Brake bleeding & pedal feel

[PRY4SNO]

Hello all,

Been boning up on some technical white papers from Stoptech and now have a question seeking an answer.

If it's likely that bargain brake bleeder kits are going to include air, and the professional grade ones are expensive... do you absolutely have to have another person around to help bleed the brakes manually?

My rotors are straight up rippled... you can see so from standing without bending over for all but one. Now, I understand it may be an accumulation of brake pad material, but I'm not likely to get my rotors machined any time soon. So I figure that until I swap out my rotors and pads for some new ones, fresh brake fluid will have to do the trick (to increase pedal firmness).

Suggestions?

[akaEsCo01]

To increase pedal firmness, you will new a brake flush and stainless steel lines. New fluid will put it back to where is should be if you have bad fluid and air in the lines. SS lines will actually stiffen it up a little.

[diagnosticator]

Hello all,

Been boning up on some technical white papers from Stoptech and now have a question seeking an answer.

If it's likely that bargain brake bleeder kits are going to include air, and the professional grade ones are expensive... do you absolutely have to have another person around to help bleed the brakes manually?

My rotors are straight up rippled... you can see so from standing without bending over for all but one. Now, I understand it may be an accumulation of brake pad material, but I'm not likely to get my rotors machined any time soon. So I figure that until I swap out my rotors and pads for some new ones, fresh brake fluid will have to do the trick (to increase pedal firmness).

Suggestions?

Unless you can open/close the bleeder valves, while at the same time operate the brake pedal, in the required order of pedal down, valve open/close, pedal up, repeat, then you will need a helper. I don't know of any other way to perform manual bleeding otherwise.
BTW, I recently upgraded the FN3 caliper guides on my stock 1.8T front brakes, using 1/2" shoulder bolts to replace the 12 mm guide pins, and Oilite type sintered bronze bushings to replace the rubber caliper bushings. The improvement in the braking in amazing! The brakes are a lot firmer, the pedal is higher when the pads grab, the feel is a bunch more sensitive/responsive, and the brakes are very noticeable more powerful and effective. The setup is very similar to the Tyrol Sport caliper stiffening bushing kit, but uses standard hardware store sourced components, and cost 75 percent less. I don't feel the need for HP2 calipers or 3.0 size larger front rotors anymore.

[akaEsCo01]

OPh I forgot to mention, about bleeding with one man and no brake bleed kit, I suggest Speed Bleeders. I have them on my brakes and they work great. It's a bleeder screw with a one-way valve so it lets fluid out when you press down on the brake but does not let air in when you let go. I used the HELP! 12701 on my B6 S4 fronts and B6 A4 rear calipers. They were $10/pair at Pep Boys

[PRY4SNO]

Unless you can open/close the bleeder valves, while at the same time operate the brake pedal, in the required order of pedal down, valve open/close, pedal up, repeat, then you will need a helper. I don't know of any other way to perform manual bleeding otherwise.
BTW, I recently upgraded the FN3 caliper guides on my stock 1.8T front brakes, using 1/2" shoulder bolts to replace the 12 mm guide pins, and Oilite type sintered bronze bushings to replace the rubber caliper bushings. The improvement in the braking in amazing! The brakes are a lot firmer, the pedal is higher when the pads grab, the feel is a bunch more sensitive/responsive, and the brakes are very noticeable more powerful and effective. The setup is very similar to the Tyrol Sport caliper stiffening bushing kit, but uses standard hardware store sourced components, and cost 75 percent less. I don't feel the need for HP2 calipers or 3.0 size larger front rotors anymore.

Wow, great recommendation John... thanks a million. Yet again.

I'd go straight to the S/S lines but if I'm to tear the braking system apart, I might as well put new pads on to properly seat them then later add new rotors. So for now, I think I'll follow your protocol graciously outlined above.

I'm going to write it down, verbatim, and go into Canadian Tire or Home Hardware and get that stuff tonight... then the challenge is finding the time/courage (drinky drinky! lol) to get into it.

Do you have a TSB or DIY handy?

Again, thanks... a million. And one!

[PRY4SNO]

OPh I forgot to mention, about bleeding with one man and no brake bleed kit, I suggest Speed Bleeders. I have them on my brakes and they work great. It's a bleeder screw with a one-way valve so it lets fluid out when you press down on the brake but does not let air in when you let go. I used the HELP! 12701 on my B6 S4 fronts and B6 A4 rear calipers. They were $10/pair at Pep Boys

Hmmmm...

This is an excellent recommendation, however, I just do not trust cheap tools to do such a sensitive task. I will look for/at them though, if I can find them (no Pep Boys here), and see what my intuition tells me.

Thanks!

[drmarcj]

Motive power bleeder FTW! Makes bleeding a true one-person job.