zeroptzero

if all else fails and you cant get it to work, just get someone to activate the brake pedal while you bleed it, it's a foolproof option if the gravity bleed can't be achieved.

Billman250

Back-chase: read carefully. This method differs greatly from conventional methods. Because they suck

Open the bleeded on one wheel FIRST. Then have someone SLOWLY push the pedal to the floor. they should take about 5-7 seconds to push the pedal from the top to the floor. Once they alert you they have reached the floor, close the bleeder. only bleed once per wheel.

Release the pedal rapidly.

go to the next wheel in a circle around the car, repeat.

Of course, keep the master level topped up with brake fluid as you go and dont run it dry.

If a wheel needs more bleeding, wait till you come back around for a second time after the other 3 have been done once. Basically, bleed once, move, bleed once, move, etc...repeat until your air is out.

Then for the icing on the cake....find a bar or piece of wood, and push the brake pedal down with good amount of force, and pin it against the seat track. Leave it pressurized overnight. disable brake lights by pulling fuse or disconnecting battery.

i cant explain how this works...I'm not that scientific but its a trick I've used for 20 years on stubborn cars in the field.

The pedal will be amazing in the morning.

BowlofRice

From a buddy who told me a trick to bleed without wasting too much fluid by hooking a hose from the bleeder to the master and pump the brakes a few times, close the bleeder and repeat till good pedal feel is felt. Personally I haven't tried it yet. So ymmv.

puredrive888

reverse bleeding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=231oK-_p5so

or the

PHOENIX SYSTEMS V12-DIY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LVyA_3lOmM

davidc1

Billman, can you comment on two things?

1. Many people have posted they tried the gravity bleed method and found that only a little fluid bleeds and then nothing more even after waiting for an hour or more. Has this ever happened to you? And why may it happen?

2. From my understanding, the small amount of fluid in the abs pump and plumbing doesn't get changed with regular fluid replacement because it doesn't get circulated in the main part of the system. Is it important to change this fluid? One person mentioned to do a fluid replacement, go out and drive and activate the ABS a bunch of times, and replace again. But this doesn't really get the ABS fluid to mix with the rest, correct?

Thanks

Working_Class_S

Thank you so much for your help everyone. I did a follow up gravity bleed yesterday and purged maybe a small amou t of air from each caliper. Since I put teflon tape around the bleeder threads, the only air thyat I see in the silicon hose is the air that was inside my calipers and lines. After the follow up bleed, my brakes feel 95% perfect. The pedal feel with the Accord calipers is perfect. Brake engagement happens right away, whereas before the followup bleed, I has to press the brakes slightly before I wanted my car to begin to brake to compensate for the lag from having air in the lines. The only problem is that my car slightly tugs to the right under maximum braking, so I will try your other method Billman since I still have an unopened can of Type 200 ATE. Thanks again.

Working_Class_S

I bled the brakes again with ATE SL.6 because it gave me excellent pedal feel with the stock calipers. Again, there is a noticeable improvement with this fluid over Type 200 (Super Blue). The pedal feels welded to the car and I feel like I can modulate the braking force with pedal pressure rather than pedal travel. Since I was switching fluid types, I modified Billman's standard gravity bleed to RF LF LR RR RF. Since RF is the first wheel being bled, it gets bled with a mixture of old and new fluid no matter how much of the old fluid you try to suck out of the reservoir before adding new fluid. Bleeding it first and last eliminates this problem.

banflu

I had used the gravity bleed method when I bought the car about a year ago, and was quite happy with pedal feel. It felt the same as my other cars.
But last weekend me and my friend swapped cars (his is a 2003 EDM s2000, mine is a 1999 JDM s2000), and his pedal felt much much better than mine.
And I should mention that he surely hasnt bled his brakes in over a year for sure ... and he surely didnt use DOT 5 fluid like I did.

His pedal is ROCK hard and extremely sensitive to even the slightest pressure you put to it ... but in mine there is about an inch of travel before it starts to work.
I've noticed when I was a passenger with him that his car has excellent braking, better than mine .. but I always thought it was because of my crappy redstuff pads.

Does this mean I should bleed the brakes again? I'm thinking of using the tried-and-tested two man bleed. Thoughts?

Working_Class_S

Dot 5 is silicone brake fluid. It will definitely give you a squishy pedal. Do you mean DOT 5.1? Try SL.6 since its cheap and works for me. It could be that your 12 year old lines aren't as stiff as they used to be. Also keep in mind it can take multiple gravity bleeds to get a firm pedal.

banflu

Yes I meant dot5.1. My bad.
I also have spoon braided Hoses.

I think I'm done with gravity bleeds to be honest.