Here's a link to a homemade pressure bleeder. Not too expensive or difficult to make, it looks like, and it avoids having to take out the spare tire. Take a look and see what you think: http://www.apexcone.com/Bleeder/bleeder.html

Hope this helps.

Mike Brown
Greenville, NC
1986 244 135K
1996 965 92K

Eazybleed or any of its ilk - basically a fluid reservoir hooked up to a spare tire at 20 psi for pressure and to a master cylinder cap to provide fluid to the system. Easy, fast and reasonably cheap.

As far as removing the wheels is concerned, some wheels will allow you to reach the nipples through or around them; me, I like to take the wheels off so I can also inspect the pads, disks, feel for play in the bearings, get a good look at the dustboots, etc.

Bram

Check your local parts store had a one-man brake bleeder kit. Last Friday, I found one with a small plastic bottle, hoses, tapered adapters, and a magnet to hold the unit to car body. I used it successfully over the weekend. Although much easier if the wheels are off (especially rear wheels), you do not have to remove any tires. Dirt cheap, too! AutoZone - Brake Bleeder Kit - $5.99

My normal brake bleeder assistant thinks I spend way too much time listening to Brick, and not enough time with her on sunny Saturday afternoons. Therefore, I decided to buy the kit.

[[ southern fried volvo '91 240 124k mi ]]

I do as Pete does. My "Tool" is about 5'9" tall, one hell of a good cook and she sits in the car and pumps and holds the pedal when I tell her too. : )
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwr and two motorcycles: it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me

The pressure bleed tools suggested in the other post will work more effectively than pumping the pedal or vacuum bleeding. However, if you don't have air in the line below the master cylinder or in the regulator above the rear axle, you can bleed your brakes by vacuum or pedal pumping without spending any money on more tools. If you have replaced your master cylinder, you may need the pressure bleed tool to clear the air.

If you use the pressure bleed tool, you'll need a pressure source. The usual source for a do-it-yourselfer is to bleed the spare tire down to 20 psi and use the remaining air pressure in the spare to bleed the brakes.

For the vacuum or pedal pumping methods, you will do best if you take an old jar, preferably glass, and make a bleeding jar by drilling two holes in the lid and glueing two hoses in the holes. The long hose reaches from the bottom of the jar (tip will be below liquid level in used fluid as you work) out to the brake cylinder. The other hose just barely penetrates the lid and reaches out a foot or so to your vacuum source (if used).

If you don't have a partner to help you, A vacuum cleaner and some tape will get you a vacuum source on your bottle. Just plug the long hose onto the brake cylinder bleed fitting and crack it loose with a wrench. If you use vacuum, it will appear that there is air in the system because some air will leak in around the threads of the bleed fitting. Ignore the small bubbles. Air in the brake cylinder will come out as big bubbles.

DON'T let the master cylinder run low on fluid!!! It's easy to let that happen and if you do that, you'll probably need the pressure bleed tool.

I like the pressure type bleeders but not the vaccum type . Generally, I
like getting a friend and having a conversation like " pump, pump, pump , hold down " while I am one the ground with the hose and container opening and closing bleeders starting at the right rear wheel.


I have slow bled brake systems by simply parking car on a slight incline (front of cat slightly above level. Put hoses on all bleeders and put them in small containers with a just enough fluid to cover the bottom of the hoses . Open bleeder's and keep checking and topping of system for several hours . After you go through at least a pint to a quart or so of fluid it is likely your system has been purged of air and oil fluid .

Either Eezibleed ($20) from www.ipdusa.com or the PowerMotive pressure bleeder ($40) from Powermotive in Berkeley: both do a good job. You do not need to remove all four wheels, though: I can bleed mine easily by turning the front wheels and crawling behind the rear wheels.