Motive power bleeder?

[buck91]

So I've been looking at these Motiv "power bleeders" for some time now. Seems I have to twist arms something fierce to get extra help bleeding brakes and I never feel like I get to spend enough time doing it. Plus, looking at the price of speed bleeders, just doing one car would come close to the cost of the motiv. Specifically my fleet currently includes '11 and '05 F150, '96 Mustang, '14 Explorer and one lone Nissan Rogue which sees the dealer for repairs. Of course, these change periodically so there is that.

Anyways, talking with Motiv they note that the 0107 should work with most of this list, though a few reviewers note otherwise. Has anybody used the Motiv Power Bleeder? Good stuff or are there better options? I don't want to break the bank but I would like something effective and that will last more than a job or two.

Link: http://a.co/gcJrLov

 

[andyd]

Save your money. All you need to do a one person bleed, is 3 feet of clear tubing and a little jar 1/2 full of brake fluid to make an air lock. You want a snug fit on the bleeder. Open the bleeder and pump the pedal by hand. Keep an eye on the reservoir level.

 

[Colt45ws]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Save your money. All you need to do a one person bleed, is 3 feet of clear tubing and a little jar 1/2 full of brake fluid to make an air lock. You want a snug fit on the bleeder. Open the bleeder and pump the pedal by hand. Keep an eye on the reservoir level.

Never in my life have I had tubing stay on a bleeder unless I physically hold it in place.
I love using the motive. Twist it onto the res, pump it up and I usually just crack the bleeder and let it whiz where it will, hopefully hitting a oil drain pan.

 

[MrHorspwer]

I have a Motive bleeder and absolutely love it. I've owned it for at least a decade, primarily for cars that see HPDE/auto-x use. I tend to flush every year, sometimes more than once. Full flush with a solid pedal every time, no mishaps, and it's quicker than anything around.

Flushing out my Camaro earlier this year before it's first auto-x:

I'm not a big fan of pricey single-purpose tools, but:

 

[buck91]

LOL nice meme.

 

[beechcraftted]

I have used the Phoenix "reverse" bleeder for a number of years. 1 man operation, and the hose has always stays on the bleeder nipple for me.

 

[double vanos]

On top of a motive bleeder I have a Griots Garage "sucker style " bleeder that pulls the fluid out at the wheel cylinder / caliper. Works well .

 

[ArcticDriver]

I prefer a device that pressurizes and pushes fluid through rather than one that pulls by vacuum. The vacuum type typically attached over the bleeder nipple has a tendency to suck air around the threading of the nipple.

Either technique is better than pumping the brakes because there is a risk the brake pedal will be depressed beyond its typical range and damage the seals resulting in leaks.

From my experience having relied on each of these techniques over the years.

 

[SumpChump]

Originally Posted By: MrHorspwer
I have a Motive bleeder and absolutely love it. I've owned it for at least a decade, primarily for cars that see HPDE/auto-x use. I tend to flush every year, sometimes more than once. Full flush with a solid pedal every time, no mishaps, and it's quicker than anything around.

Flushing out my Camaro earlier this year before it's first auto-x
I'm not a big fan of pricey single-purpose tools, but:


Any negatives to the Motive bleeding process, design, etc? I'd kinda fear a "blowout" and soray of brake fluid on paint.

 

[Panos]

I have bought a Chinese hand vacuum kit from e bay last year... Cost about 20 bucks delivered. Works like a charm. Best guaranteed result and speed for the fluid change. And at last I managed to service my car buy myself after 12 years of ownership beside my bikes which I already could change the fluid by the manual method pumping the levers.

 

[09_GXP]

My power bleeder is one of my favorite tools. I sometimes bleed the brakes on my race car a half-dozen times a week. Using the power bleeder it takes longer to jack the car up than actually bleed the brakes.

 

[knerml]

I started using a Motive bleeder to flush clutch cylinders. Could not get the clutch to pump enough fluid to flush.

 

[DoubleWasp]

Since I started using the Motive, I won't do it any other way. Just get under, and hit all 4-6 wheels.

No monitoring the reservoir, no pumping, no nothing.

This a Godsend for trailers and my forklifts. Some of my lifts have 4 stages of bleeding thanks to the complex braking systems. No way I'd do the traditional method ever again.

