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Brake bleeding trick I learned the hard way
Spent 2 hours bleeding brakes on my '94 F150 last Saturday. Could not get a firm pedal no matter what. Buddy walks over, watches me for 5 minutes, says "you're pushing the pedal too fast." Told me to do slow steady pushes instead of quick pumps. First try after that pedal was rock solid. Who knew speed mattered that much.
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tylerlane1d ago
Learned that one on an old Mustang once. Same deal. Couldn't get pressure for shit. I was pumping like a maniac. Buddy says "slow down, you're making bubbles." Turns out fast pumps aerate the fluid. Air gets trapped in the caliper.
Slow steady pushes let gravity do the work. Fluid moves smooth, no bubbles.
Only other trick I got is crack the bleeder open just a hair before you push. Lets old fluid seep out without sucking air back in.
Takes patience but works every time. Now I just sit there sipping coffee doing it slow. Much less cussing.
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willow24419h ago
Friend of mine did the same thing on a Civic. @tylerlane nailed it, slow and steady is key.
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