REFLECTOR: Bleeding brakes

[Ronnie Brown]

DOT 5 is the only fluid that is compatible with BOTH the Datsun master cylinders and the Matco's/Cleveland's.  Matcos/Cleveland's  are OK with aviation 5606 red hydraulic fluid but the Datsuns will leak. 

 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Al Gietzen 
  To: reflector 
  Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 8:51 PM
  Subject: REFLECTOR: Bleeding brakes


  I used my home-made "pressure bleeder" today to fill the brake fluid.  Put the fluid in from the caliper at the wheel until the master cylinder reservoir was about ¾ full.  Then raised the gear leg until the wheel was nearly in the wheel well (to reduce the high point loop in the line just inside the fuselage) and bled back thru the caliper by pumping the pedal. Found no air coming back, and the pedal feels quite solid.



  I was looking at pressure bleeders, but $50 a shot - really!  I thought about my oil squirt-can, but on testing, I found in occasionally included some air.  So I devised a "squeeze bottle" pressure bleeder (photo attached) by drilling a hole in the cap of a plastic oil bottle (thoroughly cleaned, of course), and threaded in a nyla-flow fitting. Then attached a few feet of nyla-flow with a short length of vacuum hose to connect to bleed nipple.  The length of tube was to be able to hold the bottle up for some gravity assist, but having a friend squeeze the bottle speeded things up.  It took a couple of times closing the bleeder, and loosening the cap on the bottle to let some air back in; but it did the job.



  FWIW.



  BTW; remind me again why we use DOT 5 fluid.  Of course it says on the main reservoir cap "Use DOT 3 only"



  Al



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