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Brake Bleeding Kit


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time for some brake maintenance and I'll need to bleed the brakes. It was a pain last time I did it manually through the actuator. I remember from the former site that some people have used fairly inexpensive bleeding kits on their trailers.

anyone have any specific recommendations on a kit and where to buy?

thx, Kevin

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time for some brake maintenance and I'll need to bleed the brakes. It was a pain last time I did it manually through the actuator. I remember from the former site that some people have used fairly inexpensive bleeding kits on their trailers. 

anyone have any specific recommendations on a kit and where to buy?

thx, Kevin

Stupid.gif

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If your brake lines have any kind of loop in them, you'll have to 'power bleed' them with the actuator. If no loops, then you can simply 'gravity bleed' them by opening one bleeder valve at a time and put a hose on the nipple to catch the fluid into some sort of container.

There is a way to power bleed them with your tow vehicle if you have any loop in the line. ie. right after the acutator for a removable or swing tongue. But, it's a dicey and complicated method that I don't recc. unless you're very familiar with bleeding brakes.

Here's what I mean by 'a loop'. Basically, the fluid won't travel up any sort of incline with a vacuum bleeder or gravity bleeder.

post-29-1117589530_thumb.jpg

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Here's what I mean by 'a loop'. Basically, the fluid won't travel up any sort of incline with a vacuum bleeder or gravity bleeder.

Pete - no loops on my lines up until the wheels. the main brake line travels flat until the axle. at the axle, it drops to t-split, and the travels flat along the axle to the wheels.

at each wheel, the lines turn up about 3" to the fitting (below the main line, but above the line along the axle).

so is the best route the actuator method still?

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You should be able to do the gravity method. Because, the master cylinder reservior is still higher than the exit point of the fluid. This makes it possible for the fluid to travel up a slight hill as long as it's not a higher point than the master cylinder and as long as it's not a loop.

The 'master cylinder' is the actuator with the fluid in it. I happen to have one of these near the left wheel, makes bleeding impossible except via the power bleeding method.

post-29-1117591687_thumb.jpg

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Here's what I mean by 'a loop'. Basically, the fluid won't travel up any sort of incline with a vacuum bleeder or gravity bleeder.

Pete, why do you think a vacuum bleeder wouldn't work??

I would think by building up the vac and then cracking the line it would suck the air/fluid threw the line.

Just remember when bleeding brake line's start with the brake furthest from the master cylinder. On a trailer thats the one furthest from the brake like Tee.

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I've been trying to bleed my breaks on my trailer, tryed the manual method and did not get hardly any fluid out of the lines, I tryed a vacum kit and no luck. Mad.gif

I know on a car if fluid come flowing out, I can hardly get a trickel.

How much fluid should be comming out?

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I asked the good people at DHM trailers how they purge the new rigs. Here's a response.

Good Afternoon Dave,

You seem to be talking to old school mechanics! The vacuum bleeders work very well, although they are sometimes rather slow. The vacuum bleeders are not the best, the forced fluid bleeder works better and faster. We use a forced fluid system here during manufacture.

If you have trouble bleeding your system with a vacuum system, lower the tongue as low as possible and even bend the flexible lines down for a little while to get all the air out.

I hope this has helped. Thank You.

Ken Felldin Parts dept. DHM trailers

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Pete, why do you think a vacuum bleeder wouldn't work??

Goose,

I amost edited my post once I thought about the first pic. I posted. A vac. bleeder would overcome the slight bend I have in my brake line just behind the master cylinder but, the loop I have picutred later, would be difficult at best. Basically, I don't think that vacuum alone will allow for pure fluid only to get through the loop. Besides that, I am biased toward 'power bleeding' because that's what I've done for a long time especially with motorcycles.

I was a car mechanic for 12 years and used the 'power bleeders' that water buggy has a link to but, those require very specific fitment. They are designed to fit only one or two types of master cylinders. I didn't see one that would fit the unusual trailer master cylinder reservior caps that we have.

On top of all that, I've had quite a bit of trouble with the disc brakes on my DHM/UFP brake system and have had to virtually rebuild them twice already so, I don't take any chances with bleeding them once I'm done with repairs.

