How useful are brake caliper speed bleeders?

First track day of the year is in 2 weeks, need to bleed the brakes. Again and again and again. :)

Is there any advantage to using speed bleeders?

they kind of scare me.. so I am interested to see what people say about them

I love them. First thing I upgrade after a car purchase. They seal like a standard bleeder screw when closed, so there isn't an unsafe failure mode. Easy to bleed your entire brake system by yourself.

I use them on my Dart and have found they work pretty well.

I intend to get them on all my vehicles.

What do they cost?

(doing brakes this spring)

So you crack them open and they flow fluid until you tighten the bleeder screw? Is that how they work?

About $20. You can actually pick up a generic version at Advance these days, but they aren't much cheaper than the real thing.

Xceler8x wrote: So you crack them open and they flow fluid until you tighten the bleeder screw? Is that how they work?

Yeah, I'm curious as to how you know when to stop pumping (oh, the jokes ). How do I know when the bubbles are gone and it's just fluid??? Do they close up once the air stops coming out?

Xceler8x wrote: So you crack them open and they flow fluid until you tighten the bleeder screw? Is that how they work?

You open them and they don't do anything until you press the brake pedal. Hook up a hose, crack them open and then push the pedal to the floor 5 times. Close it, refill the master cyl, repeat. The check valve lets fluid out when the bleeder is cracked, but won't let air in.

Cool idea, but I just can't afford to put them on all the cars!

I like them. I bought mine from NAPA and had to take one back because it leaked. Realistically though if you only bleed your brakes once a year or less, it really isn't worth the hassle to get them.

I have them on a few cars, they are awesome so much easier and now a one man job.

I've never seen the point of them.

With a normal bleeder I use a few feet of clear tubing, put it in a can, crack the fitting and bleed the system.

With a speed bleeder I would use a few feet of clear turbing, put it in a can, crack the fitting and bleed the system.

Other than wasting some money, I don't see where I gained anything.

This is a far better investment:

http://www.soloperformance.com/MOTIVE-Power-Bleeders_c_144.html

Make your own power bleeder, it's easy!

Think the little pump bug-sprayer.

Woody wrote: This is a far better investment: http://www.soloperformance.com/MOTIVE-Power-Bleeders_c_144.html

Yeah, already have one, made from a garden sprayer and an old master cylinder cap.

I always gravity bleed. Just fill up the master and crack all 4 bleeders. Drink a beer and watch the fluid level. Only takes 10-15 minutes on a dry system.

I intend on building a power bleeder though, they are nice. I picked up a spare M/C cap and a regulator, just need to pick up some fittings and hose now.

They're the best thing since sliced bread. I'd even put them on my minivan if I could. $10 for a pair, they are a deal.

They are especially useful on a car that you have ATE fluid in that needs to be changed every year. Or a track car - you just finished a lapping session and your brakes got a bit spongy - takes 2 minutes to bleed'em without carrying the pressure bleeder to the track.

I have a pressure bleeder that doesn't get used anymore...... :)

I use them and love them.

xci_ed6 wrote: I always gravity bleed. Just fill up the master and crack all 4 bleeders. Drink a beer and watch the fluid level. Only takes 10-15 minutes on a dry system. I intend on building a power bleeder though, they are nice. I picked up a spare M/C cap and a regulator, just need to pick up some fittings and hose now.

I have done this as well BUT found that if you have a system that has some irregular plumbing or is prone to trap air in places it you can still end up with air in the system. In particular if you have larger size brake lines where air can get trapped at a high point and the fluid can still flow past. All rare but I have had it happen on various cars over the years so I got away from gravity bleeding.

fox trapper wrote: I've never seen the point of them. With a normal bleeder I use a few feet of clear tubing, put it in a can, crack the fitting and bleed the system. With a speed bleeder I would use a few feet of clear tubing, put it in a can, crack the fitting and bleed the system. Other than wasting some money, I don't see where I gained anything.

I concur. I have been doing it this way for years.

Now a power bleeder is where it is at. I had one made up years back that hooked to either an air line or to the portable air tank. It would screw to the top of one of the metal 1 gal brake fluid containers. I had a regulator that was on quick connects between the air supply and the container so you did not blow up the can. (some of the initial test runs were messy) It was a great contraption. I went everywhere. I have to see if I can find it.

I'm thinking of putting these on the Miata, since I already have the back calipers off of the car. Where can you get them. Does anybody have a link online.

http://www.speedbleeder.com/

I believe the point is that these are more for routine maintenance, especially on vehicles where the fluid gets overheated. The ability to quickly bleed a system that has no air in it, just dead fluid is a great idea.

If you read their instructions, they even state that on a system that has been opened recently with a fair amount of air in it, you should use normal bleeders or at least normal bleeding methods (pedal pumping, power bleeding, gravity, etc)

I have a set of those I'm going to install on my RX-7 once the new brake master cylinder arrives at Peps. The stock bleed screws on the FC are notorious for stripping, breaking, and getting stuck, so I figured I'd upgrade while I'm working on it.