General "How To" Homemade Brake Bleeder Tool

“Compact” – (Home Depot / Pep Boys) Brake Bleeder Tool

by Ron Pickett (aka RonsMinnie)
Adapted from: http://www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm​

Parts:
Home Depot

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
a.	Flowmaster 56 oz – 1.75LT Hand pump up sprayer	6.97
b.	Vinyl Tubing 3/8” od - ¼” Id	2.69
c.	Two Neoprene Washers 1 ½” x ¼”	1.66

Pep Boys

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
d.	Help! Pn#42035 Master Cylinder Cap	5.99
e.	Brass hose fittings ¼” mip x ¼” male hose barb	1.99
f.	Brass Pipe Tee female 1/8”	1.99
g.	Brass Pipe hex nipple 1/8”	1.99
h.	Brass pipe coupling 1/8”	1.99
i.	Pressure Guage 1/8” back mt -- 0-100psi	2.99
j.	S.S. Fender washer 1-1/2” x ½”	0.99
k.	RTV Silicone Black	3.49
Total		$25.77

Drill 5/16” hole in center of “Help pn# 42035” Master Cylinder Cap and Tap with 1/8” Pipe Tap.


Remove end nozzle from sprayer and remove and discard clear plastic diffuser.


Drill out Green Nozzle Tip w/ 3/8” bit (use small drill bit to start & step up bit size gradually).
Then drill ½” into green adapter fitting (the piece the above tip fits to) on sprayers same as above.


Now assemble the pieces:
Vinyl tubing thru tip and into hole you oversized ½” deep in the sprayer adapter (these fit very tight).
Brass hose fittings ¼” mip x ¼” male hose barb into side of Brass Pipe Tee female 1/8”
Pressure Guage 1/8” back mt -- 0-100psi into top of Brass Pipe Tee female 1/8”
Brass Pipe hex nipple 1/8” into bottom of Brass Pipe Tee female 1/8”
Brass Pipe hex nipple 1/8” thru S.S. Fender washer 1-1/2” x ½” & Neoprene Washer 1 ½” x ¼”
S.S. Washer hole was enlarged slightly w/ rat tail file – Neoprene washer was enlarged w/ an X-acto blade.
Use silicone on bottom of Neoprene washer and top of Master Cylinder cap then thread in tee assembly
Enlarge hole in 2nd Neoprene Washer 1 ½” x ¼”
Use Silicone to fill groove Inside of the Master Cylinder Cap that goes from center to side of cap
Use Silicone on one side of Neoprene Washer 1 ½” x ¼” and place over Brass Pipe hex nipple 1/8”
Thread on Brass pipe coupling 1/8” --this is a close fit
Enlarged hole in Neoprene so as to allow threading coupling to exposed portion of nipple in the cap.


Finished Assembly w/bleed catch bottles
(Ozarka 8oz water bottles w- 3/8” hole drilled in top & the tubing left over from the pressure system)


On the MINI

Attach “assembly master cylinder cap” and tighten – Pressurize w/ hand pump with trigger locked in open / flow position. Watch the gauge - Do not exceed 20 psi.
Begin bleeding at the corner furthest from the driver and proceed in order toward the driver. (Right rear, left rear, right front, left front.) Remember the sequence as “the farthest to the closest”. This will bleed the system in such a way as to minimize the amount of potential cross-contamination between the new and old fluid. Maintain positive pressure at all times in the bleeding process, ie pump the sprayer as needed.


When finished with the brake bleeding process, place the sprayer tank below the MINI master cylinder and release the pressure in the tank by loosening the filler neck, this will allow the excess fluid to siphon back into the tank, the coupling that was installed protruding down from the cap into the master cylinder will determine the fluid level. The cap then can be removed without fluid over flow. Clean with alcohol after use.