My $80 brake bleeder turned into a 3 hour mess in my driveway

Last Tuesday I tried to flush the brakes on my 2005 F-150 and the cheap bleeder kit I got from Harbor Freight leaked right at the fitting. Brake fluid sprayed all over the caliper and my concrete, and I spent another half hour hunting down a 10mm line wrench that actually fit. Ended up just using the old two person pump and bleed method with my neighbor yelling at me to hold the pedal. Anyone else had a vacuum bleeder fail like this or know a brand that doesn't dribble?

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shane_bell17d ago

Mine did the same thing, leaked all over my wheel well and I was done with it. I just went back to the old school method you used, two people and a length of clear hose so I could see the air bubbles. That vacuum kit now sits in the back of my toolbox collecting dust. The trick is to crack the bleeder screw first before you even touch the pedal, then close it before they let off. Took me a few tries to get the rhythm down but once I did it was way faster than fighting with that leaky plastic junk. If the new fluid comes out clean and you see no bubbles, you're done, no need for fancy tools.