Easy way to bleed brakes

[302GT]

I hate bleeding brakes and clutches. I have tried vacuum using a hand held vacuum pump but the plastic tubes keep falling off of the bleed fittings, or else the small vacuum leak by the open bleeder prevents proper evacuation. I have tried pressure bleeding but I never seem to have a properly fitting reservoir cap. I usually do the pump and release method using wooden sticks to keep the pedal down while I open the bleeder to release the air (if I am lucky enough to get some air out). Today I used a modified syringe to inject fluid through the caliper bleeders all the way up into the master cylinder. I started at the wheel furthest from the master cylinder and in a few minutes the system was full of fluid with no obvious air. This is so much easier than any other method I have used. I simply got a plastic syringe, cut the needle fitting off the end and drilled a hole slightly smaller than the bleeder nipple (nutrient syringes are available on e-bay and are even better because they have a spout, not a needle fitting). To inject fluid I pushed the syringe body against the open bleeder and slowly injected the brake fluid. I cannot believe how easy this is. No problems with bench bleeding master cylinders, jars of brake fluid falling over, etc...

[DiDueColpi]

Terrific idea Larry!
It gets the job done right.
Gets it done by one person.
And it saves all that mess.
We have a pressure bleeder for reverse bleeding.
But its so cumbersome that I use a converted pump type oil can.
Its the only thing that will save your sanity when bleeding some HTOBs.
Just remember to bleed the tiny amount of air that gets trapped in most wheel cyls and calipers.
As the brake line is generally not the highest part of the system.
Just cracking the bleeder and letting it gravity bleed for a moment generally does it.

Cheers
Fred

[MGBV8]

Great tip, Larry.

FYI, I get 30cc syringes locally from Mize Farm & Garden.

[Dan B]

A method that has worked well for me is using a piece of hose on the bleeder dropped into a brake fluid bottle.  The hose needs to go to the bottom of the bottle which is halfway full of fluid.  Crack the bleeder, pump a few times, slowly.  After the air bubbles out, new fluid is sucked back in.

Ken Nicks also advocates the pump oil can reverse bleed method.  After he talked about it at BritishV8 2012, I got a pump can at Harbor Freight and tried it.  It works well.

Last week I had to put a caliper on my Explorer, but I just got my daughter to pump the brakes for me that time.

[Addicted]

Nice idea.  I will give if a try.  
I got sick of filling and spilling the tiny bottle on my might vac, so I made a big one.  It works really well, but I've still gotten stuck with leakage on the bleed screw threads.  

[DiDueColpi]

Call me crazy, but bleeding brakes isn't the first use that came to mind.

Cheers
Fred