This is for those of you like I, who sometimes read Larry Bible's or WHunters (among others) technical posts and aren't sure what you just read, although it sounded impressive. In other words, this is for my fellow light-weights who think they can't do something, but in the end it wasn't a big deal. My Saturday bleeder project:
I used this link as my instructions:
http://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm

Sprayer: $8.97 (Walmart)
Master cyl. cap $6.97 (can you believe that? Pep Boys was $5.99)
1/4" brass fitting $1.24 (Lowes)
1/4" brass fitting $1.27 (Lowes)
Vinyl Tubing 1/4 ID $1.82 (Lowes)
O'ring pack $1.27 (Lowes) probably not necessary
Nylon flat washer pack $0.92 (Lowes)
Air pressure guage $0 (had one) figure $3.00 buck or so?
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My Total $16.28
tax @ 8.25%
TOTAL--$17.62 (figure $20.00 with air gauge and cheaper M.C. cover)
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I'll hit the high spots in the road:
Be sure and find a sprayer with the correct fitting to accept 1/4" I.D. tubing.
I drilled into the sprayer starting small of course, than working my way up to the size of the air guage (just a tad smaller actually). I then let the air guage 'tap' the hole. These sprayers are thicker than you think, and with loctite on the threads I have a tight guage with a good seal.
I then drilled the cap (late model G.M. cap that has to have a small canal RTV'd to seal it) I also started the hole small, and worked my way up, but when I got the the last bit, it took a small hunk out of the cap, which I RTV'd good as new.
I then used a male and femal threaded 1/4" fitting on either side of the cap. I did this so that using a very small snip of tubing on the bottom, it could rest just below the "fill" line of the Master Cyl. to get close to proper amount of fluid, and not over-fill. I o'ringed around the top of cap, and had to use a nylon washer on the bottom side to 'fill space' so the two fittings would tighten.
I attached tubing to sprayer and to top of cap.
Yall, that's it!
It is just that easy!
I'm still waiting on parts to finish up axle, hub and brake issues, but will have the bleeder ready.
I am also going to buy a cap for my F-150, and find covers at the wrecking yards for my old Camaro and Chevy pickup. Then you can just replace whatever fitting you need at the end of the tubing.
Thank you to the original "inventer" of this cheap bleeder. I just wanted to show that if I can do it, anyone can.
Jimmy

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__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Finished product...

Attached Thumbnails

     

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Very nice job.
I added this thread to http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/102268-name-these-parts-help-new-members-post700405.html

Well I can add that to my home-made pop tester I will be building shortly.

Would make annual brake flushes easier....and far less painful, thats for sure.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

I've never done brakes before, but I'm thinking of trying it. Probably a dumb question--do you put the new fluid in the car's reservoir or in the pressure bleeder can?

Both:
#1. Top off the reservoir.
#2. Attach the bleeder cap.
#3. Fill bleeder tank.
#4. Bleed air from bleeder line.
#5. Attach bleeder line to reservoir.
#6. Pump up bleeder tank pressure.
#7. Lock trigger open.
#8. Bleed one wheel.
#9. Repeat steps #3. - #8. as needed.

Remember:
If the reservoir becomes empty, you must bleed the whole system again.
I would rather waste a gallon of fluid than risk air in the system or having to bleed more than once.

Question. I've heard/seen where people talk about the fluid in the rear of the master cylinder for the rear wheels. For the life of me I can't see anything like that on mine. Is that just 126's maybe, or is it just hard to see? My M.C. is rather stained, and very hard to see through, if not impossible. Is that how one would tell. Also, my rubber 'seals?' in between the plastic of the reservior and the metal are VERY cracked. Is this going to (or could it) compromise my seal when I use the bleeder?

I'd like to see pictured of the homemade injector testor BHD.
JL

#7 Lock trigger open

By the way, I never thought about bleeding the air out of the bleeder line before attaching to cap. Duh I guess I will take off the hose clamp, bleed fluid up to end, attach to cap fitting and tiewrap in place, although it would probably hold itself.

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I would replace the reservoir and seals before bleeding, call Phil.
The reservoir has a wall dividing it in half, if it is not clear and clean there is little chance of you ever seeing when the rear half is empty.
Spray wand is used on my rig, I can start and stop flow with the locking trigger = #7 Lock trigger open.

Thanks Whunter. I could certainly use a new reservior and seals.
I like the idea of having the trigger on the bleeder. Interesting....

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I built one of these pressure bleeders (sans gauge) last year to help in bleeding the clutch on Marlene after the transmission install. Since then, I've used it 2-4 times, the most recent being yesterday when I did a flush on Lilly's ('84 300D) brakes. I hate having anything to do with brakes but IMO, the bleeder is the best thing since sliced bread.

There is a caveat: some reservoirs have a 'breather' hole in their top (my W115 for example) and pressurizing the system with this sort of bleeder makes a HUGE mess of spilled and dripping brake fluid. Be sure you clean up your mess or you'll be missing paint.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Instructions on the can of brake fluid usually say " keep tightly closed " between using. This is because brake fluid draws and keeps moisture... which at some point of percentage can cause steam in your brake lines... which is compressible and thus defeats the purpose of having a hydraulic connection to your brakes... or accumlates at points and rusts things in your system..

This of course is the reason regular flushing of your brake system is recommended..

However, with these brake bleeding mechanisms I am concerned that they are not good ( violate the rule on the can ) for keeping moisture from your brake fluid.

Perhaps either some dry gas ( like Argon ) or some bladder could be added to these units to keep moisture laden gas from the surface ( and under pressure at that ) of the brake fluid.

I would drain the bleeder back into the can..........so you can keep the fluid dry.

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Or maybe something like this could be used...

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?DeptID=2332&FamilyID=3463

Particularly with something like those stainless steel ' sure shot' canisters... ?

Sorry, but I have a stupid question regarding the proper useage of this tool. Soooo, once the tool is made you screw the cap onto the reservoir and pump the handle? Of course one would open whichever bleed screw one wants to bleed. Is this right? When I was reading at first I thought you were somehow making a vacuum pump to pull it out but you're pushing it out?

Thanks
David

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2000 Honda Accord V6 137k miles

1972 300SEL 4.5 98k miles

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Yes, that is correct.... and of course start with the bleed screw the longest distance as measured down the brake line... this provides the most and best flush for the amount of fluid used.