Changing the Brake Fluid

[GTP]

With the car in the air and wheels off, the process will be straightforward. It does require some focus so be wary of distractions or interruptions. The right helper can be a good move too. The reward is a firm pedal. And what’s better than that? Nothing.

To that I would add dont panic if the pedal is not firm at first test drive. Just repeat the bleed and it should firm up.

That was my experience the last two bleeds. I did not discover any new significant bubbles, so it seemed a bit mysterious.

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[NightmareMoon]

Good choice on buying the motive. Pick up something to act as a catch can (I have a little 1pt bottle made for this purpose with a magnet on it).

Buy ~3x 1pt containers of fluid. The job should take 2, but its hard often a little hard to tell when you're there, so flushing a little extra isn't a bad idea.

Remember to depressurize the pressure bleeder by unscrewing the top BEFORE you remove the cap from the reservoir or you'll spray fluid all over and make a huge mess. If you're smarter than me you'll only make that mistake once.

Rinse the pressure bleeder and hose with some denatured alcohol before storing it.

Remember to pump the brakes and activate the handbrake a few times before rolling the car after any brake work (esp after pad changes). Otherwise your first attempt at stopping or slowing might go a little differently than you expected.

 

[Aonarch]

That should be fine. I buy ATE200 in 1 liter cans, and if I don't waste much it is the perfect amount.



Many of us use the Motive, and we use it dry, i.e. just to provide the pressure at the MC but not as the source for pumping in fluid. Therefore, no need to clean the tank or hose afterwards. (Just keep a close eye on the reservoir level.)
You can find it with the proper screw-on adapter from OPMustang.

Another tip:
Open the bleed screw 1/2 turn which is enough to drain fluid but not allow air to enter back behind the screw tip.

I have methods that allow me not to have to obsess over fastener torque, but in the case of the bleed screws, DO use a 1/4" torque wrench to tighten the nipples to ~50 inch-pounds. You want a tight seal, but over tightening can damage the caliper seats which will then cause a leak.

I had no idea you could do that!
I’ve been filing mine with fluid for years.

 

[GTP]

I had no idea you could do that!
I’ve been filing mine with fluid for years.

Yeah the only advantage to filling the tank is that you don't have to closely monitor the reservoir level.

 

[Skye]

Pick up something to act as a catch can (I have a little 1pt bottle made for this purpose with a magnet on it).

This thread has been a good source of study for me. Thanks @Vlad Soare and others.

When reviewing Motive, I saw they sell a can with an attachment cable. In for a penny, in for a pound.

https://www.motiveproducts.com/coll...oducts/single-power-bleeder-catch-bottle-1810

 

[GTP]

I went DIY with 5/16" hole drilled into top of pickle jar. Works great.

You'll want 3ft of 3/16 ID tubing.

 

[NightmareMoon]

This thread has been a good source of study for me. Thanks @Vlad Soare and others.

When reviewing Motive, I saw they sell a can with an attachment cable. In for a penny, in for a pound.

https://www.motiveproducts.com/coll...oducts/single-power-bleeder-catch-bottle-1810

Similar to the one I've got. The one I have has a magnet on the side instead of a loop and a check valve on the exit vent. Brake fluid dissolved the label a couple years ago do I don't remember the brand.

 

[Aonarch]

Yeah the only advantage to filling the tank is that you don't have to closely monitor the reservoir level.

Not a big deal, just check the reservoir level after each corner.

Thanks!

 

[Bluemustang]

I use to use the Motive power bleeder. Now I just use a friend and do the old fashioned way. Use the brake pedal to pump the old fluid and air out of the system. Make sure to keep topping up MC reservoir and not let it fall below min.

 

[Vlad Soare]

I did it.

The biggest problem was that it was really hard to tell when fresh fluid was coming through the tube. The old fluid wasn't that dirty. It was light yellow, while the new one was just a sliiiightly lighter shade of yellow. There was no clear-cut separation between them as they came out of the caliper. So I was just sitting there staring at it, wondering if it really was a tad lighter than it had been at first, or it was just my imagination. In the end, seeing that the catch can was beginning to fill up, I decided that it must be clean already and moved to the next wheel. And indeed, as soon as I opened the next bleeding nipple I noticed a tiny difference.

After bleeding each rear caliper I pulled and released the handbrake five times, then opened the screw again for a few seconds. No air bubbles came out.

 

[Vlad Soare]

I've been trying to figure out a way of tellling when the fluid you see coming down the tube is fresh. Of course, if your car is ten years old and has never had its brake fluid changed, and it's full of water and dark-coloured, then you won't have an issue. The difference will be obvious. But if you've been changing it every two years, like Ford recommends, then the difference will be much more subtle and easy to miss.

One idea that pops into my head is to put a little fresh fluid in a small, transparent glass, and place it beside the hose. Then wait until the fluid inside the hose looks more or less like that. I think this might work, with the caveat that the hose itself, which isn't exactly 100% clear, might influence the perceived colour.

Any other suggestions? How do you do it?

 

[tosha]

I've been trying to figure out a way of tellling when the fluid you see coming down the tube is fresh. Of course, if your car is ten years old and has never had its brake fluid changed, and it's full of water and dark-coloured, then you won't have an issue. The difference will be obvious. But if you've been changing it every two years, like Ford recommends, then the difference will be much more subtle and easy to miss.

One idea that pops into my head is to put a little fresh fluid in a small, transparent glass, and place it beside the hose. Then wait until the fluid inside the hose looks more or less like that. I think this might work, with the caveat that the hose itself, which isn't exactly 100% clear, might influence the perceived colour.

Any other suggestions? How do you do it?

IMO, you're overthinking this. If you have 1 liter of new fluid to put in, just drain around 250ml from each wheel and call it a day. It should really take more time to lift the car and put the wheels on and off, than to do actual flush.

 

[Vlad Soare]

It should really take more time to lift the car and put the wheels on and off, than to do actual flush.

That's true. It took me almost one and a half hours in total, of which the actual flush was just ten to fifteen minutes.
Your point is certainly valid, though in that case I would probably buy at least half a liter extra, to make sure I don't run out of it by draining too much. This time I came really close to running out because I hesitated for too long when doing the first wheel. And the Ford WSS-M6C65-A2 brake fluid is a five to seven day order here, they never have it in stock. So you don't want to run out; that would strand the car for a week.

 

[tosha]

That's true. It took me almost one and a half hours in total, of which the actual flush was just ten to fifteen minutes.
Your point is certainly valid, though in that case I would probably buy at least half a liter extra, to make sure I don't run out of it by draining too much. This time I came really close to running out because I hesitated for too long when doing the first wheel. And the Ford WSS-M6C65-A2 brake fluid is a five to seven day order here, they never have it in stock. So you don't want to run out; that would strand the car for a week.

Unlike a lot of people in this thread, I just put 0.5L or 1L of fresh fluid into Motive bleeder itself. Then I pump the pressure an go bleed out same amount. Once it starts sucking air, my bleeding process is completed, and I don't need to worry about fluid level or running out of anything, or disconnect and reconnect the thing after each wheel to top it off. Cleaning the bleeder afterwards is not a problem for me. This year alone, between several cars and 9 track events, I've done around 16-20 brake flushes over 7 months, never had an issue of running out of fluid.

 

[GTP]

Lots of good tips from which to pick and choose.

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