Brake Problem - Now how to bleed / change fluid

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:52 pm

Hmm I think I need to pop up to ST Andrews and pick some brains ...

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 7:13 pm

Sanjoy wrote:Hmm I think I need to pop up to ST Andrews and pick some brains ...

I don't have much to spare

You're more than welcome to pop along though

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:52 pm

Well bought fluid, the eazi bleed and the 11m spanner. All set to go (wheels on attempt) and can I fricking shift the nut on the first nipple ? Can I f. Got goo purchase with spanner, even tried tapping with a hammer to no avail.

Suggestions ?

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:47 pm

Go really easy, they are only brass and can shear off....

Mine were stuck fast too and I used the calibrated impact method (Tapped gently with a big hammer!) Make sure you use a ring spanner (Evens out the load a bit) or a 6 sided socket and preferably a "T" bar to reduce the side loads. wd40 the buggers too. wheels off is much easier and you can then (If you dare!) remove and invert the calipers to check for any trapped air (Cheesy bolts though, go careful and use a decent allen socket!)

That freeze spray is supposed to be good, but I don't know about the cold making the brass brittle.

As I say: go really careful.

Good luck. Once they start to move only undo them a bit until the fluid starts to flow then a little more. Should give a steady stream when under easi-bleed pressure. One of mine went with a "pop" as the nipple was blocked.
HTH
Rich

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:41 pm

Will WD40 them tonight and try again.

On a scale of 1-10 how badly can I f*ck this up ? Been reading horror air lock stories on seloc.

Lawrence · Post by **Lawrence** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:05 pm

It may be best to look on this as a learning opportunity

The more that goes wrong the more one learns

it's also good to remember that you will be earning the money that you could be paying someone to do it and it's all tax free.

Perhaps I'll do a "spanners" on changing fluid when I get my Se7en of the ramp....been there since September tho

mac · Post by **mac** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:06 pm

If I was doing a risk assessment on it I would have to score it around 20

4 for probability x 5 for severity.

Let's face it - it's main funtion is to stop the car from hitting things.

You wouldn't give just anyone access to the workings of your company mainframe with just an instruction manual?

You may be ok and get it change easily or you could feck it up big style by introducing air into the system or snapping of the nipples or not fully tightening them once finished.

I'm fair competent with a spanner - but I don't work on folks brakes as the opporutinity for something going wrong is, for me, minimal but the consequences are huge.

Mac

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:09 pm

Msut admit the satisfaction from it is priceless but last night I was a right grumpy git after failing at the first hurdle.

All I think I need / want to be able to do is change brake fluid, coolant and oil.

Typically gf is panicing that I do the brakes wrong and die.

Thiswould all be much easier if I took the rear wheels off which I cannto as only have th jack that comes with the RAV and have no stands but guess I could use the boxes of A4 trick I have seen on a few sites.

SP

mac · Post by **mac** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:14 pm

I'd stick with just being able to change the oil TBH.

The fluid is a once every year or two job and for my mind should be factored into the running costs of an elise for those who aren't fully competent with a spanner.

The same goes for a coolant change - get that wrong and you'll have all sorts of problems - and it's quite a complex procedure to ensure you have all the air out of the system.

I'd be tempted to give Falkland or somewhere similar a call for a price to change the brake fluid.

Cheers

Mac

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:16 pm

Did I mention I just bought a new heater matrix ?

Post by **Shug** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:17 pm

mac wrote:
The same goes for a coolant change - get that wrong and you'll have all sorts of problems - and it's quite a complex procedure to ensure you have all the air out of the system.

...unless you have an airline and a rubber glove....

matron

mac · Post by **mac** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:17 pm

Time to invest in some waterproof trousers then

Mac

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 10:10 pm

It's not that bad, the system is as simple as it gets, if it doesn't leak and there is no air in it then it will work. (If you suspect air in the system already then get the professionals in)

If you shear a bleed nipple before it opens it will remain sealed and won't get any worse, but you will need someone reputable who knows what they are doing to get it out ASAP just in case.

Make sure the easibleed doesn't run out of fluid and the reservoir is always nearly full (ie no air going in) then all you are doing is pushing the old fluid out with the new.

No air in=no air out

I changed my hoses for braided efforts (Introducing lots of air!) and bled them with minimal fuss (Apart for the spilt fluid!) and minimal knowledge, just persistance and a healthy sense of self preservation! Check, check and check again!

As Stephen and Iain (Zippy) will testify my special "blue disk" brakes work fine.... (Got a bit hot!)

mac · Post by **mac** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 10:36 pm

Turns out that I blue my disc almost every time I'm out on track. I just never noticed cos of my poor colour vision

Cheers

Mac

DDtB · Post by **DDtB** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 10:38 pm

I think blue discs would look great on my blue car....