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    Harbor freight brake bleeder

    Anyone use this unit? I'm trying it on a Cavalcade front caliper set and just cant seem to get all the air out. Run a bunch of fluid through it and lever better but not what it should be.

    #2
    Used mine just the other day. They dont last forever but arent expensive to replace either
    MY BIKES..1977 GS 750 B, 1978 GS 1000 C (X2)
    1978 GS 1000 E, 1979 GS 1000 S, 1973 Yamaha TX 750, 1977 Kawasaki KZ 650B1, 1975 Honda GL1000 Goldwing, 1983 CB 650SC Nighthawk, 1972 Honda CB 350K4, 74 Honda CB550

    NEVER SNEAK UP ON A SLEEPING DOG..NOT EVEN YOUR OWN.


    I would rather trust my bike to a "QUACK" that KNOWS how to fix it rather than a book worm that THINKS HE KNOWS how to fix it.

    Comment


      #3
      I have one and it works fine, more sturdy and cheaper than Mityvac. I use little zip ties on the hose over the bleed nipple to keep it firmly in place and put some grease on the threads so I don't get false reading of air bubbles coming through. Then I pump up and have a helper keep the fluid topped up, and slightly pull the brake in a bit. I can bleed the GS twin front brakes quick and easy, but the CB750 single caliper is near impossible to get the air out, and it's very frustrating. I had the same issues years ago on my first CB750. Some brakes just don't seem to want to cooperate.
      Tom

      '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
      '79 GS100E
      Other non Suzuki bikes

      Comment


        #4
        Years ago I swapped the the fork legs side to side on my 74 GT 750 to reduce swinging inertia forward of the triple yoke centerline.Putting the calipers closer to the triples centerline makes swinging the bars back and forth easier. But I couldn't get the air out of the calipers. After a while I realized swapping calipers side to side put the bleeders below the top of the caliper piston which made it impossible to bleed. Had to take the caliper off the leg, set it on the rotor at the top and then bleed. It worked.

        Comment


          #5
          I have the brass HF vacuum pump and it's fantastic. The plastic Mityvac is expensive and complete garbage.

          Wrap the gauge in a few layers of clear tape before using it; you're going to drop it at some point, and that stupid gauge is extremely brittle.


          Couple of things if you're having trouble bleeding:

          1) Air always gets in via the threads around the bleeder. I generally wrap the threads on the bleeder with a few turns of teflon pipe tape to stop this. If you're reasonably neat, there's no danger of teflon bits getting into the system (and even if they do, they're certainly not going to hurt anything in the caliper). Some use grease, but I'd rather not risk contaminating my brake fluid with grease.

          2) You have to "bench bleed" the master cylinder if it's been emptied. Pumping with the lever and pulling fluid through with a vacuum pump won't get this air out. If it's already mounted on the bars, remove the lever, find something non-damaging to push with (a wooden dowel, a but driver, a screwdriver wrapped in tape, etc.) and then slowly push the piston alllllllll the way in and back several times. You'll burp those last few bubbles out of that weensy bypass hole at the bottom. If you push too fast, you'll get a jet of brake fluid in the chops.

          3) Once you have all the air out, sometimes you have issues with the seals retracting the pads a little too much, so you need more than one pump, or the lever is at the bar before the pads contact the disk. Two common causes of this are crappy aftermarket rebuild kits (the imitation seals in these are dangerous junk; buy OEM only). and crud left in the seal groove. You have to get in there with your best eyeglasses and a sharp pointy tool and get every last bit of gunk out of the corners.
          1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
          2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
          2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
          Eat more venison.

          Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

          Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

          SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

          Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

          Comment


            #6
            A trick some folks use is to fully pull the lever in wrap it or tie it to the bars, turn the bars all the way to the left so the MC is at its' highest point and leave it overnight. The trapped air gradually works its' way out. I have used this procedure on my Honda wings and it worked for me.
            Jonesz

            1979 GS850 current project
            1978 GL1000-naked
            1983 GL1100-Aspencade stripped
            1999 Valkyrie Tourer-long ride bike

            Comment


              #7
              I have the HF bleeder that you hook to an air compressor. It is fan-freaking-tactic. It's basically the same thing that
              Motion Pro sells for $100. HF costs around $30. Ill never go back to manual bleeders

              Mad
              Last edited by Maddevill; 03-06-2021, 01:04 PM. Reason: Wrong word
              83 GS750E
              2006 ZX14
              2004 KTM 450 EXC
              2001 Yamaha Big Bear

              Comment


                #8
                When I was rehabbing my 450 a few years back i came across the "reverse bleeding method" where instead of filling the system with fluid from the master cylinder down you pump it full from the bleeder upward. It worked quite well on the single disk setup and has also been used with success on my dual disk Goldwing. For about $2 worth of parts you can make your own and can't beat it!

                s-l1600.jpg
                1980 Yamaha XS1100G (Current bike)
                1982 GS450txz (former bike)
                LONG list of previous bikes not listed here.

