I'm doing a group-buy on Speed Bleeders ( https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=324939 ) and the question has been asked about thread sealent. The Speed Bleeders come with a sealent already applied to them. But even with my stocl bleeders, I never worried about a sealent. You guys would be the experts on this. Do you use a sealent on your bleeders? Or as long as there is no leakage, do you even worry about it?


[Modified by mrlegoman, 9:35 AM 12/10/2002]

 

Thats a reply link, n00b.

 

Covered here before but I think speedbleeders are silly. Cheaper to spend the money on beer to con a friend into helping you in the ship. I like a wrap of teflon tape on bleeder threads, regardless.

Kirk

 

karl had a good idea.... get some vacuum tubing like you already have and go to an aquarium shop and buy a one way check valve, and spice it a few inches from the end of the tube, place tube on bleed screw and go to town. $2 speed bleeder...

 

With stock bleeders, it isn't the threads that keep the screw from leaking. It is the 'cone' on the front of the screw that bottoms out inside the caliper & makes it leak proof. No need for the thread sealant. When the speed bleeders are being used to bleed, you need the sealant to keep the fluid going out the hole instead of the thread.

I have a used set for an EX/Si or Integra brake set up. Who wants to buy them cheap?

 

Ahh smote me to it

 

Right - when it is closed. When bleeding, however, the venturi effect of the fluid moving through the little orifice at the bottom of the bleeder creates a relative low pressue, that can pull air past the threads, particularly if they are worn from repeated use. The tapered seat doesn't do squat to stop this, since the valve is open.

The problem that the teflon tape addresses is the resulting presence of bubbles in your bleeder line which, if we do a REAL bleed rather than a speed bleed, would suggest that there was/is gas in the caliper. (When do I stop bleeding if I still see bubbles?) It is just reassuring to know what is going on, at least for me.

I would never try to talk anyone out of using their speed bleeders but wouldn't use them - or allow them to be used - on any racing car that I had anything to do with.

Kirk

 

QUOTE]I would never try to talk anyone out of using their speed bleeders but wouldn't use them - or allow them to be used - on any racing car that I had anything to do with.

Kirk
[/QUOTE]

I agree with you Kirk. Like I said, I have a used set for sale cheap![

 

I use Speed Bleeders on my street/HPDE car. I agree, I would NOT use these on a racecar because...well, i just wouldnt trust them. I have found the best method to bleed with the SB is to CRACK the bleeder and press the brake pedal slowly and evenly.
1 man bleeding
Possibility for one more thing to break

 

the cone onn the bleeder seals the braking system shut. The thread sealent just prevents fluid leakeage when doing one man bleed.

 

i would think that, during the bleed, if air can get sucked in through the threads, then won't the fluid be pushed out during the pump? so if you don't see any wetness around the threads, then it shouldn't be leaking?

i have speedbleeders in my delsol. prior to that i manually bleed. no matter what i do i can't never get a late model brand new BMW like firmless out of the pedals. i think it just isn't possible. i notice the same pedal firmness by using speedbleeders, but now i can do it myself. so they're keepers for me... until i see them leak.

 

I switched to the super blue fluid and added some SS brakes line on my civic. It helped 100%, but still not were I would like them to be. I think your right - just isn't possible.
I've never had a problem with my speed bleeders. I think the biggest thing is to only open the bleeder just enough to sqeeze the fluid around the cone.


[Modified by mrlegoman, 9:54 AM 12/12/2002]

 

Back from the dead...

I'd be interested in revisiting the SB question a year later, having run into an increasing number of actual racers who are using them, apparently without problem.

My wife has learned to bleed brakes since February but I'm looking forward to the 13 Heures du Virginia and wondering if there might come a time when we are wishing we could just crack the nips and beat on the pedal a few times.

Any new/revised opinions? Contrary to popular thought, I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong.

K

PS - search DOES work

 

I have used them now for 2 seasons without a problem. 90% of the bleeding I have done is the one-man bleed variety at home and I haven't seen any of the negatives associated with some of the posts here...

 

I've used them on my race car so far this season without any problems. I've also had SB's on my type r for maybe a dozen hpde's now, no problems. I purchased an extra container of sealant for the threads, but I haven't had to use it yet. I don't feel they're a weak link in the brake system, and they're very convenient when you want to bleed your brakes and your buddy's wife won't let him come over to play with the car.

 

I wouldn't bother with speedbleeders. I have a set on my car now. I bled the brakes a while back and apparently the valve in the speedbleeders failed (all of them). I actually watched the bleeder suck fluid back into the caliper. The one way valve should have prevented this. I ended up with an amazing squishy brake pedal and ended up rebleeding but I used the speedbleeders as though they were regular bleeder screws and all was well.

IMO, keep the stock screws. I'm putting my stockers back on next time I bleed my brakes.

 

Grumpy's speed bleeding technique.

1. Open beverage.
2. Open master.
3. Fill master
4. Open beverage.
5. Open all 4 bleeders.
6. Check master.
7. Open beverage.
8. Check Master.
9. Open beverage
10. Check master.
.........Repeat 9. 10. sequence as necessary
11. Close all 4 bleeders.
12. Open beverage.
13. Check master
14. Open beverage

It's called gravity bleeding and works quite well. I also do it between sessions at the track. Gets rid of the hot fluid and any air and moisture as well.