Brake Bleeding Kit

Hi all
My wife has decided she no longer wants to sit in my Series III 109 Safari 6 pot pumping my brake pedal every few weeks (oooer) so I have started looking for ways to do it by myself. I used to have one that worked by having brake fluid in a bottle with a hand pump on the top that fed through to a cap that fitted onto the Landy's brake reservoir. You pumped the bottle and the reservoir filled with brake fluid and kept a constant pressure through the system. This seemed to work quite well but i cant find one on ebay for any kind of sensible money. There are a lot of the Gunsons eezi bleed type ones but I quite often find myself in the position of not having any air pressure in my spare tyre so I dont want to get one of those. Has anyone used one of these?

hand held vacuum pump brake bleeder by yourself on eBay (end time 08-Jul-10 11:20:03 BST)

If so - do they work? And if they do - how do they work? Do you attach the pipe to the bleed nipple and draw the brake fluid through that way rather than pump it through from the other end? If so that sounds like a much better way of doing it - I always seem to get air stuck somewhere in the 109 - so pulling it through that way seems more sensible to me.
Anyone got any ideas? Suggestions? What do other people use?

Many thanks

Gez

You have to bleed you're breaks every few weeks???

I'd suggest addressing this issue first

These days I use a one way valve and pump the brake pedal myself. It saves having to turn the bleed screw open-closed about a million times. I've also used 2 other styles of brake bleeding tool: the pressurised Easibleed (takes pressure from the spare wheel) and a vacuum bleeder (not the one in the link though). TBH I've found the best way is pumping the pedal. I know people say you can damage MC seals. But I'd rather find out they're suspect in the workshop, than on the road. If you do it slowly/gently and only use about 50% of the brake pedal travel it shouldn't test out the seals anyway.

Thanks for the reply - I have seen the one way valve kits in Halfords - basically its just a tube with a non return valve on the end isn't it? Nice and cheap but I'm not sure it will be up to the job with the double leading shoes that just seem designed to trap air!
I was thinking that the ebay kit might be more successful by pulling the fluid through rather than pushing it through by pumping from the reservoir but I don't really know why I was thinking that!!!
I was hoping someone may have used the ebay kit and give me an idea whether to bother with it or not. I have searched the forums for other posts relating to bleeding the brakes but without much success. I also emailed the seller on ebay asking whether he had an instruction manual he could send me or whether he knew where I could find one online but he wasn't very forthcoming which has put me off a little bit.
Might have to just invest in the one way valve kit and see how it goes - thats the cheapest option so I may as well start there and try the more expensive solutions if that doesn't work.

Thanks again

paul_c said:

These days I use a one way valve and pump the brake pedal myself. It saves having to turn the bleed screw open-closed about a million times. I've also used 2 other styles of brake bleeding tool: the pressurised Easibleed (takes pressure from the spare wheel) and a vacuum bleeder (not the one in the link though). TBH I've found the best way is pumping the pedal. I know people say you can damage MC seals. But I'd rather find out they're suspect in the workshop, than on the road. If you do it slowly/gently and only use about 50% of the brake pedal travel it shouldn't test out the seals anyway.

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Well it feels like every few weeks but that may have been a bit of an exaggeration! It may have something to do with the fact I am always fiddling around or undoing mistakes I made (such as losing the screw cap off the old tin reservoir, spending hours online and in various shops trying to find a replacement then giving up and getting a plastic girling one from ebay - I don't know why but I loved that old tin reservoir so when I found a replacement cap - off came the girling and back on with the tin one)!
To be honest tho, I do seem to have "issues" getting the air out of the system and when I think back I believe it may have started when I replaced one of the wheel cylinders with a Brit Part one - maybe I should investigate that further.

MikeDowson said:

You have to bleed you're breaks every few weeks???

I'd suggest addressing this issue first

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sealey do a 1 man kit
it sounds the same as the first kit you discribed with the hand pump
they ar about £70 but work really well and holds loads of fluid
i will see if i can get hold of the part number

Hi there
Thanks for the reply - I think I have seen the Sealey Kit and very nice it looks too but i wouldn't be allowed to spend £70 - I think the wife would probably chop her legs off and make me use them rather than let me spend that much! Although now I come to think of it.....

pobby said:

sealey do a 1 man kit
it sounds the same as the first kit you discribed with the hand pump
they ar about £70 but work really well and holds loads of fluid
i will see if i can get hold of the part number

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I would go with pobby, the Sealey one at about £70 is the one I have and it's a proper bit of kit. Tell wifey that the others are crap, they will last 5 minutes (the eezi blled ones I have found to be particularly poor) and in the long term will save you money.

