need Brakes

[jmooner3]

Still working on the 50 1 ton. Was supposed to be my parts truck for my 49 half ton -but it's in good enough shape to be another runner! I got the motor running today and it looks like the previous owner put new brakes in...the front at least. New rubber hoses and I can see it has new pins so I suspect the shoes are new too. The truck rolls nicely, I hear a slight rub of the front passenger brake but no binding. It looks like there is no brake fluid at all in here. How to go about filling and bleeding this? It looks like an awfully small reservoir. Is there a good way to get fluid on board? Tips to get it full and bled? Also what type of brake fluid should I use and how much will I need (including a 1/2 pint or so for the bleeder jar). Thanks.

[41/53dodges]

i used the regular DOT3, and i used the vacuum pump to bleed my brakes. just have to make SURE there are no leaks and the reservor is full.

[jmooner3]

Pardon my ignorance, vacuum pump?

[JBNeal]

I ain't tried it yet, but I've heard that if ya fabricate a fitting with a hose barb to replace the master cylinder fill plug, a garden variety pump sprayer can be used to 'power bleed' the brakes. A couple of pumps on the empty sprayer supplies a few psi to the master cylinder reservoir, simulating stepping on the brake pedal. This way bleeding the brakes becomes a one-man job.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Pardon my ignorance, vacuum pump?

It's a tool used to vacumn-brake/oil/radiator ect. fluids. "Mity Vac" is one brand that makes a hand operated vacumn pump used to bleed brakes and there is also air assisted brake bleeding pumps. Connect the hose to the bleeder and suck the brake fluid out of each wheel cylinder bleeder till there is clean air bubble free brake fluid.

Bob

[JoelOkie]

I used dot 5 in my truck, as I had replaced every component of the brake system, thus no contamination issues with having any traces of the old fluid in the system. I am very satasfied with it, thus far.

I bleed my brakes by myself with compressed air, using a similar setup to the pump up sprayer connection idea. Joel

[MBF]

Another thing you can do to make it a 1 man job for a few pennies is to get a clear plastic container (small gatorade bottle), drill a hole in the cap and insert a piece of vacuum tube in the hole that will fit over the wheel cylinder bleeder valve. Put an inch or so of brake fluid in the bottle, and make sure that the end of the hose in the bottle is fully submerged in the brake fluid. Hang the bottle above the wheel cylnder you're bleeding, fill the master cyl w fluid and give it a couple of pumps. Until you aren't getting bubbles in the bottle. Close the bleeder, remove the hose from the bleeder and move to the next wheel. Start at the wheel furthest from the master cyl (right rear). This will also tell you what was lurking in your system before it was bled. Mike