Brake fluid renewal

[alisdair]

Does anyone have a good way or diagrams on how to do this.

All I have is a one man bleed kit. Will this do?

I have been told that when renewing the fluid you have to careful of a few things and I am not sure what it was.

[Leigh]

Spilling it on paintwork would be one of them !!

Sorry Alisadair, can't help apart from that. I'd like to do mine (or at least know how to 'safely') , so I'll watch this with interest..

[Smurf]

A one man bleed kit would be fine. You need to make sure you do it in the right order which goes like this (presuming your Calibra is RHD):

-Rear nearside
-Rear offside
-Front nearside
-Front offside

It might be worth you getting hold of a Haynes manual (you could probably get one on ebay and have someone send it to you if they ship internationally). It details in there exactly how to do it.

Other than that I'm sure there must be a website out there with all this info, it's just finding it [img]/smile.gif[/img]

I hope the above is of some use.

[alisdair]

Thanks everyone. Leigh your obviously a character.

Smurf, by doing the above would that eventually empty the resevoir?

I heard something that you should not let the resevoir ever go empty. How would you avoid this if I ended up draining it as above.

[Smurf]

Eventually yes - but just keep checking it after doing each one and top it up if necessary.

[ODreams]

Halfords still sell the haynes manual. Eden.

[V6_E]

<!--QuoteBegin-ODreams+--><div class='quotetop'>(ODreams)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Halfords still sell the haynes manual. Eden.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Are there Halfords in South Africa . Not taking the mikey just an honest question.

E

[skellem]

No Halfords in SA, but I could scan the pages and send them Alisdair. Just give me a few days as I've been getting home a bit late recently!

[alisdair]

Haynes Manual, I have managed to get. So thanks skellem for the offer.

So now I have looked through it, but there is nothing about renewing the brake fluid.

Just bleeding the brakes. But after the reply from Smurf, i guess this is the only safe way to do it, until it all runs clear!!!

I am going to give it a shot though

and then a quick

just to calm the nerves before I try it.

[PUMBA]

Hi Alisdair,
To change the brake fluid and bleed the brakes is the same operation. Don't know what the Haynes says, I don't have it on hand, but it goes like this:
- Pop the lid of the brake fluid reservoir.

- Have someone pump the brake pedal several times and hold the brake pedal down. (As you bleed the brake they will notice the pedal falling to the fire wall)

- Attach the bleeder hose to the bleed nipple on the brake, this should have a plastic cover that you simple pop off.

- Grab a spanner that fits, and "slowly" undo the nipple but only a fraction, until fluid begins to come out. (You may need a socket to initial lossen it as they are usually very tight).

- Then tighten the nipple before the hose fills with air at the nipple end, (becasue air will get into your brake line if you don't, and that's no good since air doesn't have the same compressibility that brake fluid has).

- OK repeat the above procedure until you get nice clean fluid coming out of the nipple, (dirt old brake fluid is usually tinged with black or grey colouring).
Whilst checking the fluid also check for air bubbles. If you see air bubbles keep on bleed the brakes until you see no air bubbles what so ever.

- Once your satisfied it's been done, tighten the nipple, refit the cap and go onto the next brake.

Note:
Keep the resorvier topped up at all times during this process.
As smurf said rears first then fronts.
As leigh said, don't spill it, it will eat away your paint work.
Change the brake fluid once very two years.

HTH