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On top of all that, I've had quite a bit of trouble with the disc brakes on my DHM/UFP brake system and have had to virtually rebuild them twice already so, I don't take any chances with bleeding them once I'm done with repairs.

I spent all day yesterday on my system. Decided to go the manual route. Bled the first brake, no change. went to work on the second brake - frozen brake screw. Could not get the sucker to budge at all. now I'm Mad.gif .

Then I noticed my actuator has a problem - the spring that holds down the safety release is dislodged. Took the actuator off and the spring clip is off completely. take the actuator apart and spent the next 3 hours (including two calls to ufp - they were very helpful) putting the thing back together and installed again. Cry.gif

Getting that spring back in place took forever. At least know I how actuators work and how to push it back in place without pulling the actuator apart.

Good news at this point is that the master cylinder works just fine :) .

About to pull off the hub with the bad master cylinder, but double check the brake on that wheel. turns out that brake is working just fine with a minor adjustment! Doh!

Pull off the first wheel and turns out the brake cylinder is frozen. I replaced the other one 2 years ago (couldn't find a matching set then), so guess it was time for the other to go.

that's where I am today. off to the local trailer stores to get another set of brake cylinders...

ugh...i hate working on brakes and repacking.

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Kevin,

Does your trailer have drum brakes?

BTW, I hope everyone is using DOT 5 fluid in their systems.

Pete - yes I have drum brakes. (BTW, I did find a loop in my line. changing the cylinder and manual bleeding this time was a snap. guess it just took the pain of the first go around to get better).

re: DOT, I've been using the recommended DOT 3. I assumed that was in it before and haven't flushed the system completely recently.

why the suggestion to use dot 5? due to the more infrequent use? seems like it might cause more problems with the lack of water absorbion. I've had to replace two cylinders over the 6 years...if it would prolong life, i'd gladly switch.

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get a oil can pump type must be clean ie cant have any oil in it fill it up with brake fluid slip a rubber hose over the outlet and then over the bleeder open the bleeder pump the oil can reverse bleeding will cause the master cylinder to over flow so be ready to catch excess fluid

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Waimo,

That's the craziest idea I've ever heard that probably works.

Kevin,

I've always had DOT 5 in my brake system from the mfg.

1) It won't hurt the gel coat or paint on your car if it ever leaks out. Trust me on this, I know.

2) Because it is partially synthetic, and as you know, it doesn't absorb water. You'd want this in a brake system that is being dunked in the water a lot.

3) unfortunately, it is pretty expensive and you might only find it at motorcycle shops.

Replacing 2 wheel cylinders seems suspicious. What was wrong with them? And, you said earlier something about mismatching them? I would want exactly the same cylinders on each brake drum for equal operation.

Edited by Pistol Pete
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Replacing 2 wheel cylinders seems suspicious. What was wrong with them? And, you said earlier something about mismatching them? I would want exactly the same cylinders on each brake drum for equal operation.

Pete - the brake cylinders froze (open position). Both were the original cylinders from 99. When the left one went originally and locked up, the local shop only had the left and I needed to get the trailer back together. So I replaced just the left.

this time it was the right (2 years later, but I didn't use the boat much last year due to injury). The lake I ski at has extreme high mineral content and is very rough on gear (ie bindings). My guess is that the boot on cylinder leaked.

I was able to get the pair at the shop time, but only put on the right. left brake seems to be in good operation.

so both left and right now match, but with left having 1 full year of extra use on it. I also don't tow that much - usually when I'm skiiing, the boat spends 80% of the time at the private pond I ski at.

Edited by Addictedto6
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It works, but you tend to force contaminants into the resevoir where they are harder to remove. Definitely a good quick fix to make em work, but I'd feel better with fresh fluid forced from the resevoir out the tiny little bleed hole. Our boat trailers suffer most from water contamination into the resevoir due to a lousy seal system and folks that dunk the trailer such as hoist launch lifts.

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Thanks Waimo.

I'm very inclined to try that method. I just need to figure a way to collect the fluid at the M/C reservior end without having it spill over.

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