Bleeding brakes with Eazi-Bleed kit

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:50 am

I've bought an Eazi-Bleed kit for bleeding my brakes. Anyone used these on their Bongo (dont all shout - last time I bled brakes it was a mate, a jamjar and some rubber tube with a valve on the end I think!). Will I get on OK folowing the instructions and working on my own? I have this dread vision of having to constantly bob up from underneath the car to see if the reservoir levels have dropped and are about to let air into the system.

Your usual excellent advice and Bongo Forum hand holding would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Mike

madmile · Post by **madmile** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:20 am

I know you like to play with the bongo mike, but have you done anything that requires the brakes to need bleeding, or are you going to do it anyway?

Veg_Ian · Post by **Veg_Ian** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:24 am

The Bongo is the first Jap car I've had for years that has a screw cap on the reservoir, usually they are a push fit rubber cap so no good for pressurising the reservoir with Eezibleed. My 11 year old is a dab hand at pumping the brake pedal now

I used one many years ago and it was ok though. You should be ok with it. Just don't forget to frequently top up during the process.

wrster · Post by **wrster** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:03 pm

I've used the eazibleed kit, only trouble was that non of the supplied caps fitted the Bongo reservoir. I just got someone to hold it all together as I bled it, but you might like to knock up something more permanent... especially if you bought it to be able to do it on your own...

Also, have you invested in a proper 'nipple spanner' like this:
[img]http://www.ruffster.co.uk\bongo\bongo_photo\DSCN1076.JPG[/img]

A worthwhile addition to any toolbox. The nipples are really easy to round off; with one of these you're driving on all six faces of the nipple and you've got the best chance of not making a mountain out of a molehill...

Vanmanerik · Post by **Vanmanerik** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:34 pm

Are you sure you haven't got your union fitting on your brake pipe mixed up for a nipple spanner or do you really need a split ring spanner for the job. I have not looked at the brake bleeders so am interested just in case I need to do the job in the future, on all my other autos you could get a ring spanner on the bleed nipple.

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:40 pm

I've never tried on Bongo but used one many times in the past on other cars. Only problems, as stated above, are getting good seals on the reservoir caps. Really easy for one-man operation cos' you don't have to keep checking the fluid level, unless you are completely changing the fluid in a large system.
Don't forget to reduce the pressure in your tyre, and a nipple spanner is highly recommended because the nipples are usually tight and round off easily.

wrster · Post by **wrster** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:50 pm

You could use a normal ring spanner but most spanners have a 12 point ring, which on 10+ year old nipples which have been living outside is asking for a rounding...

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 2:43 pm

HOW GOOD IS THIS FORUM!!!!! Thanks guys. I think a nipple spanner could save mea load of bother. V annoying about the Eazibleed kit cap not fitting - I was concerned about that. They do give some advoice on workarounds but it seems to involve drilling the reservoir cap, which strikes me as a backward move (I think you then have to get a replacement cap, surprise surprise).

madmile - good point. I'm doing it because the vehicles history is unknown except it is known it had had no service for 2yrs. Since they recommend changing fluid every 2yrs, I thought I'd do it. But I have to say I dont think my previous cars have been treated with such respect. Am I being over zealous? What does the team think?

Bongoflyer · Post by **Bongoflyer** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 3:08 pm

Hi again Mike,

Not over zealous at all, its good to change the brake fluid as it attracts water over a long period and could lead to spongy brakes and rusty internals of cylinders.

The spanner in the pic is a brake pipe spanner, you need a closed six sided nipple spanner.

Not keen on easybleed or similar, prefer old fashioned way, a mate or wife with foot on the brake.

If you see bubbles or globs in the old fluid once its settled in the jamjar its water, empty it and keep pumping and repeating until no old fluid and no water, then pump a bit more.

Good luck.

francophile1947 · Post by **francophile1947** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 3:32 pm

Hi Mike
I found that some cars just needed extra thickness to the washers supplied with the eazibleed to make the caps fit - I made mine out of and old inner tube.
If you are changing your fluid completely, with the eazibleed, you just need to undo the nipple until the fluid flows freely, wait for clean fluid to come through then shut the nipple. It is as well to check the fluid level in the eazibleed bottle after each wheel. Some vehicles require the wheels to be bled in a certain order - as a rough guide, you start with the wheel furthest from the master cylinder.

Veg_Ian · Post by **Veg_Ian** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 5:16 pm

I'm doing it because the vehicles history is unknown except it is known it had had no service for 2yrs. Since they recommend changing fluid every 2yrs, I thought I'd do it. But I have to say I dont think my previous cars have been treated with such respect. Am I being over zealous?

No not all Mike. I had first hand experience of the brakes giving out on me due to old fluid, in my youth. Not a pleasant experience. I've religiously changed the brake fluid every two years, in all my vehicles ever since.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:10 pm

Excellent. Off I go then. Thanks everyone. A useful thread for BF posterity too.

Bleeding brakes with Eazi-Bleed kit

Bleeding brakes with Eazi-Bleed kit

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