Brake Fluid

[c130king]

Chris,

Got it and thanks. I just read the manual and it looks like I also have to get some "bleeding tubes" to attach to the bleeding points out near the brakes. I presume I can buy these tubes at an auto-parts store.

Or are the clear bleeding tubes not really necessary?

Thanks,
Jim

[Fxwg80hd]

It is just a clear tube, but needs to slip tightly over the bleeder valve so it will not leak. I would use them so you don't get brake fuild on the boat.

I would highly recommend getting a ratching strap to compress the tongue instead of hooking to your truck and backing up. You could break something if you back up to far, plus if your car moves even an inch forward it will suck air back into the line and defeat the purpose of bleeding the air out.

Chris

[markh1f]

Jim,

You should not have to use a strap or your pickup to compress the tongue, there is access from below that you can just use a screw driver to push the piston without moving the tongue. The instructions to do it are laid out in the manual for the trailer brakes, if you don't have one they can be found online. Also it has been my experience that brake fluid does not evaporate no matter how long it has been, you have a leak somewhere so you should look for it before spending a lot of time bleeding the system because your just going to have to do it again once the leak is fixed.

Good luck,
Mark

[Fxwg80hd]

Jim,

You should not have to use a strap or your pickup to compress the tongue, there is access from below that you can just use a screw driver to push the piston without moving the tongue. The instructions to do it are laid out in the manual for the trailer brakes, if you don't have one they can be found online. Also it has been my experience that brake fluid does not evaporate no matter how long it has been, you have a leak somewhere so you should look for it before spending a lot of time bleeding the system because your just going to have to do it again once the leak is fixed.

Good luck,
Mark

Strap method can be done by one person, screw driver method will require 2 people. I also believe there is a leak which will be identified once he starts bleeding the brakes. Since the leak is most likely a bit older, any signs of the leak have most likely been washed off during launch/retrieve of sailboat.

Jim - Still not a bad idea to look for signs of a leak before you spend to much time on bleeding the brakes.

Chris

[c130king]

Mark,

Hello and hope things are going well for you and Helen. I did see that in the manual about using the screwdriver or pry-bar to move the piston but I will be doing this solo and figured I had to find a different method.

But as Chris says, using the strap will probably be better than backing into the bricks.

Of course I am hoping there are no leaks...haven't climbed underneath and looked closely.

My guess is I have been trailering for a while like this. I am willing to bet when I trailered from Jacksonville FL up to VA back in July there was no brake fluid.

Jim

[seahouse]

Translucent 1/4" poly air line will work for bleeding in a jiffy, (if you happen to have some around); you can spot air bubbles or dirt, and unless it's cold it will fit snugly over the bleeder barb.

Another thought - since all the fluid is gone, and brake fluid is hygroscopic, you might have a whole lotta' rust (scuffed O-rings) and corrosion inside to deal with as well.

- B.

[c130king]

Translucent 1/4" poly air line will work for bleeding in a jiffy, (if you happen to have some around); you can spot air bubbles or dirt, and unless it's cold it will fit snugly over the bleeder barb.

Another thought - since all the fluid is gone, and brake fluid is hygroscopic, you might have a whole lotta' rust (scuffed O-rings) and corrosion inside to deal with as well.

- B.

Thanks for the tip on the air line...but will have to buy.

And I have thought that my brake lines might be "rusted" or "clogged" somehow. I will see what happens.

Thanks,
Jim

[Catigale]

1/4 inch Tygon from the hardware store.

You can bleed them yourself, if you buy about 6 feet (thats 2 metres) of tube and route it UP and over the tire so you can see it drain into the nice cheap container that you are going to cap off and throw away when done.

Open the bleeder one turn, then go up front and try to push the piston in. If it wont move, open the valve another 1/2 turn...and so on until the fluid starts to flow.

push it through slowly until it turns from dirty brown (gettting water and rust out) to near clear and colourless like new brake fluid.

Now you want to push the piston in FAST, and let it out S-L-O-W-L-Y so that the MC fills from the reservoir and doesnt pull air back into the system.

Keep the MC topped off the whole time. You will use about a litre of brake fluid to do two wheels

When all is done, just turn the bleeder screw back closed, snug, but not animal tight. Let that flare seal for you , not brute force.

Throw away that brake fluid and that Tygon - you will find the brake fluid will leach the plasticisers out of the Tygon, and it lose its flexibility in a few days.

[fishheadbarandgrill]

I tried to access the master cylinder reservoir but it was partially obstructed. The tongue was compressed (from backing the trailer into the driveway). I take it that the tongue should be extended to get access to the fill cap?

Bob

[Uncle Jim]

Jim,

I may have a special tool for bleeding the brakes, it's kind of a hose with a valve attached. One person can do the breaks with ease, the hard part is locating the darn thing

I'll let you know.

Jim

[Québec 1]

I tried to access the master cylinder reservoir but it was partially obstructed. The tongue was compressed (from backing the trailer into the driveway). I take it that the tongue should be extended to get access to the fill cap?

Bob

yep

[seahouse]

Of course, your old brake fluid should be recycled, or at least NOT allowed to go into regular landfill. It's some nasty stuff.

Also, don't spill any on any painted surface you care about, works like paint stripper on the wrong surface! Seen that, but not on any of MY stuff.

- B.

[1st Sail]

Your trailer and brake assembly is most likely same as mine. Mfg UFP. Below are references to their site. Mine leaked slowly at the banjo block and drained the master cylinder. I didn't catch it in time and therefore blew the MC. Replace the MC instead of a rebuild, attempted to beed the lines and found the leak. Replace the line, and brass seal. Then started over.

You can do it by your self (PIA). Attach the 1/4' clear hose to the blead valve, put a loop in the hose (top of loop is above the bleed valve) so the air bubbles cannot rise thru he tube and reenter the brake cylinder at the blead valve. I made an arch higher than than the valve then looped it back into a collection bottle. You will most likely go thru a couple of pints. 1 pint to flush the system of sediment and part of the second to bleed the air.

You can pump the MC easily with a flat blade screw driver via the access hole under the hitch in front of the MC.

Now I check my MC every time tow.

[c130king]

Youse guys are awesome!

Thanks for all the tips and encouragement...can't wait to get out there and break my brakes.

Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König

[Phillip]

Jim, after all those years of driving 4 turbofans around, when I use to watch you blokes walk around your machine, 'looking intelligently at this, then at that', you now tell me you didn't even know how to check the fluid level in the ABS brakes. Us dumb grunts all thought you blokes knew what you were doing!!
Jokes aside, we always appreciated the ride. It beat the hull out of 'the alternatives available'.
Cheers
Phillip

PS I too am not 'mechanical'.