Pro tip: use a vacuum bleeder on old brake lines, not your foot

Last month I was doing a brake job on a 2002 F-150 in my garage here in Tulsa. The master cylinder was fine but the rear lines were crusty, so I figured I'd just pump the pedal like I always did. Big mistake, it pushed old sludge into the ABS block and I spent two days flushing it out. Then I tried a cheap vacuum bleeder I got for like 35 bucks at the parts store. Hooked it up to the bleed screw, cracked it open, and it pulled the fluid straight through in about 20 minutes per wheel. The pedal feel was way firmer than any pedal pump job I've done before. What I learned is that vacuum bleeding keeps the pressure from pushing junk deeper into the system. Has anyone else had issues with pedal pumping on high mileage rigs, or do you swear by pressure bleeders instead?

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pat78128d ago

Did you flush the ABS block before or after vacuum bleeding?

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