Brake Power flush

[moddog]

I was just wondering how many of you ever have had your brake system power flushed. I know it is something you never think about but your brake fluid dose get tired and contaminated. Every body talks about rotors,pads and SS brake lines.
Jut wondering

[MattRobertson]

There's no need to get power-flushed, so to speak. These cars will do a gravity bleed just fine. Just attach a (cheap) bleeder bottle, open up one bleeder at a time, pour in new fluid as the reservoir drains out (it does so very slowly) and make sure the reservoir never runs dry.

If you don't want to wait, just pump the pedal. I usually do 6 pumps and check the reservoir.

You should start at the passenger rear (furthest from the master cylinder). Open it up and just let it sit. Wait for bubbles to start coming out. If they are in there, it will take a while for them to show. If they start, wait for them to stop. You may be waiting for some time as if you've cooked the fluid there will be zillions of bubbles. Repeat at each wheel, with the drivers side rear next, then the fronts. The bubbles typically seem to leave after the first wheel. Dunno why.

The above will not get the fluid out of the ABS black box up front. Two ways to do that.

1: go to the dealer and they can use the Starmobile to open it up so it flushes. Pay them gobs of money.
2. Do your bleed, then drive the car some, using the brakes... liberally. Come back and bleed out the fronts again.

Or don't bother. I never do. But then again I bleed my brakes monthly, during every track day. I never have old fluid.

The above will cost you about 10 bucks in brake fluid. The bleeder bottle is what? 10?

EDIT: A normal person should do this once a year as a prophylactic (hah I got to use that word in a sentence!) Here is a bleeder bottle:

Here's your basic bleeder bottle (http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=2926).
1 liter of good fluid great for street and light track use (http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=3326).

Supporting Vendor ToddTCE has this stuff.

[moddog]

Thanks Matt I do change my brake fluid. I was just wondering if the mass majority took care of there brake fluid. Most people do not give it a second thought.

[PaCharger]

ditto what matt said. I did mine via gravity bleed when i changed the pads about 3 months ago. Very easy.

[fargo59]

i have a vacuum bleeder (vacula) but then i do this for a living so im not going to wait. works similarly to gravity bleeding, but less wait. you can also pull the old fluid out of the reservoir first, fill with new fluid, and then bleed the brakes.

[Carfinish]

had mine done Charlie...first time ever on any car i've owned....definitely worth it what a diff

[MattRobertson]

you can also pull the old fluid out of the reservoir first, fill with new fluid, and then bleed the brakes.
The fact that we are mixing in with old fluid has never thrilled me. What do you use to pull fluid out? A big turkey baster or something? :mrgreen:

[fargo59]

The fact that we are mixing in with old fluid has never thrilled me. What do you use to pull fluid out? A big turkey baster or something? :mrgreen:

the vacuum bleeder itself. take the tip off the hose, pull the old fluid out. refill with new fluid. then go to each bleeder port and pull a vacuum at each wheel. you can get fresh fluid to each wheel in about 20 minutes total.
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[josh05magnum]

Resurrecting this thread for a moment-

So, new Rotors and Pads (R1 Slotted and Hawk HPS) went on this weekend, also took the calipers off, cleaned and painted.
Did it with my buddy at his place. As the calipers came off, he tied a rubber glove to each to catch fluid (to avoid a mess). Realized he didn't have any fluid at his place to put back in the master cylinder. Oops.

Long story short, car sat like that for about 5hrs with the calipers off and drying until we got back to finish it.
Refilled the master cylinder, bled the brakes.
Felt 'mushy'
Bled them again, no air bubbles.
Still the pedal travels almost halfway before any significant braking occurs and feels 'mushy'. If I 'pump' the pedal before having to stop, it feels more normal, but still a teeny bit 'mushy'.
SO, without a trip to the dealer will the suggestion below work?

"The above will not get the fluid out of the ABS black box up front. Two ways to do that.
2. Do your bleed, then drive the car some, using the brakes... liberally. Come back and bleed out the fronts again."

Basically, do I have to get the ABS to kick on after we bleed or something, and do we bleed like this?
RR, LR, RF, LF

Basically, I am assuming some air got in the Master Cylinder, or ABS stuff or somewhere that our simple bleeding procedure missed. And I need a way to get rid of it without a dealership trip.
Any suggestions?

2005 Magnum RT

[concussion]

Curious as well. I'm pretty certain I have some air in my brake lines. Going to bleed them again this Sunday.

[MattRobertson]

Sorry I missed your question, Josh.

I don't know anyone up to now who let the car bleed completely dry. I *guess* the advice you quoted would work. Maybe. But that was more meant to get fluid cycling so you could get it out of the system if you were being really anal about replacement. Not bleed bubbles out of a drained system.

Me personally, when I bleed I find I keep a mushier pedal not due to air in the lines, but due to pads that are worn down. If I replace with nice thick new pads, I get less travel in the pistons and the thing firms up solid. This is assuming I have bled the thing already of course.

[josh05magnum]

After the second bleeding with a Might-T-Vac a few days after the original change, things worked better. And the ABS still works, so I am assuming air didn't get into there.