Also tell her the Sealey one is a lot quicker, leaving more "us" time


The britpart cylinders can be rubbish - I had mine in for about 3000 miles when it stared leaking - so yeah I had to keep bleeding my brakes.

I've got an eezi bleed and have used it a couple of times. Works fine and makes the job easy. Not long ago I replaced al the pipework on my 109 and when I came to bleed it the eezibleed didn't have an adapter to fit my master cylinder so had to resort to the old fashioned way. Strangely enough it all bled up nicely first attempt with no problems. Wierd, or what?

I know what you mean - it's how it is sometimes. I have spent an entire afternoon before bleeding the brakes to get it right...whilst the last time I did it, did not even bother to get the bleeder out and manually did it in a few minutes!

I jus't cannot stand the eezi bleed, does my head in, has now gone in the bin!

I use a giant syringe. Hook it up to the bleed nipple and make sure it's on nice and tight, top up the brake reservoir to full and then open the nipple and suck.
Only problem is refilling the reservoir with fluid, but I've managed on cars, landys and motorbikes for years like this.
Clarke CGG500 500cc Oil Suction Gun - Machine Mart

Now that looks nice and cheap! I do have a large syringe that I use to pump fish oil into dead bait when i'm pike fishing but its nowhere near as big as that. I think that looks like a great idea. Other people have mentioned the syringe idea and I have to admit I rather like the idea!

Cheers for the link - I will now spend the rest of my Sunday evening looking at all the bling I cant afford on Machine Marts site!!!

Patman1200 said:

I use a giant syringe. Hook it up to the bleed nipple and make sure it's on nice and tight, top up the brake reservoir to full and then open the nipple and suck.
Only problem is refilling the reservoir with fluid, but I've managed on cars, landys and motorbikes for years like this.
Clarke CGG500 500cc Oil Suction Gun - Machine Mart

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If you register to receive an email from them you might even get an invite to their VAT free days. Get all the Clarke stuff VAT free and everything else 10% off.

HI,
Only just sign up and already your talking about one of my many pending jobs.


I've never attempted breaks on anything as its one of them things I don't want to take a chance with, but needs must and a quote from a local land rover mechanic its a tad outside my budget. I would like to invest in a break service kit (all 4 wheels) and do all of them (in for a penny etc)


Well I don't have a compressor so looks like I've saved £70 already


What are the pitfalls of the cheaper Eezibleed system (one sucks and the other blows??)


Also is there any advice on renewing all the breaks on a 109 LWB SerIII ???


Thanks in advance


JJ

Sounds good to me - the only Clarke gear I own is the mig welder -I got it from ebay for a bargain £70 - virtually brand new - certainly didn't look used anyway. I love it, and from the stories I hear from other people who got different brands I am glad I did some research and got the Clarke one. It works a treat even for a complete novice like me.

Patman1200 said:

If you register to receive an email from them you might even get an invite to their VAT free days. Get all the Clarke stuff VAT free and everything else 10% off.

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I found this site quite helpful

Land Rover FAQ - 109 rear brakes

Have you got the workshop manual? If not I would say its an essential buy. Also I find the parts catalogue really useful because the exploded diagrams say more to me than a thousand words. I have to admit that the Haynes manuals I have bought have, without exception, been a complete waste of money but other people may have had different experiences. Paddocks are doing a complete brake kit for 109 4 cylinders on special offer here

LWBKIT1 Brake Overhaul Kit - LWB (4cyl engine)

But i would expect all the bits to be Brit Part and I am one of the many people who seem to have had awful problems with Brit Part parts. To be honest I wouldn't buy anything from Brit Part again as almost every time I have in the past it has just resulted in me getting extremely upset about the amount of time it has taken me to try to make the parts work properly / fit properly / last more than a couple of months (that's being more than fair - one of their brake cylinders lasted 2 weeks) before I have to buy the more expensive versions and waste more time taking the Brit Part rubbish off and replacing it!
Sorry about the rant - I know how difficult it is when you don't have a lot of money (it is my default state of "being") but I hate the fact that Brit Part are deliberately trying to appeal to the more financially challenged of us and we end up spending way more than we would have done if we just avoided their ridiculously rubbish parts in the first place!
End of rant!
I am very confused - why did I even include the link to the Paddocks kit if I hate it so much? I suppose at least it gives you the choice?

dvb668w said:

HI,
Only just sign up and already your talking about one of my many pending jobs.