                These aren't my words, I just arrange them

                Comment


                  #9
                  Brake Bleeder

                  I don't believe this is a HF special...borrowed it from a friend.







                  I'll ask him what brand it is...it worked great!

                  Ed
                  GS750TZ V&H/4-1, Progressive Shocks, Rebuilt MC/braided line, Tarozzi Stabilizer[Seq#2312]
                  GS750TZ Parts Bike [Seq#6036]
                  GSX-R750Y (Sold)

                  my opinion shouldn't be taken as gospel or in any way that would lead you to believe otherwise (30Sep2021)
                  Originally posted by GSXR7ED
                  Forums are pretty much unrecognizable conversations; simply because it's a smorgasbord of feedback...from people we don't know. It's not too difficult to ignore the things that need to be bypassed.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    It's the Harbor Freight version of the Mityvac
                    sigpic
                    Cowboy Up or Quit. - Run Free Lou and Rest in Peace

                    1981 GS550T - My First
                    1981 GS550L - My Eldest Daughter's
                    2007 GSF1250SA Bandit - My touring bike

                    Sit tall in the saddle Hold your head up high
                    Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky and live like you ain't afraid to die
                    and don't be scared, just enjoy your ride - Chris Ledoux, "The Ride"

                    Comment


                      #11
                      It’s a MityVac. Apparently sold at HF for $44, not a knockoff.

                      Ed

                      ****
                      Last edited by GSXR7ED; 03-06-2021, 06:16 PM.
                      GS750TZ V&H/4-1, Progressive Shocks, Rebuilt MC/braided line, Tarozzi Stabilizer[Seq#2312]
                      GS750TZ Parts Bike [Seq#6036]
                      GSX-R750Y (Sold)

                      my opinion shouldn't be taken as gospel or in any way that would lead you to believe otherwise (30Sep2021)
                      Originally posted by GSXR7ED
                      Forums are pretty much unrecognizable conversations; simply because it's a smorgasbord of feedback...from people we don't know. It's not too difficult to ignore the things that need to be bypassed.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        That's how I do it on my mountain bikes, I think I'll try it on my Honda.

                        Originally posted by LAB3 View Post
                        When I was rehabbing my 450 a few years back i came across the "reverse bleeding method" where instead of filling the system with fluid from the master cylinder down you pump it full from the bleeder upward. It worked quite well on the single disk setup and has also been used with success on my dual disk Goldwing. For about $2 worth of parts you can make your own and can't beat it!

                        [ATTACH=CONFIG]62512[/ATTACH]
                        Tom

                        '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
                        '79 GS100E
                        Other non Suzuki bikes

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by GSXR7ED View Post
                          I don't believe this is a HF special...borrowed it from a friend.


                          I'll ask him what brand it is...it worked great!

                          Ed
                          Well, um, it says Mityvac right there on the gauge...

                          Long-term, that plastic Mityvac pump is garbage. For one, the plastic is vulnerable to brake fluid; you know, the stuff you're working with... no, brake fluid shouldn't contact the pump, but stuff happens. For another, the seals inside that pump are junk and wear out quickly.

                          The cheap brass-bodied pump from HF lasts a lot longer. In fact, Harbor Freight does sell that exact crappy plastic Mityvac pump for $45, right next to their superior brass version for $25. They also sell a higher-end "Maddox" brass pump. I don't know anything about that.


                          None of them will tolerate brake fluid or dirt in the seals; I usually install a large clear plastic fuel filter between the pump and the fluid cup to act as a reservoir, keep dirt out (dirt's usually not a problem with brake systems, but it can be an issue with testing vacuum actuators and such), and to give me a little extra warning if fluid is starting to get slurped into the pump, like if the cup tips over. As it usually does...


                          That pneumatic brake bleeding kit from HF looks very interesting too and the reviews are great -- I'll probably pick one up next time I'm doing brake stuff.
                          Amazing deals on this Pneumatic Brake Fluid Bleeder at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.



                          I've never been impressed with reverse bleeding compared to vacuum bleeding. But do whatever you're comfortable with, I guess.

                          One very important distinction is that reverse bleeding should ONLY be done with a new or newly rebuilt system. NEVER reverse bleed to do a flush on a system that's been in use very long; otherwise you're sending whatever is happening in the calipers up to the far more sensitive master cylinder.

                          On most (but not all) newer ABS bikes (check the manual), conventional bleeding works fine for flushing, but folks have had issues trying reverse bleeding on systems that haven't been flushed recently; even very mild gunk from the calipers can play havoc with ABS components, and sometimes there are check valves and whatnot that don't take kindly to or allow reverse flow.
                          Last edited by bwringer; 03-07-2021, 10:29 AM.
                          1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                          2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                          2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                          Eat more venison.

                          Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                          Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

                          SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

                          Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by bwringer View Post
                            Well, um, it says Mityvac right there on the gauge...

