Gravity bleed ???

[Eric VerValin]

Ok.. well I called a few places to see about bleeding the ABS, and a few of them told me they prefer to gravity bleed those systems. The one guy said he had issues getting bubbles out of his ABS system, so he loosened the cap on the resivor, cracked all of his bleeders just a tad, and let it sit over night. Anyone done this? He was also saying it could have a bubble stuck in the proportioning valve. But when we bled everything there wasnt a bubble to be found anywhere. Maybe I'll just get more fluid and keep bleeding? Also my ''bench bleeding'' was done on the car, and the angle of the MC makes me wonder if we got all that out.

He seemd like the guy you could trust / believe, but maybe it was because he knows its a pain to get it out, and didnt want to charge me 20 bux for something I would come back and complain about.

Also somehow, driving yesterday, the pedal somehow got firmer just kind of outta the blue, so some air got out of somewhere.

 

[sho'd]

yeah, i gravity bleed my brakes on my sho, works fine.

 

[NJSHO]

The abs needs a special bleed tool. It hooks up to the abs computer and cycles the abs valves and pump. All the bleeding in the world wont get the air out unless you can cycle those valves and get fluid moving through the hydraulic control unit (hcu.)

 

[Eric VerValin]

Yea, I know exactally what you mean, and thats what I asked the guy when I called. He said sometimes it wont always get it all out, and he personally used that gravity bleed method on his own vehicles.

 

[92inPA]

The Thexton bleeder is far away the best and easiest method to clear the air out of the abs system. They are often available on eBay by searching "THEXTON TEVES 133 BRAKE BLEEDER ". Gravity bleeding just won't do the same job.

 

[1993MTXSHO]

pick up a power bleeder from jegs or something, I just got one, it was 90 bucks and does every make and also does hydrolic clutch systems as well.

 

[Shoaz]

I'd worry about gravity bleeding over night as described, as you might wake up in the morning with a completely dry system. i.e., drained.

I've used speedbleeders for years, which allows quick one-man bleeding in the traditional method, so that if something goes awry you're already right there to do something about it.

If you can't get a Thexton box, a sub-optimal alternative is to just bleed the system as normal, go find a wet street or dirt road and hammer the abs into cycling a few times, then go bleed it again.

 

[92inPA]

The Motive brand power bleeder is likely what 1993MTXSHO got from Jegs. That is an excellent tool for normal brake bleeding. But it won't help with bleeding the air that gets trapped in the ABS pump and solenoids. There are three options to get that air out.
1) the Thexton box (usually about $50 or so on eBay)
2) the wet street/dirt road method (no cost & works great, but your insurance agent wouldn't like the idea)
3) go to your local Ford stealer and let them use the Ford version of the Thexton box (most expensive choice & biggest chance of it not getting done right)

 

[1993MTXSHO]

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product2_10001_10002_753543_-1

thats what I got but the 90 dollar one, I did number 2 lol, go slam on the brakes to actuate the valves in the abs. That will get all the old fluid out of there and hopefully most of the air. then go bleed it again and maybe again after slamming on the brakes again, depending how ambitious you are.

 

[Eric VerValin]

well i did it once like that already, and about 15 minuites down the road after that, my pedal got a lot firmer. Also I'm not poping the ABS light like I was before either. I'll probally go bleed them again, and see what happens. Couldnt find one of those units on ebay tho.. But I'll keep an eye out for em.