Amazing for clutches too.

 

[ArcticDriver]

Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
Since I started using the Motive, I won't do it any other way. Just get under, and hit all 4-6 wheels.

No monitoring the reservoir, no pumping, no nothing.

This a Godsend for trailers and my forklifts. Some of my lifts have 4 stages of bleeding thanks to the complex braking systems. No way I'd do the traditional method ever again.

Amazing for clutches too.


+1.

Well worth the initial investment.

 

[Lolvoguy]

I had one for a while (Motive bleeder).

Decided to sell it on CL to some 911 enthusiast after discovering gravity bleeding.

Never looked back

 

[wings&wheels]

I like my Motive bleeder and use it for everything in the family for flushing brakes and hydraulic clutches. Besides the universal and Euro adapters, I've had to make some reservoir adapters (usually using old caps) for some odd vehicles, but overall Motive offers a great selection.

I have always feared a brake fluid spray and while it hasn't happened yet, on our 'pretty' cars (not the 2 old Rovers), I just use the Motive to supply pressurized air and disconnect and refill the reservoir frequently.

The Motive bleeder is one of my favorite time and effort savers.

 

[Carmudgeon]

As a kid, I spent many a day helping my dad bleed the brakes on the family vehicles. I had no idea what was going on, I just followed the directions to push, hold and release. But one thing that sticks out in my mind was the time I pushed when he wasn't asking, and the result didn't please him.

Then, among the parade of tools that would appear every so often was a thing that looked like a ray gun. I thought it was neat, but I could tell it didn't please him either, because it was used only once, and never made another appearance.

Once I started to do my own work, I tried the one way check valves, which didn't work well. Then a friend gave me a lead on a reasonably-priced pressure bleeder he was using, and I never looked back.

The principle is sound, thorough, and as long as the bleeder is constructed decently well, mishaps are unlikely to occur. These are the professional tools that one company, which has engineered brake systems for over 100 years, from top to bottom, produces. Notice the principle on which they are based.

My old pressure bleeder was showing its age, and I came across a deal on a Motive, so it's what I use now.

Honestly, it does the job and makes life much easier, but in a perfect world, where I could design the perfect DIYer bleeder, I'd do things a little differently.

The Motive traces its lineage to a garden sprayer, so the reservoir is probably larger than it needs to be for a home wrench. And unless you get the fancy version with the swivel fitting on the cap, you have to be cognizant of the twist of the hose. There is no pressure release valve; the pump cap must be unscrewed to release pressure once you are done. Mind you, none of these are deal breakers, but can make things a bit fiddly.

Going even further, there is no diaphragm between the air and fluid, like you'd find in a pro-bleeder, so there is the risk of pushing air into the system if one is not paying attention. But to be fair, I don't think any home bleeder has such a feature.

Aside from the niceties like a release valve, another thing I've come across in both bleeders has been the fussiness of getting a good, proper seal on the cap. For whatever reason, the gaskets on these cheap bleeders are crudely cut, ill-fitting, and require care to make sure they don't leak.

That said, it does the job, saves a lot of time and hassle, and won't break the bank.

I'd definitely recommend it, or another pressure bleeder of some kind.

 

[JC1]

I have a motive motive bleeder. What they don't tell you is on some cars the cowl covers or limits access to the brake reservoir cap. On my 98 sienna you needed to remove the cowl to use the motive.

I used it three times max. It's sitting in my garage and I should sell it. I just use the two man bleeding now.

 

[exranger06]

I love my Motive bleeder. I basically never have anyone to help me when I'm working on cars, so I have to bleed brakes by myself. I have one cap that I use with it. I've used the same cap on both of my Fords, my mom's Ford, my wife's Subaru, the Nissan my wife used to have, and my wife's cousin's Subaru. It makes bleeding brakes so easy. It just sucks they don't make a good cap that will fit my Hondas. I tried the universal cap without success. I put speed bleeders on the Hondas and those work well too.

 

[buck91]

Flushed and bled my daughters F150 today with my new Motive Power Bleeder. Might not flow 100GPM but it sure does beat both gravity and the two-person method for speed! Only down side I can see is that it needs cleaning out after use (duh). Gotta pick up a can of denatured alcohol tomorrow...