It's not harmful, just a slightly false sense of security.
Does the turkey baster method do anything for brakes
- Thread starter coopns
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It's best to bleed the complete system. However, some people are not going to do that. I've seen dramatic and immediate improvement in brake perfomance when only the brake fluid is replaced in the master cylinder reservoir. I use a battery squeeze bulb ($2.50 at Advance Auto) to remove the old fluid from the reservoir. This works much better than a turkey baster. I have done this on a Ford Taurus with ABS, Ford F-150, and a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup. All showed huge improvement. You are removing old fluid that contains moisture and air (which is compressable). Remember, moisture and air mix throughout glycol ether brake fluid. This is one of the strengths of normal brake fluid; otherwise, moisture would become pockets of water which could freeze and prevent braking. Similarly, major air pockets would be catostrophic. The pulsating action of ABS excelerates the mixing of old and new fluid. Finally, this simple procedure improves the anti-corrosion properties of the fluid, which is very important for ABS systems.
I can't believe that anyone is even worrying about moisture or buying the whole "moisture" line.
Did you not read the article, UnDummy?
It's about corrosion. Corrosion ihibitors in the fliud getting worn out and copper being absorbed inot the fluid.
Then the iron parts of the system start to corrode and get copper deposits.
Nowhere in this scenario does moisture content come in to play.
So get off the whole moisture thing already.
Did you not read the article, UnDummy?
It's about corrosion. Corrosion ihibitors in the fliud getting worn out and copper being absorbed inot the fluid.
Then the iron parts of the system start to corrode and get copper deposits.
Nowhere in this scenario does moisture content come in to play.
So get off the whole moisture thing already.
Moisture is important just not the only important thing. Personally I do a few master cylinder changes over the few weeks before I know I will be bleeding them for some reason. The fresh fluid can help clean the MC, and ALWAYS do a turkey baster type change before begining to bleed otherwise you will have to spend a lot of exra time bleeding before you get clean fluid. Fluid color might mean little to condition of the fluid but it a good way to tell when you got all the old stuff out.
Nowhere moisture comes into play???
So, I read the article. Interesting point of view which allows them to sell a product, copper test strips..... but one paragraph had this:
moisture --precipitation of copper oxide---forms hydrogen ions----causing corrosion of iron components????
My simple mind doesn't get it. If there was no moisture, there would be reduced copper precipitation, and then there would be less hydrogen ions, which means we wouldn't have corrosion of iron components
And, if you don't care for the moisture, how about refreshing those corrosion inhibitors with a simple siphon refill 7 times in 2 years prior to the required bleeding?
But does the article mention anything about wet or dry boiling points??? Maybe we should edit every DOT# recommendation too while we are at it! Now I have a reason to use dot3 since noone needs dot4 or 5.1 anymore since only corrosion inhibitors are what we should worry about.
Now I gotta run and kill 3 birds with 1 stone. Time for a siphon refill of my master cylinder which WILL reduce moisture , increase boiling point , and refresh my anticorrosion additives !
And, when I get a chance, I'll buy some fastcar copper test brake fluid strips. Maybe I'll be able to sell 'brake fluid flush jobs' every 3 months instead of 2 years. Time to buy a new boat or RV
So, I read the article. Interesting point of view which allows them to sell a product, copper test strips..... but one paragraph had this:
moisture --precipitation of copper oxide---forms hydrogen ions----causing corrosion of iron components????
My simple mind doesn't get it. If there was no moisture, there would be reduced copper precipitation, and then there would be less hydrogen ions, which means we wouldn't have corrosion of iron components
And, if you don't care for the moisture, how about refreshing those corrosion inhibitors with a simple siphon refill 7 times in 2 years prior to the required bleeding?
But does the article mention anything about wet or dry boiling points??? Maybe we should edit every DOT# recommendation too while we are at it! Now I have a reason to use dot3 since noone needs dot4 or 5.1 anymore since only corrosion inhibitors are what we should worry about.
Now I gotta run and kill 3 birds with 1 stone. Time for a siphon refill of my master cylinder which WILL reduce moisture , increase boiling point , and refresh my anticorrosion additives !
And, when I get a chance, I'll buy some fastcar copper test brake fluid strips. Maybe I'll be able to sell 'brake fluid flush jobs' every 3 months instead of 2 years. Time to buy a new boat or RV
Very well put undummy: I too drain/revfill my master cyl at least once a year (15,000 miles)as I said in my previous post. Cheers Ed
The question is whether the new fluid has any effect on the fluid that's close/near the caliper. The fact that everyone's master reservoir gets dark/dirty is proof that it works. Otherwise it should stay clear forever.