I've never attempted breaks on anything as its one of them things I don't want to take a chance with, but needs must and a quote from a local land rover mechanic its a tad outside my budget. I would like to invest in a break service kit (all 4 wheels) and do all of them (in for a penny etc)


Well I don't have a compressor so looks like I've saved £70 already


What are the pitfalls of the cheaper Eezibleed system (one sucks and the other blows??)


Also is there any advice on renewing all the breaks on a 109 LWB SerIII ???


Thanks in advance


JJ

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Thanks Gezza.
Funny you should mention Pattern parts... The new shoes I got from Paddock don't seam to line up on the adjusters. I found the second link and printed it out, was going to have a look to see if I have put them in the wrong way but time and weather has got the better of me.


So what other options are there other than the paddock standard parts (don't think they offer alternative parts on the web site?) I have new shoes for the rear so may just opt to replace the rear [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Wheel Cylinders and see how it goes from there??[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif] Just seen what syringe everyone's been talking about, as I have one Ill try that approach first[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Thanks again[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]JJ[/FONT]

Paddocks do Lucas and Lockheed cylinders but you have to buy them individually (I have heard the Lockheed ones are good). Here

243296D Wheel cylinder LWB rear RH - Delphi Lockheed

I tend to use LRSeries .com

L. R. Series - specialists in land rover, land rover series and range rover - gearbox, axle, transmission parts, spares and major units

because they have been pretty good to me in the past and they usually give you the option to buy Genuine or Pattern (and tend to name the manufacturer). They have always been pretty good at getting back to me with my stupid and annoying questions too!
I sometimes use Craddocks

John Craddock Ltd - The Largest supplier of Land Rover Parts and Spares in the World

but they have just redesigned their website and it takes ages to load and if I had been them I wouldn't have wasted the money - to my mind its worse now than it was before!

Unfortunately ebay is always a good source of parts - although I hate the money grabbing tat market.

Thats my two penneth!!!

dvb668w said:

Thanks Gezza.
Funny you should mention Pattern parts... The new shoes I got from Paddock don't seam to line up on the adjusters. I found the second link and printed it out, was going to have a look to see if I have put them in the wrong way but time and weather has got the better of me.


So what other options are there other than the paddock standard parts (don't think they offer alternative parts on the web site?) I have new shoes for the rear so may just opt to replace the rear [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Wheel Cylinders and see how it goes from there??[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif] Just seen what syringe everyone's been talking about, as I have one Ill try that approach first[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Thanks again[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]JJ[/FONT]

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Hi,

11" front brakes? You can minimise the airpockets in the wheel cylinders by winding the adjusters right OFF, before bleeding. Some people even remove the drum and clamp the pistons in. Don't forget to re-adjust.

Early 109s had adjustable shoe steady pins .... to be adjusted every time you fit new shoes. I replaced the rust grub-scres with socket head scews (Allen screws) I used 2" x 5/16BSF, maybe later cars used UNF?

602

That's good advice, a couple of other people have suggested swapping around the pipes so that the bleed nipple is on the top rather than down on the bottom cylinder the theory being that the air is going to be trapped up on the top so thats where the bleed nipple should go. I was thinking that might be quite a good idea - has anyone done this? Does anyone know of any reasons not to do this? I think I might give it a try if no one knows of any reasons not to.

w3526602 said:

Hi,

11" front brakes? You can minimise the airpockets in the wheel cylinders by winding the adjusters right OFF, before bleeding. Some people even remove the drum and clamp the pistons in. Don't forget to re-adjust.

Early 109s had adjustable shoe steady pins .... to be adjusted every time you fit new shoes. I replaced the rust grub-scres with socket head scews (Allen screws) I used 2" x 5/16BSF, maybe later cars used UNF?

602

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