Constructing a valved brake fluid bleeding hose.

[Flyingpony]

So you want to bleed the brakes on your bike (or car) but don't have a device for it or there's only you, so lets make it instead of spending money to buy one or pay for someone else. Keeping in faith the true kiwi DIY spirit, what follows is a cheap and simple one-way valved brake fluid bleeding hose that I use on my bike. It works like a charm.

Head down to the local car puncture repair shop and ask to go through their rubbish bin. What you need is the tyre value unit where air gets inflated through. You'll need the section where the dust cap screws onto and the one-way directional valve attached to it. By placing the threaded end against your lips where the dust cap would be, you can blow air out but not suck any in.

Now find some clear PVC tubing that you can tightly screw this car tyre valve into. You might like to add glue to make it air tight, or like me, tightly twist a wire using pliers around this joint.

Incidentally, this PVC tube will also make a nice tight fit over the bleed nipple on the clipper.
Now that's ingenuity!

There you go; your low cost one-way valved brake fluid bleeding hose has been constructed.
Simple wasn't it?


How to use:
Attach non-valved end to clipper bleed nipple and loosen nipple. Slowly apply pressure to the brake lever and watch your old brake fluid and air bubbles flow out. When the brake lever gets released, the one-way valve kicks in and prevents any expelled brake fluid or air bubbles from going back inside. The brake system will now draw fresh brake fluid from the reservoir. Here's a good article on how to bleed your brake fluid.

You might still like to tighten the bleed nipple with the brake lever depressed as per normal and maybe even submerge the valve end into liquid during usage. You're call, I did neither.


A few more words:
Don't pump the brake lever too fast, it'll behave like a water pistol except it shots brake fluid
When you've finished, keep your brake fluid catching container underneath the tyre valve, otherwise once you slip it off, any brake fluid inside will rush out and go all over the place


I hope you've all found this useful.

[marty]

a quiet day with no friends huh?

we have cool Snap-On units at work that use a soft plastic tubing that is normally collapsed, which allows fluid/air/whatever one way but nothing back the other - no moving parts.

[Motu]

I use a system where the catch bottle is above the caliper - you can't suck the air downhill.

[TwoSeven]

I have a drum brake on the rear and the stuff in the front is still the clear side of brown.

[SixPackBack]

So you want to bleed the brakes on your bike (or car) but don't have a device for it or there's only you, so lets make it instead of spending money to buy one or pay for someone else. Keeping in faith the true kiwi DIY spirit, what follows is a cheap and simple one-way valved brake fluid bleeding hose that I use on my bike. It works like a charm.

Head down to the local car puncture repair shop and ask to go through their rubbish bin. What you need is the tyre value unit where air gets inflated through. You'll need the section where the dust cap screws onto and the one-way directional valve attached to it. By placing the threaded end against your lips where the dust cap would be, you can blow air out but not suck any in.

Now find some clear PVC tubing that you can tightly screw this car tyre valve into. You might like to add glue to make it air tight, or like me, tightly twist a wire using pliers around this joint.

Incidentally, this PVC tube will also make a nice tight fit over the bleed nipple on the clipper.
Now that's ingenuity!

There you go; your low cost one-way valved brake fluid bleeding hose has been constructed.
Simple wasn't it?


How to use:
Attach non-valved end to clipper bleed nipple and loosen nipple. Slowly apply pressure to the brake lever and watch your old brake fluid and air bubbles flow out. When the brake lever gets released, the one-way valve kicks in and prevents any expelled brake fluid or air bubbles from going back inside. The brake system will now draw fresh brake fluid from the reservoir. Here's a good article on how to bleed your brake fluid.

You might still like to tighten the bleed nipple with the brake lever depressed as per normal and maybe even submerge the valve end into liquid during usage. You're call, I did neither.


A few more words:
Don't pump the brake lever too fast, it'll behave like a water pistol except it shots brake fluid
When you've finished, keep your brake fluid catching container underneath the tyre valve, otherwise once you slip it off, any brake fluid inside will rush out and go all over the place


I hope you've all found this useful.

What a lot of fucking around......really does"nt have to be complicated

Ues the K.I.S.S. system.....total loss is the go