Now here's a question fo you guys. On a vehicle thats never had the brake fluid flushed, espcially when you buy a used vehicle, whats the best way to get those rusted bleed screws loose? I'm thinkin some spray like PB blaster adn a torch, but, will a torch posibly melt the seals in a rear wheel cylinder in a vehicle with drum brakes?
What ever you do, don't pull until you break it off. Use a 1/4'' ratchet and a 6 point socket. Quit if a moderate pull, far less than enough to twist off a similar sized bolt doesn't move it. Wire brushing and penetrating oil before hand may not help much, but certainly are not a step to skip. The best plan B for one that didn't yield to the above is to take a hammer and pound on the end of it. Here again do not invite King Kong to help. You just want to shatter the rust crystals, not deform anything. A squirt of oil, hammer, pull with the wrench. If after several cycles, it hasn't moved, it may be time to remove it, gut it, and heat it with a torch, then quench it. Unfortunately you may need to do that to the screws holding it in place to get it off. Remember, it is easier to free an intact screw than a broken one.
When I worked in a brake shop, removing stuck bleed screws was a frequent task. The boss was very critical of people that waited until after they broke the screw to bring the cylinder or caliper in. He was even more critical about people that brought them is with a broken off ''Easy Out''. Actually he insisted there wasn't any such thing as an ''Easy Out''. Most of the success of Easy Outs comes from the heat and vibration of drilling the hole. There are easier ways of applying heat and vibration than a drill. May as well use them before you break anything. Saves a run to the parts store for a new screw too.
You could be lucky. If nobody has loosened the bleed screw and retightened it with brake fluid on the threads, it may come loose fairly easy. We seldom had to resort to the torch on cylinders run until they started leaking.
When I worked in a brake shop, removing stuck bleed screws was a frequent task. The boss was very critical of people that waited until after they broke the screw to bring the cylinder or caliper in. He was even more critical about people that brought them is with a broken off ''Easy Out''. Actually he insisted there wasn't any such thing as an ''Easy Out''. Most of the success of Easy Outs comes from the heat and vibration of drilling the hole. There are easier ways of applying heat and vibration than a drill. May as well use them before you break anything. Saves a run to the parts store for a new screw too.
You could be lucky. If nobody has loosened the bleed screw and retightened it with brake fluid on the threads, it may come loose fairly easy. We seldom had to resort to the torch on cylinders run until they started leaking.
If a decent counter clockwise yank doesn't free it, try tightening it with a small to medium torque. This might free it up. If you know you've got a bleeding coming up, start a week before spraying them with something.
Would it be OK to remove the bleeder, apply a thin, light coating of anti-seize compound? Would it be compatible with brake fluid?
Scott
Scott
Easier just to snug the bleeder down lightly, and then blow out the remaining brake fluid with a shot of WD-40 down the bleed hole. Follow that up with some compressed air.
Been doing this for years after a brake fluid change. Works great.
Been doing this for years after a brake fluid change. Works great.
Kestas
Staff member
I'm experimenting with silicone grease, antisieze, teflon tape, and even RTV sealant for the bleeder screws, partly because I'm tired of replacing calipers and wheel cylinders just because of frozen bleeder screws, but also because I'd like to use vacuum bleeding. I'm tired of pulling air past the bleeder screw.
Kestas, you need to invent a grease-filled rubber boot for bleed nipples that keeps out the salt from the road.
Also, make sure you spray your penetrating oil INTO the bleeder hole, as well as around it. It attacks the problem from two directions.
My advice to you would be to leave them alone if you don't want any headaches because the chances are REAL good that they will either round off or snap off. I've had luck in the past heating the bleeder with a propane torch and hitting it with penetrating fluid, but more times than not the old bleeders just snap off. They're not hardened so they are pretty weak when a bit of pressure is put on them. I'm a mechanic and tell you this from many years of experience. If you are serious about wanting to bleed the brakes, I highly suggest you have a full set of calipers and/or wheel cylinders on hand to replace the fubar'd ones. You can sometimes get the old bleeder out, but more times than not it's just easier to replace the damaged caliper or wheel cylinder.
As for those that just suck the master dry and refill, it's better than doing nothing at all. A little bit of fresh fluid is beneficial to the brake system. It would probably be better to do the master suck out every couple of weeks for a couple of months to get the full benefit of fresher fluid because you will be dispersing more of it over the multiple times vs just doing it once. The only way to fully get a clean brake system is to regularly bleed the brakes every couple of years max. For those that are afraid of bleeding their brakes, get Speed Bleeders. They allow you to bleed the brakes very easily, very quickly and by yourself. They are on all of my vehicles and when appropriate, I suggest my customers get them too.
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