brake bleed

[bpdoty]

Can somebody tell me where the bleeder nipple is located/do I need to take the wheels off? Reviewed the tips/tricks thread for the step by step, but no starting point on the map. Many thanks.

[lofthouse_gt]

The bleeder nipple is located right on the outside of the brake caliper there is a rubber piece covering it, slip it off and there you go.

 

Yeah you do need to take the wheels off unless you have some like crazy jelly arms or some huge wheels which you can reach through.

 

But the real question is why are you bleeding your brakes?

[Max Capacity]

You'll want to put a small hose over the bleeder and put the other end into a old drink bottle. The fluid will eat the paint.

 

I use a clear tube so I can watch the air come out.

[bpdoty]

Thanks for the tips. As for why, I have what feels like 6 inches of pedal to get through before I get any actual brake pressure. I'd like to be able to tap the brakes. And, it just seems odd to have that much play when the clutch drops like an anchor.

 

Anyway, can I jack this one wheel at a time, or am I going to need to buy/borrow stands? Thanks again.

[Mr. Sinister]

Anyway, can I jack this one wheel at a time, or am I going to need to buy/borrow stands? Thanks again.

 

You can do it one at a time. Any air in the system (other than what may be in the actuator if you let the reservoir go empty) will just move towards the highest point.

[Max Capacity]

Thanks for the tips. As for why, I have what feels like 6 inches of pedal to get through before I get any actual brake pressure. I'd like to be able to tap the brakes. And, it just seems odd to have that much play when the clutch drops like an anchor.

 

Anyway, can I jack this one wheel at a time, or am I going to need to buy/borrow stands? Thanks again.

 

Again...why do you have 6" of travel. Fix the problem first. Why do you have air in the system.

[Polo08816]

Thanks for the tips. As for why, I have what feels like 6 inches of pedal to get through before I get any actual brake pressure. I'd like to be able to tap the brakes. And, it just seems odd to have that much play when the clutch drops like an anchor.

 

Anyway, can I jack this one wheel at a time, or am I going to need to buy/borrow stands? Thanks again.

 

6 inches of pedal travel before you get brake pressure means there's a lot of air in the brake system. When's the last time the car has had its brakes flushed/bled?

 

I believe the nipple is actually on the inside side of the caliper. It has a small rubber cover on it that is very easy to take off.

 

Also, you can do this one wheel at a time, but it will be a HUGE hassle. I think you should invest in some jack stands and a decent jack. You may need some 2x12s to get a bit more clearance for the front. I had trouble fitting a lot profile jack under the LGT without about 2 extra inches of clearance.

 

As for brake feel, you won't be able to just "tap" your brakes. The LGT is inherently a bit mushy so there will be some brake pedal travel before you actually get brake pressure. This is my feeling after doing a brake flush with ATE Super Blue and a Motive Power Bleeder. Maybe someone who has done a flush, has SS lines, and pads with a bit more initial bite can chime in?

[Mark34]

How is your fluid resevoir level and have you noticed any leaks?

I would definitely recommend borrowing some jackstands, a flarenut wrench, some new fluid, and a buddy to help you tackle this job. Brake bleeding is pain doing it yourself unless you get something like that Motive bleeder someone else mentioned; but they're around $60. Once you get that air out, you should be fine.

 

Ref http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/brake-bleeding-using-motive-power-bleeder-6657.html?t=6657&highlight=brake+bleeding

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/good-brembo-swap-brake-maintanence-vids-104611.html?t=104611&highlight=brake+bleeding

[Scotty]

No offense but with the type of questions you are asking, you might want to find someone competent to help you through the steps in bleeding the brake system.

[bpdoty]

You mean like the people on this forum. Good idea. I was just going to hit the nipple with a hammer once I found it. Ask your mom 'bout my s.o.p. (exercising constitutional right to not insert a smiley face while joking). Anyway, some here claim there is air in the system from the factory. As I bought used w/ 35k I'm guessing I'm the only one to care about the brakes. There's nothing wrong with them now, I just prefer a quicker response. Polo says I'm going to be disappointed; I hope he/she's wrong, but this seems like something a fellow with common sense and a little free time could save 100 bucks on doing himself...so I ask myself one more stupid/dangerous questions...why not? And Scotty, I do appreciate your concern; I have a master mechanic to help me, but I just prefer to know what I'm doing before I ask him for/to help. Makes it less like asking for freebies. Plus, he works on GM's so better to get the details from experts here. Thanks everybody.

[Max Capacity]

When I first test drove a Legacy in 1992 the brakes is one of the reasons I did not buy one. In 1995 it was the same thing, the brakes. When I test drove a 98, the brakes were much better. The 05 has good brakes, you shouldn't need to bleed them, unless something is/was wrong.

 

Make sure you check back in and let us know the out come.

[Scotty]

The braking system is not something you should tackle by yourself considering you were asking questions as to where the bleeder nipple is located. If you don't do it right, you can easily introduce more air into the system which is why you really need someone who has done it before to show you the ropes. Plus you'll need another person to help you unless you have a brake bleeder system. It doesn't matter if the guy is a GM mechanic or a bicycle mechanic. Bleeding hydraulic brakes is the same procedure more or less.

[bpdoty]

I'm hoping my pal will be able to help me tackle this weekend, but I will report back as soon as the job is done. I can't find superblue anywhere around st. louis so I'm just using some 3/4 from Autozone. If anybody thinks superblue is worth a little better than twice as much as the prestone/castrol/etc stuff, please chime in. My thinking is for half the price I can change it twice as often. The dry boiling point is plenty high, and even higher than the wet point of super blue during the second run. Thanks again.

[Max Capacity]

Standard brake fluid is fine. If you were racing the car every weekend that may be different.

 

Just go buy a qt of what ever brake fluid meets the requirements in the owners manual. Don't over think this.

 

126,000 miles and I have never changed the brake fluid or had to bleed the brakes on my 05GT.

[apexi]

It's never a bad idea to periodically bleed your brakes since the fluid absorbs moisture from the air which lowers the flashpoint of the fluid and could corrode your braking system over time. Subaru recommends every 30 months or 30k on my '09.

[forayzor]

yes, brake fluid is hydroscopic, which means it absorbs moisture present in the atmosphere, but on a properly operating brake system, the fluid is never exposed to air, as the cap on the reservoir has a rubber seal to prevent this from happening. therefore, i agree with max capacity in not changing brake fluid every 30k.

[bpdoty]

I agree, I've never had brake fluid problems in other cars, so I will just bleed this once to satisfy my need to tinker. If my pedal firms up a bit, it's worth the 10 bucks, and either way my piece of mind is worth the shop time (not sure what y'all's is worth, but send me an itemized bill and I'll get it processed immediately).

[teK--]

Thanks for the tips. As for why, I have what feels like 6 inches of pedal to get through before I get any actual brake pressure. I'd like to be able to tap the brakes. And, it just seems odd to have that much play when the clutch drops like an anchor.

 

Anyway, can I jack this one wheel at a time, or am I going to need to buy/borrow stands? Thanks again.

 

You could have a faulty master brake cylinder. With the engine off pump the pedal a few times until the pedal is very firm then stand on the pedal it should not sink to the floor. If it does your cylinder is stuffed.

 

As mentioned, bleeding brakes, or more specifically getting air out of brakes is not an easy job (for a beginner). I am reasonably technically inclined and it took only one lapse of concentration to suck air into the system. After bleeding the whole system many times I still couldn't get it out and had to take my car to a shop.