Show Transcript
Howdy folks, Ed here. Welcome back to Bullnose Garage. If you’re a one-man band like I am and, uh, don’t have any friends that can help you work on your vehicle, uh, then you need to figure out ways to do things by yourself. And that’s what today’s quick tip is all about because today we’re going to be installing and using speed bleeders for the brakes.
Brake speed bleeders are pretty simple nifty little devices that just replace the bleeder valves on your calipers or on your brake cylinders, depending on if you have, uh, brake rotors or brake drums. My truck has rotors in the front and drums in the back, so I’ve got both calipers in the front and brake cylinders in the back. So I’ve got to get two different sizes of bleeder screws, and that’s what I’ve got here.
Installing them is real simple, so I’ll go ahead and get started. I’m going to be using these flare nut wrenches for this. It’s always a good idea to use flare nut wrenches when you’re dealing with brake lines or brake components. Really, I probably don’t need to use flare nut wrenches for this because these are brand new bleeders on brand new calipers and brand new brake cylinders, but it’s a good idea to get in the habit of doing that when you’re working with brakes anyway.
Make sure you don’t lose these caps when you take them out of the package. Uh, they just go on the end to prevent crud and grime from getting inside. These replacement brake cylinders that I have are 10 millimeter. They just break it loose and take the old one out and then just thread the new one in. Be careful not to cross thread. And there we go, new speed bleeders successfully installed on the brake cylinders.
These calipers are going to be basically exactly the same thing. Again, you want to be real careful when you’re putting these in that you don’t cross thread them. Here you can see two different bleeders: the speed bleeders on the left and the old bleeders on the right. The difference between a speed bleeder and a regular bleeder is that a speed bleeder has a ball valve on the inside. See, when you bleed brakes, what you do is you press the brake pedal to push all the air out of the system along with the hydraulic fluid. But when you release the brake pedal, air can come back into the system because there’s now that little bit of vacuum. So normally you’ve got to have a second person at the brake line to close the valve to prevent air from going back into the system when you release the brake.
With a speed bleeder, there’s a ball valve on the inside that does that for you. So you press the brake and then your hydraulic fluid is flushed out through the brake system. And then when you release the brake, that back pressure causes the ball valve to close, preventing air from going back into the system. That’s why you can do it with one person.
Most often, you’re going to be installing speed bleeders on parts that are already in the vehicle. I just happen to be replacing all of my brake parts, so I can have the luxury of doing it outside the vehicle, which makes it a little bit easier. But really, changing these, even with these parts installed on the vehicle, is not hard at all. These parts are meant to be accessible because you have to bleed the brakes, so taking these in and out shouldn’t be a problem.
Bleeding the brakes with speed bleeders is pretty simple. In most cases, you’ll bleed the brakes starting from the rear right and then going rear left, front right, front left. But check your vehicle manual to be sure. I’m using an old soda bottle and some clear tubing. Install the tubing into the end of the bleeder, tighten the bleeder screw all the way, and then back off one quarter to one half a turn. Now go into the vehicle and pump the brakes. You’ll want to visually see no more bubbles coming out into the clear tubing. Depending on your brake system and the work you’ve done, this could take only a few pumps or several dozen pumps.
I used a video camera to watch the bubbles and then played the video back. Once I saw a video with no bubbles, I knew the bleed was complete. One of the issues I had was that my front left bleeder screw was a bit loose in the caliper, causing air to come in around the threads and making it so that I never got a pump without air. To solve this, I tightened the screw a bit more, probably to about 1/8 of a turn from full tight, and added some Teflon tape to the threads. This allowed me to fully bleed the system, and that’s basically how to install and use speed bleeders.
Man, I gotta tell you that speed bleeders are worth every penny. It’s so nice not having to worry about finding someone to pump the brakes for you while you crack them open and shut them down again to get all the air out of your system. It’s nice just being able to, uh, do it yourself. I know sometimes it’s hard to find someone to help or to get, you know, conflicting schedules together. Especially, I mean, right now, I’m not sure when you’re watching this, but the whole COVID thing is in full swing, and it’s, uh, hard to get people to come by and help you out with projects like this.
So speed bleeders are definitely, definitely worth the money. They’re super easy to put on, they’re super easy to use, uh, they made this brake job that I’m doing on this truck a whole lot easier. Hey, you know, if you want to check out the brake job that I did on this old truck, make sure to check out those videos. I’ll have the links in the description. Uh, it’s all three parts. I did a basic brake check, changed some parking brake cables, I did the entire rear brake redo, and the entire front brakes including hubs and rotors and calipers and the whole bit. So I got videos on all that stuff.
You know, guys, if you enjoyed the video, if you learned something new, give me a like. If you want to see what I’m doing with this truck, make sure to subscribe. As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, gripes, internet ramblings, stick them below. Thanks again for watching, guys, and we’ll see you next time.
Hey folks, Ed here from Bullnose Garage. If you’re anything like me—a one-man band in the garage—you probably know the joy of trying to bleed brakes alone. It’s right up there with juggling flaming chainsaws. Enter speed bleeders, the unsung heroes of solo brake maintenance. In my latest video, I show you how to install and use these nifty little devices, saving you the hassle of corralling a second pair of hands.
What Are Speed Bleeders?
Speed bleeders are ingenious little devices that replace the traditional bleeder valves on your brake calipers or cylinders. They come with a built-in ball valve that lets you bleed the brakes yourself without air sneaking back into the system. Basically, they’re your new best friend if you’re flying solo in the garage.
Why You Need Them
If you’ve ever had to bleed brakes by yourself, you know it’s a two-person job unless you have speed bleeders. Normally, you need one person to pump the brakes and another to open and close the bleeder valve. With speed bleeders, you can do it all by your lonesome. No more begging your neighbor or your spouse to help you out.
Installing Speed Bleeders
Now, let’s get down to brass tacks. Installing speed bleeders is a breeze. You’ll want to use flare nut wrenches, especially if you’re dealing with older parts, but for my new setup, it wasn’t strictly necessary. Just unscrew the old bleeder and thread the new one in. Be careful not to cross-thread, unless you enjoy the sound of stripping metal.
I had two different sizes to work with—one for the front calipers and one for the rear brake cylinders. They fit right in without any fuss. And don’t misplace those little caps—they keep the dirt out when you’re not bleeding.
Bleeding the Brakes
Once your speed bleeders are installed, bleeding the brakes is pretty straightforward. I used an old soda bottle and some clear tubing to catch the brake fluid. Attach the tube to the bleeder, loosen it a tad, and start pumping the brakes.
Here’s the trick: the built-in ball valve prevents air from sneaking back in when you release the pedal. Keep an eye on the fluid flow—no bubbles means you’re all set. If you’ve got a loose bleeder like I did on my front left, a bit of extra tightening and some Teflon tape will do the trick.
Troubleshooting
I encountered a small hiccup with one of the bleeders being a tad loose, which let air in around the threads. A quick wrap of Teflon tape and a snug tighten was all it took to solve the issue. So, keep that tape handy just in case.
Final Thoughts
Speed bleeders are worth every penny, especially when it’s hard to find a fellow wrench-turner during these COVID times. They’ve made my life so much easier, and I’m sure they’ll do the same for you. If this sounds like something you need, give them a shot.
For those of you tackling a full brake job, make sure to check out my other videos. I’ve documented the whole process—from basic checks to full brake system overhauls.
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