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Mark D
 Post subject: Bleeding brakes
PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:04 am 
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Hi All

What would be the prefered method to bleed the brakes for a BT?. The book says to start from the top down but some folks like to start from the bottom up.

Thanks - Mark D

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Second Air Force
 Post subject: Re: Bleeding brakes
PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:20 pm 
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I've always preferred bottom up. Make certain to monitor the level in the reservoir, though. They fill up faster than one would think!

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skymstr02
 Post subject: Re: Bleeding brakes
PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 7:04 pm 
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I've had better results from the bottom up also. Seems to get the air out of the lines best. I put a hose on the vents on the master cylinders, put the other end of the hose in a clean bottle, and let the fluid flow. No mess.

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N3Njeff
 Post subject: Re: Bleeding brakes
PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 7:28 pm 
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skymstr02 wrote:
I've had better results from the bottom up also. Seems to get the air out of the lines best. I put a hose on the vents on the master cylinders, put the other end of the hose in a clean bottle, and let the fluid flow. No mess.





Exact Ditto! keep goin from the bottom up when the air disapears in the clear tubing off the master. That being said, if you fill it slow enough, you should pretty much get it.

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Matt Gunsch
 Post subject: Re: Bleeding brakes
PostPosted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:04 pm 
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I'll echo what others have said and add this, sometimes to get stubborn air bubbles you might have to slowly work the brake pedals as you are bleeding them.

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Oscar Duck
 Post subject: Re: Bleeding brakes
PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 1:43 am 
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problem with my Bird Dog brakes. Has Cleveland's..

Brakes good, pedal hard...

parked for three months, no got pedal on either side. no fluid visible anywhere. Cylinders down a bit.

any ideas welcome...

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Bug_racer
 Post subject: Re: Bleeding brakes
PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 7:53 am 
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Oscar Duck wrote:
problem with my Bird Dog brakes. Has Cleveland's..

Brakes good, pedal hard...

parked for three months, no got pedal on either side. no fluid visible anywhere. Cylinders down a bit.

any ideas welcome...


you have to have a leak somewhere . bleed at each nipple and check if any air comes out at that particular nipple , if it does then that curcuit has a leak

Im no aircraft mechanic but speaking from logic you always start from the bottom and go up . Air tends to naturally rise to the top . Do planes have bleed nipples on the master cylinder as well ?
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skymstr02
 Post subject: Re: Bleeding brakes
PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:06 pm 
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Bug_racer wrote:
Do planes have bleed nipples on the master cylinder as well ?


Some of the older WWII vintage airplanes do, but not with Cleveland brand brakes

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