                            Long-term, that plastic Mityvac pump is garbage. For one, the plastic is vulnerable to brake fluid; you know, the stuff you're working with... no, brake fluid shouldn't contact the pump, but stuff happens. For another, the seals inside that pump are junk and wear out quickly.

                            The cheap brass-bodied pump from HF lasts a lot longer. In fact, Harbor Freight does sell that exact crappy plastic Mityvac pump for $45, right next to their superior brass version for $25. They also sell a higher-end "Maddox" brass pump. I don't know anything about that.


                            None of them will tolerate brake fluid or dirt in the seals; I usually install a large clear plastic fuel filter between the pump and the fluid cup to act as a reservoir, keep dirt out (dirt's usually not a problem with brake systems, but it can be an issue with testing vacuum actuators and such), and to give me a little extra warning if fluid is starting to get slurped into the pump, like if the cup tips over. As it usually does...


                            That pneumatic brake bleeding kit from HF looks very interesting too and the reviews are great -- I'll probably pick one up next time I'm doing brake stuff.
                            Amazing deals on this Pneumatic Brake Fluid Bleeder at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.



                            I've never been impressed with reverse bleeding compared to vacuum bleeding. But do whatever you're comfortable with, I guess.

                            One very important distinction is that reverse bleeding should ONLY be done with a new or newly rebuilt system. NEVER reverse bleed to do a flush on a system that's been in use very long; otherwise you're sending whatever is happening in the calipers up to the far more sensitive master cylinder.

                            On most (but not all) newer ABS bikes (check the manual), conventional bleeding works fine for flushing, but folks have had issues trying reverse bleeding on systems that haven't been flushed recently; even very mild gunk from the calipers can play havoc with ABS components, and sometimes there are check valves and whatnot that don't take kindly to or allow reverse flow.
                            That pneumatic bleeder is what I have. It's outstanding.

                            Mad
                            83 GS750E
                            2006 ZX14
                            2004 KTM 450 EXC
                            2001 Yamaha Big Bear

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by bwringer View Post
                              Well, um, it says Mityvac right there on the gauge...

                              Long-term, that plastic Mityvac pump is garbage. For one, the plastic is vulnerable to brake fluid; you know, the stuff you're working with... no, brake fluid shouldn't contact the pump, but stuff happens. For another, the seals inside that pump are junk and wear out quickly.

                              The cheap brass-bodied pump from HF lasts a lot longer. In fact, Harbor Freight does sell that exact crappy plastic Mityvac pump for $45, right next to their superior brass version for $25. They also sell a higher-end "Maddox" brass pump. I don't know anything about that.


                              None of them will tolerate brake fluid or dirt in the seals; I usually install a large clear plastic fuel filter between the pump and the fluid cup to act as a reservoir, keep dirt out (dirt's usually not a problem with brake systems, but it can be an issue with testing vacuum actuators and such), and to give me a little extra warning if fluid is starting to get slurped into the pump, like if the cup tips over. As it usually does...


                              That pneumatic brake bleeding kit from HF looks very interesting too and the reviews are great -- I'll probably pick one up next time I'm doing brake stuff.
                              Amazing deals on this Pneumatic Brake Fluid Bleeder at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.



                              I've never been impressed with reverse bleeding compared to vacuum bleeding. But do whatever you're comfortable with, I guess.

                              One very important distinction is that reverse bleeding should ONLY be done with a new or newly rebuilt system. NEVER reverse bleed to do a flush on a system that's been in use very long; otherwise you're sending whatever is happening in the calipers up to the far more sensitive master cylinder.

                              On most (but not all) newer ABS bikes (check the manual), conventional bleeding works fine for flushing, but folks have had issues trying reverse bleeding on systems that haven't been flushed recently; even very mild gunk from the calipers can play havoc with ABS components, and sometimes there are check valves and whatnot that don't take kindly to or allow reverse flow.
                              Ahhh, heck, I don't remember the name brand of it...even though it was marked on the white gauge, I couldn't make it out.

                              I've only ever used one of those once so the name had escaped me.

                              The guy I borrowed it from is a Boeing Engineer who helped me do the valve clearance as well.

                              The info you provided is a good advice and should help anyone taking on this task.

                              Ed

                              ****
                              Last edited by GSXR7ED; 03-07-2021, 02:45 PM.
                              GS750TZ V&H/4-1, Progressive Shocks, Rebuilt MC/braided line, Tarozzi Stabilizer[Seq#2312]
                              GS750TZ Parts Bike [Seq#6036]
                              GSX-R750Y (Sold)

                              my opinion shouldn't be taken as gospel or in any way that would lead you to believe otherwise (30Sep2021)
                              Originally posted by GSXR7ED
                              Forums are pretty much unrecognizable conversations; simply because it's a smorgasbord of feedback...from people we don't know. It's not too difficult to ignore the things that need to be bypassed.

                              Comment

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