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Trouble bleeding your brakes? Can't get the air out even though you've tried every trick that's been offered up?
Thanks to Ole Guy on Steve Saunder's Goldwingfacts Forum, you can make a homemade "Vacula" / "Mighty Vac" and get it done fast!
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Power Vacuum Bleeder: Simple and Homemade
by Ole Guy
What you need:
- Strong vacuum source (car engine or Shop Vac)
- Large glass jar for collection container
- Clear 1/4" and 3/8" plastic line - it's cheap and found in the plumbing section
- Vacuum kit/adapters if needed - I used pieces of the above hose
- An assistant will be most useful to pour fluid
- Common sense -- stop here if you don't have it or are accident prone
Setup: Two snug holes are drilled in the jar lid and then two pieces of hose are cut to length as needed. The 1/4" hose is the vacuum hose and it goes in one inch. The 3/8" hose is the bleeder suction hose and goes to the bottom of the jar. The 3/8" hose is used here because it fits on the bleeder fitting. Don't add fluid to the jar -- it fills quickly. Open the reservoir filler cap and fill to brim. Open the first bleeder wide for maximum flow -- it's important. Attach the 1/4" vacuum hose below the throttle plate vacuum [on the auto] somewhere and then apply the 3/8" bleeder suction hose to the first bleeder. Suction out a few ounces or until its looks clean then move to the next. If your system has any of the extra components like equalizers for front/rear brakes or anti-lock brakes, you must find and bleed them, they could be the reason for trapped air.
[attachment=1]PwrVacBleeder1.jpg[/attachment]
I used a car engine because the 1/4" hose fits easily on most fittings and it’s powerful. The 3/8" hose fits on most bleeder fittings. The 1/4" and 3/8" hose can slip together as in the picture and small piece make good adapters. You can use any size hose you want. The jar doubles as a collection container and vacuum reservoir and captures the waste fluid so it does not enter the engine. Don't overfill the container and suck it into the engine -- it smokes!
Open the bleeders wide for maximum volume flow -- this is most important. Swift, steady flow sucks out the trapped air. The pump-and-squirt method pressurizes the system and the air is forced into the high cavities. Suction depressurizes and siphons the air away! You will only see foaming vacuum bubbles coming from the bleeders - the air bubbles blend in. The fluid never gets clear -- just streaming foam.
You should really have an assistant to pour in brake fluid -- as it goes down fast, but you can manage alone. An uncapped reservoir will shoot fluid out if pumped -- watch the eyes. You probably can skip applying grease around the loose fittings. Small leaks in the hose setup are okay with plenty of vacuum to spare, no need to get fanatical. If you really want to make sure all air is purged, pump-and-squirt one last time with a small crack of the bleeder.
Shop VAC: If you use a Shop VAC, a flat piece of material will firmly plant itself against the end of the vacuum hose, so drill a 1/4" hole and insert the vacuum hose, then turn on vacuum and it will hold itself in place.
The Bleeding Facts: Bleeding the system is to purge air. Spongy or no brakes means air in the system. Bleeding is simple if there is no trapped air. First, try the simple method as it does work often. Pump the brakes, hold the peddle down, then open and close the bleeder. If you release before closing the bleeder, it sucks air in. Repeat until only fluid squirts out. If this fails, it's because it moves too little, too slow. One pump equals one squirt -- it only nudges trapped air. One vacuum application can suck the system dry in less than a minute or two. It's a breeze changing and flushing fluid. The idea is to move trapped air faster than it can move backwards. Vacuum action leaves no bubble behind.
Testimony: First used on my Goldwing's front spongy brakes with vertical lines years ago. After much wasted time and frustration I made this gadget. It's never failed me on any vehicle, even anti-lock systems. It's one of the best homemade devices I have made. I still have the original Lipton Instant Tea jar with plastic lid. I never tried it with a Shop VAC, only my 4-cylinder S-10. Finally, after years of trying all the tricks of the trade, I beat a most frustrating job with killer-simple homemade jar gadget! It makes me smile.
Ole Guy on Steve Saunder's Goldwingfacts Forum.
Follow up by Ole Guy
Here it is bubbling air through some old DOT-4.
[attachment=0]PwrVacBleeder2.jpg[/attachment]
I changed the fluid again. I did not remember how hard it was to get at the rear bleeder and the one for the clutch. Just get the 3/8 hose on and it sucks it down pretty quick. I did it alone and bled them dry a few times, had to start over. The fluid in the container is all of it from front, rear, and clutch from my GL1200. The old fluid is brown even though it looked clear in the master cylinders. I think I'll change it more often now that it is so easy to do.
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Source = Post #11 in this Saunder's Goldwingfacts thread. This copy approved by Ole Guy.
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Sorry 'bout getting your name wrong in the original post ... it's fixed now.