the piston). However, there's an easy fix, after gently pushing in the piston, lightly pinch off the hose with a pair of pliers before slowly releasing the piston. In my case, I ran the two ports into a 2-1 adapter and then a single hose with the end immersed in the reservoir. By pinching off that single hose, I was able to simultaneously bleed both halves of the MC. (Also, make sure any air that enters the two inlet hoses from the MC escapes through the reservoir -- lift and tilt the reservoir as needed to facilitate this.)

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By the way, make sure the reservoir interior is thoroughly cleaned before bleeding the MC, mine was pretty cruddy. I removed the worst with a clean shop towel, and the rest with Q-tips and clean brake fluid (took several passes and a couple fluid dumps). I also cleaned the exterior including the cap, but that was with the reservoir closed up, Dawn detergent, and a toothbrush .

 

[Archer Fabrications]

WTFTripple repost!

nvm, good job editing

 

[TrevorS]

WTFTripple repost!

nvm, good job editing

Just for the record!

The quote original appears only once on this forum and nowhere else! My quote of that original appeared only once on this forum (and now twice) and once on another. My above response to that quote appears only once on this forum, and again, once on another! I don't see a problem with that!

Regarding the text, I've tried to communicate as best I can what worked for me when performing a master cylinder bench bleed. It is not edited from some other source. Hopefully, my experience will benefit others!

PS. Thanks for your useful contribution to my thread !