difficult brake bleed

[Donald]

After I realized the shackle was broke on my pickup and made haste to finish up the brakes on my Jeep. It looks as though the wrong caliper was in the box. The bleeder screw is not on top. Anyway I need to use it like this until I can get the pickup fixed. Any brake bleeding tricks? (Rear). So far I have gravity bleed it.

Maybe I should have held it in my hand with the bleeder screw at the top?

My Dad use to say that over time the air bubbles would get back to the master cylinder. Maybe thats a lot longer than I want to wait.

 

[rslifkin]

If the air bubbles head back towards the master, they'll end up in the ABS pump, and then it has to be bled by a shop with a scan tool capable of cycling the ABS pump properly to purge the air. A normal bleed won't fix it at that point.

 

[andyd]

it is the caliper for the other side

 

[shDK]

Sometimes it helps to raise the axel on wich you Are bleeding the brakes up in the air. Helps the air travel up and out.

 

[KB2008X]

You knowingly put the wrong caliper on your vehicle ?

Your idea of holding the caliper in your hand should work best. There certainly is no way you can bleed it properly with the air trapped in the cylinder, as it will be with the caliper mounted upside down on the vehicle.

I'd hold the caliper with the bleeder at the highest point, block the piston so there is no travel and bleed it that way. Gravity bleed at first then with someone pumping the pedal.

I'm sure you've already thought of this, but re-install that caliper and double check the brake hose travel with someone cranking the steering wheel going from lock-to-lock and then also consider what will happen when wheel up and down movement is added to that equation. The brake hose will likely fail if it stressed - it will not stretch. In fact my guess is that it will not be long enough for you to run the caliper upside down.

 

[Donald]

Yes, I know its the caliper for the other side but side to side is just a matter of which is up and which is down, brake hose or bleed screw. Looks like an error by Raybestos, since the box is labeled correctly.

Its rear, so no steering involved.

Not sure I have too many choices but to drive it with OK brakes, when they should be great.

Its a choice between driving my pickup with a broken shackle or the Jeep with some air in the brake system.

 

[KB2008X]

Your idea of bleeding that caliper with it off the vehicle is a good one. Just block the piston from traveling with a 2x4 so it doesn't pop out. Hold the caliper so the bleeder is straight up and you're good to go. That is a much better plan than not bleeding at all. That would just be foolish.

 

[Donald]

Well - one problem was that the hose when installed properly prevents me from tightening one of the mounting allen bolts. So I really could not bleed it holding it in my hand.

I did a gravity bleed with the bleeder in the down position and it was not too bad. Remember these are the back brakes.

RockAuto sent me another caliper (the right one) and is covering the shipping both ways. I told them it had been installed and had brake fluid in it.

With the new caliper and gravity bleeding it seems like my brakes are working properly again.