I've used a valve stem in an old Motive reservoir cap, dialed my air compressor regulator down to 10 psi and used a tire chuck to pressurize the reservoir. Saves all that pumping. But if I'm working elsewhere on the car a gravity bleed works fine. I've never gotten air into the calipers that way, except one time when I replaced a pair of calipers and mixed them up, putting them on the wrong wheels. That was embarrassing.
Options - brake fluid bleeding & flush
- Thread starter Donald
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I have always used a Mityvak pump and vacuum bled my brakes with good success. I would put heavy duty grease around the bleeder screws to prevent air from getting sucked past the threads when they were open.
When I had a brake line blow on my 98 Chevy K3500 truck, after replacing the line, I could not get the rear brakes to vacuum bleed no matter what I did. Gravity bleed also didn't work. I had to go old school with it and have a partner to push the brake pedal as I bled them.
Same thing happened when I had a rear line blow on my 92 Cavalier last year. I had to resort to the partner again. After that, I bought the Speedi-bleed pressure system to see how it will work the next time I need to bleed brakes.
When I had a brake line blow on my 98 Chevy K3500 truck, after replacing the line, I could not get the rear brakes to vacuum bleed no matter what I did. Gravity bleed also didn't work. I had to go old school with it and have a partner to push the brake pedal as I bled them.
Same thing happened when I had a rear line blow on my 92 Cavalier last year. I had to resort to the partner again. After that, I bought the Speedi-bleed pressure system to see how it will work the next time I need to bleed brakes.
Interesting approach.
A review on Amazon for a vacuum brake bleeder that the reviewer obviously liked says something like "so I threw my leaky Motive brake bleeder in the dumpster".
If you need to manually bleed the brakes after vacuum bleeding why do name brand companies like MityVac (and others) sell the vacuum brake bleeders? The pressure brake bleeders seem like the better choice assuming the cap fits properly.
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- Oct 28, 2014
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I got this from Trav; I don't remember how long ago, but Speed bleeders are the bomb. I use a Motive power bleeder, Bosch Esi6 brake fluid, and stainless speed bleeders. (They will NEVER rust or seize). I've done this enough times to realize I need to replace the soft washer in the Motive bleeder every time I use it, (to avoid leaks) and as a precaution, I place a LARGE plastic pan directly under the MC. I daresay I get as firm a pedal as any shop, and it is a one man job. I use Bosch Esi6 brake fluid not only because it lasts longer, but my wife & I have identical vehicles; when I first started using it, after replacing the fluid in one vehicle, I took both vehicles for a test drive on a lonely stretch of highway and purposely stood on the brakes hard enough to kick in the anti-locks. In my non-scientific opinion, the anti-locks performed noticeably better with the Bosch fluid. I want my wife & family to have every advantage possible in accident avoidance.
From Trav, it is pertinent that ABS modules, which can be expensive to replace, have NON-SERVICEABLE filters built-in, and Phoenix brake systems DOES NOT recommend reverse flushing on these systems. https://www.brakebleeder.com/preventing-damage-abs-modulators-brake-pad-replacement/
Edit: When I have all 4 wheels off with the car in the air, ready to bleed brakes, I use plastic hose crimp pliers on all 4 corners and open the speed bleeders PRIOR to forcing wheel cylinders to retract, making room for new pads, without forcing fluid back into the MC.
From Trav, it is pertinent that ABS modules, which can be expensive to replace, have NON-SERVICEABLE filters built-in, and Phoenix brake systems DOES NOT recommend reverse flushing on these systems. https://www.brakebleeder.com/preventing-damage-abs-modulators-brake-pad-replacement/
Edit: When I have all 4 wheels off with the car in the air, ready to bleed brakes, I use plastic hose crimp pliers on all 4 corners and open the speed bleeders PRIOR to forcing wheel cylinders to retract, making room for new pads, without forcing fluid back into the MC.
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Pressure is the better choice, but is a more expensive option.
At $69.95 the Motive with one adapter does not seem very expensive
That's what I do, too. I attach a small length of hose, and have it run into a bucket.
Ordered the Motive Brake Bleeder on Amazon. Box arrived today. Amazon swapped the outside label. I got a Giraffe Mug Press Machine and someone else got the Motive Brake Bleeder. The packing slip was for a Giraffe Mug Press Machine but for a different order number. I setup the return but Amazon wants to charge me $1.00 to drop it off at UPS store (my normal dropoff place) or free if I can find a Staples. This was totally an Amazon mistake. They should pick up at my house for free!!
chat on their website with customer service.. they'll make it right. you go to help, then something else, then something else, seriously that's the name.. then you can chat with their chatbot, say customer service and then you can talk with someone live.
TBH, none of the DIY/consumer-grade bleeders, whether pressure, vacuum, or whatever, can be expected to be good, durable tools.
The Motive is a glorified garden sprayer/DIY project in easy-to-buy/use form, and like every cheap plastic pressure vessel I've used, will likely leak at some point.
At least they offer replacement parts if you don't feel like cobbling up a repair yourself.
They're ok when they work, but if I had to yank out my Motive more frequently than every couple years (with some trepidation each time as to if it will fail in some fashion), I'd give consideration to biting the bullet and getting something better.
In function, I think I actually prefer the Gunson I used before, which is pressurized from a tire, since it was easier to control, and release pressure. It also wasn't stupidly bulky, and the hoses didn't twist and fight me, like the Motive does, because I didn't opt for their fancy metal swivel cap.
But it, too, had leaks, which the importer dutifully sent me updated parts to help fix, so it did get into a pretty good state for a while, up until where I didn't want to deal with the leaky chuck shooting off the hose anymore, so I got the Motive for cheap when the big online startup store (jet.com) that was supposed to challenge Amazon and Walmart had a great coupon. Only to see it eventually bought by Walmart and eventually dissolved.
I do break down, clean each time, and try to treat them well, but cheap parts are cheap parts.
Unfortunately, it's like buying a garden hose reel, where there's a desert between the cheap junk, and absurdly expensive nice ones that will last.
I had to look it up to see what that thing is. The other guy got ripped off! You could buy three Motive bleeders for the price of one mug press machine.
In all seriousness, I use the Motive bleeder too. Yeah, the hose is annoying, and it likes to make the bottle fall over no matter where I try to balance it upright under the hood. But on the plus side, it's easy to make your own reservoir adapters in case you buy a different car and your old one no longer fits. And the old-style bathtub-shaped reservoirs are their own set of challenges getting them to seal. But otherwise it's one of those tools that works so well it's actually one to look forward to using.
How many people use the Motive with brake fluid in it and how many add brake fluid to the reservoir and use the Motive just to pressurize the reservoir? And those people who use it just to pressurize it that because previously when using the Motive with brake fluid in it you had a leak and had brake fluid spray everywhere?
They tried pulling that stunt on me a few times. Call their CS #, they'll make it right.
I have never put brake fluid in my Motive Brake Bleeder. I just use it to pressurize the master reservoir and don't worry about leaks. I also remove the bleeders and put anti-seize on the threads and put sil-glyde on the rubber caps when finished.
JHZR2
Staff member
Same here!
I fill mine with fluid. That's why I bought it.
It's dependent on reservoir capacity, of course, but I'd rather not run the risk of pumping air into the hydraulic system and create another headache, if some mishap occurs. Doubly so since the feed for the clutch hydraulics is typically fed off of an outlet that isn't situated on the bottom of the reservoir, as with the brakes/master cylinder.
But if an apparatus to merely pressurize the reservoir is still the desired method, for a European car with the typical Ate threaded cap, it wouldn't be too hard to rig up a adapter with a spare cap, tubing, and some fittings to accomplish the same feat for appreciably less than the $60+ for the full kit. Motive also sells their adapters separately for $25 and up, which would also simplify the project.
Got the Motive today but it's raining. For my pickup the adapter cap has an O-ring. I read in a post about the Motive on BITOG that the person uses a new gasket each time so he does not get leaks. I wonder if that's an adapter with an O-ring or real flat type of gasket?
Lubricate the O-ring with brake fluid or silicone grease (better lubricant but might contaminant the brake fluid. But would a tiny bit of silicone grease really be an issue??
Lubricate the O-ring with brake fluid or silicone grease (better lubricant but might contaminant the brake fluid. But would a tiny bit of silicone grease really be an issue??
